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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZSCHWARTZ, Arthur(b 25 Nov. 1900, Brooklyn NY; d 3 Sep. '84) One of the great songwriters. His father was a successful lawyer; with several college degrees, young Arthur turned to music. He wrote 'I Love To Lie Awake In Bed' with Lorenz Hart for a summer camp show c'22, then met Howard Dietz in '27 who wrote new lyrics for it: 'I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan' was their first hit, for The Little Show '29. The Band Wagon '31 included 'Dancing In The Dark', their biggest hit; Flying Colors '32 included 'Louisiana Hayride' and 'Alone Together'; flop Revenge With Music '34 (based on Spanish novel The Three-Cornered Hat) included 'You And The Night And The Music'; At Home Abroad '35 included 'Love Is A Dancing Thing' (a hit in UK by Jessie Matthews), 'Got A Bran' New Suit' (recorded by Fats Waller, who also had a hit '34 with 'Then I'll Be Tired Of You', by Schwartz with Yip Harburg). After a flop show Schwartz and Dietz split up in '37; Schwartz worked with Dorothy Fields, went to Hollywood '39-46 where he produced Cover Girl (with songs by George Gershwin and Jerome Kern) and the Cole Porter biopic Night And Day. He teamed with Dietz again for Inside USA '46 on Broadway, then two more flops; with Fields for the more successful A Tree Grows In Brooklyn '51 and By The Beautiful Sea '54. He wrote 'That's Entertainment' with Dietz for '53 film of The Band Wagon, retired to England late '60s and made an LP singing his own songs '75. Howard Dietz (b 8 Sep. 1896, NYC; d 30 July '83) was a journalist who worked as a publicist for MGM, invented the Leo the Lion trademark, stayed 30 years and became a director of Loews Inc. while writing songs on the side. He also wrote with Kern, Gershwin, Vernon Duke, Sammy Fain, others; he was a director of ASCAP '59-61, who gave him a prize for his autobiography Dancing In The Dark, Words By Howard Dietz '74; Song By Song By Howard Dietz '80 was a TV special. One of his songs was called 'Why Did I Leave Wisconsin? Kenosha Wisconsin': he must have liked the syllables. |