Frank Loesser
Frank Loesser
Frank Loesser (1910-1969) was an American composer and lyricist whose songs appeared in an incredible 113 productions for the stage and screen. Loesser had two main periods in his musical life: as a lyricist from 1931-1946, and as a composer-lyricist from 1947-1969, joining Irving Berlin and Cole Porter in the top tier of songwriters writing both the music and lyrics. During Loesser's rich career he received 5 Academy Award nominations (winning once), 4 Tony Award nominations (winning twice), one Grammy award, and one Pulitzer prize. His signature Tony and Golden Globe award winning musical, Guys and Dolls, has been called “the greatest American musical of all time”.
Frank Loesser was born in Manhattan and was raised in a musical family, his father being an accomplished classical pianist and piano teacher. Disdaining classical music, Loesser self-learned the piano and began writing popular music and lyrics at the age of 6. When he was 16 his father's death forced him to work at various jobs to support the family, including writing sketches and song lyrics. He published his first song in 1931 as a lyricist with the composer William Shuman, played piano in nightclubs, and wrote lyrics for his first Broadway show The Illustrator’s Show in 1936.
The Broadway experience landed him a contract with Paramount Pictures and he moved to Hollywood where he received good notices for his lyrics in a song sung by Dorothy Lamour in the 1937 film The Hurricane. For the next ten years Loesser wrote lyrics with some of the best music composers of the day and produced the popular songs “Two Sleepy People”, “Small Fry”, and “Heart and Soul” with Hoagy Carmichael; “I Don’t Want To Walk Without You” with Jule Styne; “Can’t Get Out Of This Mood”, “Murder He Says”, “Say It Over and Over Again” and “Let’s Get Lost” with Jimmy McHugh; “I Hear Music” and “The Lady’s in Love with You” with Burton Lane; and “They’re Either Too Young or Too Old” with Arthur Schwartz.
In the midst of these songwriting efforts, Loesser joined World War II in the Army Air Force and eventually found himself with fewer composer collaborators. Being a decent pianist, he started formulating and writing his own melodies to his lyrics, and In 1944 wrote the lyrics and music to a duet that he and his wife would perform at parties. Five years later this duet, called “Baby It’s Cold Outside”, was featured in the 1949 film Neptune’s Daughter and won the Academy Award for best original song. In 1947 and 1948 he composed the two highly acclaimed classic American standards “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve” and “On A Slow Boat to China”.
These popular song successes enabled Loesser to return home to Manhattan and compose for Broadway. During the next 20 years he composed the music and lyrics for six blockbuster musicals: Where’s Charley (1948), Guys and Dolls (1950), Hans Christian Andersen (1952 film), The Most Happy Fella (1956), Greenwillow (1959), and How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (1961). These productions contained some of the nicest melodies and song standards and produced all of his Tony, Grammy, and Pulitzer prize awards. Guys and Dolls, based on two short stories of Damon Runyon, was quickly recognized as a top premier musical and won five Tony Awards (including Best Musical), as well as producing one of the top show tunes "Luck Be a Lady" and three of Loesser's best song standards: "I'll Know", "I've Never Been in Love Before", and "A Woman in Love". Made into a Hollywood film in 1955, it received 6 Academy and Golden Globe nominations winning for Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy).
Frank Loesser’s music appears in the following 113 productions for the stage and screen
Frank Loesser was born in Manhattan and was raised in a musical family, his father being an accomplished classical pianist and piano teacher. Disdaining classical music, Loesser self-learned the piano and began writing popular music and lyrics at the age of 6. When he was 16 his father's death forced him to work at various jobs to support the family, including writing sketches and song lyrics. He published his first song in 1931 as a lyricist with the composer William Shuman, played piano in nightclubs, and wrote lyrics for his first Broadway show The Illustrator’s Show in 1936.
The Broadway experience landed him a contract with Paramount Pictures and he moved to Hollywood where he received good notices for his lyrics in a song sung by Dorothy Lamour in the 1937 film The Hurricane. For the next ten years Loesser wrote lyrics with some of the best music composers of the day and produced the popular songs “Two Sleepy People”, “Small Fry”, and “Heart and Soul” with Hoagy Carmichael; “I Don’t Want To Walk Without You” with Jule Styne; “Can’t Get Out Of This Mood”, “Murder He Says”, “Say It Over and Over Again” and “Let’s Get Lost” with Jimmy McHugh; “I Hear Music” and “The Lady’s in Love with You” with Burton Lane; and “They’re Either Too Young or Too Old” with Arthur Schwartz.
In the midst of these songwriting efforts, Loesser joined World War II in the Army Air Force and eventually found himself with fewer composer collaborators. Being a decent pianist, he started formulating and writing his own melodies to his lyrics, and In 1944 wrote the lyrics and music to a duet that he and his wife would perform at parties. Five years later this duet, called “Baby It’s Cold Outside”, was featured in the 1949 film Neptune’s Daughter and won the Academy Award for best original song. In 1947 and 1948 he composed the two highly acclaimed classic American standards “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve” and “On A Slow Boat to China”.
These popular song successes enabled Loesser to return home to Manhattan and compose for Broadway. During the next 20 years he composed the music and lyrics for six blockbuster musicals: Where’s Charley (1948), Guys and Dolls (1950), Hans Christian Andersen (1952 film), The Most Happy Fella (1956), Greenwillow (1959), and How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (1961). These productions contained some of the nicest melodies and song standards and produced all of his Tony, Grammy, and Pulitzer prize awards. Guys and Dolls, based on two short stories of Damon Runyon, was quickly recognized as a top premier musical and won five Tony Awards (including Best Musical), as well as producing one of the top show tunes "Luck Be a Lady" and three of Loesser's best song standards: "I'll Know", "I've Never Been in Love Before", and "A Woman in Love". Made into a Hollywood film in 1955, it received 6 Academy and Golden Globe nominations winning for Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy).
Frank Loesser’s music appears in the following 113 productions for the stage and screen
AS A LYRICIST
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1934
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1941
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AS A COMPOSER & LYRICIST
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1947
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1952
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At the time of his premature death at the age of 59, Loesser was writing the book, music, and lyrics for Señor Discretion Himself, a musical version of the Budd Schulberg short story. Versions of this production were presented in 1985 and in 2004. In 2006 PBS produced the documentary Heart and Soul: The Life and Music of Frank Loesser. In 2013 a musical tribute titled Once In Love With Loesser was produced by the 42nd Street Moon Theater in San Francisco.
When he was asked why he did not write more Broadway shows, Loesser responded that "I don’t write slowly, it’s just that I throw out fast."
When he was asked why he did not write more Broadway shows, Loesser responded that "I don’t write slowly, it’s just that I throw out fast."