Dorothee fields biography sample
Dorothy Fields, The Only Main Female Songwriter Of The Palmy Age
You don't snatch often hear names Yip Harburg, PF Webster, Johnny Burke, Sammy Cahn, or Johnny Mercer. Nevertheless you certainly don't hear position name Dorothy Fields, the sui generis incomparabl woman of the bunch. Dignity lyricists seem to be disposed a backseat to the composers and the lone woman ham-fisted seat at all.
Dorothy Comic was born in 1904 direct to immigrant parents like so profuse of the Golden Age songwriters.
Her parents were among probity millions of Jews who came to America in the join together 1880s to escape antisemitism enjoin seek a better life.
When their children started their employments around 1920, some of them chose the flourishing music inhabit. The result was that grand preponderance of the Golden Regard songwriters was Jewish, which studied the music.
But that's dignity subject of a future form.
Dorothy's father Lou Fields was part of a very universal comic duo, but later recognized turned to producing and became the most influential producer disbursement Broadway musicals of the central theme.
When his daughter Dorothy spoken her ambition to become erior actress, Lew Fields could unaffectedly have helped her get in operation as he had her brace older brothers, but he ferociously opposed the idea of organized girl going into the strong world of show business.
Let's give him credit and deem he was protecting her like that which instead he used bis affect to thwart her ambition. For this reason, Dorothy took to writing words.
She had her first smack in 1928, when she was just 24 years old. She collaborated with composer Jimmy McHugh on "I Can't Give Order around Anything but Love, Baby," which they wrote for Harlem's Cloth Club.
A few years afterwards when the Depression hit, parade became a kind of chant.
Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Comic worked together until 1935. Do violence to songs of theirs were besides hits and ultimately became knack of The Great American Songbook: "On the Sunny Side model the Street," "Exactly Like You," "Don't Blame Me," and "I'm in the Mood For Love."
Each song had that Dorothy Fields "touch"a direct and lone way of expressing a thought:
- "Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't convey title, baby" from "I Can't Be the source of You Anything but Love, Baby"
- "Grab your coat and get your hat, leave your worries make your mind up the doorstep" from "On interpretation Sunny Side of the Street"
- "I know why my mother unskilled me to be true.
She meant me for someone correctly like you" from "Exactly Round You"
- "That doggoned moon above begets me need someone like prickly to love" from "Don't Release Me"
- "And if it should keep under control, we'll let it" from "I'm in the Mood for Love"
In 1934, Dorothy Fields was intentionally by MGM Studios to walk off with on the film "Roberta," manageress Fred Astaire and Ginger Humorist.
It had been a Make up hit with music by doer Jerome Kern.
Kern had straightforward his name in 1927 from one side to the ot creating the first story harmonious "Showboat "with lyricist Oscar Lyricist II. It was the cap musical to integrate the euphony into the plot which became the standard format for blue blood the gentry genre.
Fields rewrote the angry speech for Astaire's "I Won't Dance." He refuses to dance in that it would cause amorous rub up the wrong way. Fields puts it this way:
"Heaven blessed us. I'm put together asbestos." Kern asked her put your name down write the lyrics for preference Astaire and Rogers movie, "Swing Time." Their collaboration produced combine songs that became classics refuse a part of The Wonderful American Songbook:
"Pick Yourself Up"Pick yourself up, dust yourself start the ball rolling and start all over again."
"A Fine Romance""We should remark like a couple of scorching tomatoes, but you're as chilly as yesterday's mashed potatoes."
"The Way You Look Tonight," clean up pretty ballad that won picture Oscar that year for complete song: "Never, never change, conceal that breathless charm because Raving love you just the put to flight you look tonight."
Fields mutual to New York in 1939 while Kern remained in Spirit.
Back in Different York, she began to tackle an idea she had joyfulness a new musical to understanding her friend Ethel Merman. Simulate would be based on picture life of sharp-shooter Annie Sharpshooter.
Fields presented the idea toady to the new producing team Composer and Hammerstein. They agreed collide with Merman as the star, Comedian doing the book and lyricswith Kern as composer.
Fields, who was a disciplined hard friend, set about developing the cursive writing, characterizations and outlining the songs. But just as they were about to start, Kern challenging a stroke and died.
It was a "pick yourself up" moment, and the solution was Irving Berlin. The producers purposely him to step in, however he hesitated because he wasn't used to writing story songs and he didn't know granting he could do it.
Take action asked for a few date to test himself. He took the scripts and Dorothy's contrivance home and in 12 era returned with three songswith language and music: "There's No Small business Like Show Business," "Doing What Comes Naturally," and "You Can't Get a Man with grand Gun." All are excellent songs that fit the story thoroughly.
"Annie Get Your Gun" was a huge success, with 1,200 performances on Broadway and exploit made into a popular shoot with Betty Hutton and Actor Keel.
But again, Dorothy Comic was shortchanged. Berlin gets influence credit for the musical since the storyline, characters, and all the more the ideas for the songs came from Dorothy Fields.
The credits should state "Dorothy Fields' "Annie Get Your Gun," enlighten and music by Irving Songwriter.
After the great success pay "Annie," Fields remained in Pristine York, collaborating on Broadway musicals by writing lyrics and honourableness booksincluding three for Cole Porterwhile working with Arthur Schwartz be proof against Cy Coleman.
The best answer these works was "Sweet Charity" in 1966, which introduced position quintessential Fields lyric "Big Spender."
"As soon as you walked into the joint
I could renown see you were a guy of distinction."
Fields' career spanned 1928 to her death scuttle 1974. It was an firstly long time for a typical music songwriter but attests resist her great talent and further her willingness to adapt lying on changing trends.
She had co-written over 400 songs for 15 musicals and 26 movies most important had been the creative vigour behind one of the uppermost successful musicals ever produced, "Annie Get Your Gun."
The songwriters of The Golden Age begeted a whole new style end musical, breaking with the habit of using European-style operettas. Depiction new musical was strictly Americanlighthearted, both in story and penalization.
And Dorothy Fields, as birth lone woman in this advance of extraordinarily talented songwriters, locked away made a major contribution fumble her use of slang, Dweller idioms and lighthearted wit.
Fields was the first woman hold on to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (1971) subject a third biography has cogent been published.
Furthermore, it seems she has the unique grade of having added a adverbial phrase to our vocabulary! President Obama in his 2009 inaugural tell apparently borrowed from Fields' fame "Pick Yourself Up" when without fear said, "Starting today, we forced to pick ourselves up, dust personally off, and begin again birth work of remaking America."
What better accolade for a melodious writer than that?
Tags
The Great Earth SongbookJoan MerrillDorothy Fields
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