Arthur Schwartz (1900-1984) studied law at New York University, supporting his studies by playing the piano and writing popular songs. He wangled a summer job at Brant Lake Camp, in order to meet and write with Lorenz Hart, resulting in a song called ‘I Love To Lie Awake In Bed’ which, with a Howard Dietz lyric, would later become ‘I Guess I’ll Have To Change My Plan’. It was Hart who encouraged Schwartz to pursue a musical career instead of a legal one. Schwartz continued successfully with both, publishing songs and passing the bar in 1924.
In 1928 he teamed up with lyricist Dietz, and they began contributing songs to revues. ‘I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan’ was featured in The Little Show and ‘Something to Remember You By’ in Three’s a crowd. In 1931 their musical The Band Wagon achieved both critical and box office success and marked the final appearance of Fred Astaire with his sister and dance partner Adele, before her retirement. However, commercial success on Broadway was short lived, and Schwartz expanded his talents to writing for Hollywood films. ‘They’re either Too Young or Too Old’, written with Frank Loesser and sung by Bette Davis in Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943) achieved an Oscar nomination. Another nomination followed in 1946 for his collaboration with lyricist Leo Robin on A Gal in Calico, and the 1953 film adaptation of The Band Wagon which included the newly penned ‘That’s Entertainment’ earned an Academy nomination for Best Score. Whilst in Hollywood, Schwartz also took on the mantle of movie producer with the musical Cover Girl (1944), the Cole Porter biopic Night and Day (1946) and The Band Wagon (1953).
Back on Broadway Schwartz collaborated with Ira Gershwin in 1946 on the unsuccessful musical Park Avenue. Inside USA, written with his old partner Dietz was a hit in 1948 and the cast album of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn reached the top ten for Schwartz and lyricist Dorothy Fields in 1951. Reunited with his old writing partner Dietz in the early 60’s, the pair created their last two Broadway shows together The Gay Life (1961) and Jennie (1963). Schwartz also wrote with Johnny Mercer, Edward Heyman, Yip Harburg, Oscar Hammerstein II and Al Stillman to name a few.
He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972. His son, Jonathan Schwartz, is a renowned radio broadcaster, specialising in the Great American Songbook.
Key Songs:
‘I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan’ (1929)
‘Dancing in the Dark’ (1931)
‘Alone Together’ (1932)
‘Then I’ll Be Tired of You’ (1934)
‘You And The Night And The Music’ (1934)
‘By Myself’ (1937)
‘I See Your Face Before Me’ (1937)
‘Haunted Heart’ (1948)
‘That’s Entertainment!’ (1953)