Isidore Lillian (

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...

: איזידאָר ליליען ''Izidor Lilien'') (c. 1882 - 1960) was an actor, songwriter, playwright, and composer who was a leading figure in the New York

Yiddish Theatre Yiddish theatre consists of plays written and performed primarily by Jews in Yiddish, the language of the Central European Ashkenazi Jewish community. The range of Yiddish theatre is broad: operetta, musical comedy, and satiric or nostalgic revues ...

for the first half of the twentieth century. He wrote hundreds of songs for the theatre which were performed by such actors as

Boris Thomashefsky Boris Thomashefsky (russian: Борис Пинхасович Томашевский, sometimes written Thomashevsky, Thomaschevsky, etc.; yi, באָריס טאָמאשעבסקי) (1868–1939), born Boruch-Aharon Thomashefsky, was a Ukrainian-b ...

, David Kessler, and

Jacob Adler Jacob Pavlovich Adler (Yiddish: יעקבֿ פּאַװלאָװיטש אַדלער; born Yankev P. Adler; February 12, 1855 – April 1, 1926)IMDB biography was a Jewish actor and star of Yiddish theater, first in Odessa, and later in London and ...

, as well as by Lillian himself.

Biography

Early life

Isidore Lillian was born into a poor family in

Rzeszów Rzeszów ( , ; la, Resovia; yi, ריישא ''Raisha'')) is the largest city in southeastern Poland. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River in the heartland of the Sandomierz Basin. Rzeszów has been the capital of the Subcarpathian Vo ...

, Galicia,

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

in the early 1880s. His exact birthdate is unclear; on many government documents he said September 14, 1883 but the Lexicon of Yiddish Theatre and other documents give the date as September 7, 1882. He emigrated to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

in March, 1892 apparently with his mother and sister. In New York, he soon became interested in the Yiddish Theatre and joined it very young, becoming a member of the Dramatist Union at 16 and joining a

Vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

troupe by age 17. In that troupe, he wrote and performed his own sketches and songs. A popular genre for Lillian and others of his cohort, such as

Solomon Smulewitz Solomon Smulewitz ( yi, שלמה שמולעװיץ, 1868–1943), sometimes known by the anglicized name Solomon Small, was a Russian-born American Tenor, folk poet, Badchen, playwright, recording artist, and composer for the Yiddish theatre. He wro ...

and

Louis Gilrod Louis Gilrod (1879-1930), was an actor and lyricist for the Yiddish theater. Louis Gilrod was born in the village of Ruizana, near Ulanov, Podolia/Poltava region of the Ukraine. At 12 his father brought him to the United States and left him with ...

, was to write Yiddish-language parodies of popular American songs of the day.

Music and theatre career

Lillian started to write full-length plays, and lyrics for other plays and operettas in the Yiddish theatre starting in 1905. Thereafter he wrote plays and song lyrics continuously for several decades. In 1911 he took over management of the Union Theatre where he planned to stage his own productions with his wife Annie Black and his collaborator Alex Cohn. His lyrical contributions to Isidore Solotarefsky's ''Yesoymim fun der velt'' (Orphans of the World) in 1916 were regarded as some of the best work of his career, even decades later. Then in 1923 he took over management of the Lyric Theatre in Williamsburg (not to be confused with the Lyric Theatre in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

) which he eventually renamed Lillian's Lyric Theatre. As Vaudeville went out of fashion, by 1926 it was considered the only Yiddish Vaudeville theatre in New York. In the early 1930s Lillian attempted to move from theatre to Yiddish film. He wrote 1930's ''My Yiddishe Momme'' by Judea Pictures, directed by Sidney Goldin. In the summer of 1931 he was being announced as the director of Judea Pictures' first "Yiddish talker". However, it is unclear whether that refers to ''My Yiddishe Momme'' or another film that was never finished, nor does he seem to have continued to work in film. After the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Lillian's career became very closely tied to that of actor

Menasha Skulnik Menasha Skulnik ( yi, מנשה סקולניק; May 15, 1890 – June 4, 1970) was an American actor, primarily known for his roles in Yiddish theater in New York City. Skulnik was also popular on radio, playing Uncle David on '' The Goldbergs'' for ...

. The men collaborated on a number of musicals and musical comedies to great success, and when Skulnik left the Yiddish Theatre to pursue an English-language career in the 1950s, Lillian's lost much of his steady income. In his old age, Lillian became blind and lived in the New York Guild for the Jewish Blind where he encountered Louis Kramer, an old Yiddish Theatre colleague of his, who also lived there. The two men sometimes staged 1-act plays or scenes in the home and were planning to do more when Lillian died unexpectedly on August 27, 1960, at age 78. He was buried in the Mount Hebron Cemetery.

Family

Isidore married his wife Annie (née Black), born in

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

, in December 1906. The union appears to have been childless. They were divorced by 1930.

Selected plays

* Lyricist for ''Der griner bokhur'' (1905), with music by Louis Friedsell * Lyricist for ''Der Yiddisher Yankee Doodle'' (1905), with music by Louis Friedsell. * Lyricist for ''Khantshe in Amerika'' (1913), Operetta, with music by

Joseph Rumshinsky Joseph Rumshinsky (1881–1956) was a Jewish composer born near Vilna, Lithuania (then part of Russian Poland). Along with Sholom Secunda, Alexander Olshanetsky and Abraham Ellstein, he is considered one of the "big four" composers and conductors ...

and libretto by Nahum Rackow. Performed by

Sam Kasten Sam Kasten (1865
" ''New York Times''. 5 March 1953. p. 27. or 21 April 1869Zy ...

. * Co-lyricist with

for ''Tsubrokeneh fideleh'' (1916), Operetta, with music by Joseph Rumshinsky and libretto by Boris Thomashefsky. * Lyricist for ''Der troyer fraynd'' (1917), with music by Joseph Brody and libretto by

Joseph Lateiner Joseph Lateiner (1853 – 1935) was a playwright in the early years of Yiddish theater, first in Bucharest, Romania and later in New York City, where he was a co-founder in 1903 with Sophia Karp of the Grand Theater, New York's first purpose-buil ...

and David Kessler. * Co-lyricist with Louis Gilrod for ''Yente Telebende'' (1917), musical, with music by Joseph Rumshinsky and libretto by B. Kovner. * Lyricist for ''Yesoymim fun der velt'' (1916), with music by Peretz Sandler and libretto by Isidore Solotarefsky.* Co-lyricist with Boris Thomashefsky for ''Di khazinte'' (1918), operetta with music by Joseph Rumshinsky and libretto by Boris Thomashefsky. * Lyricist for ''Gelebt un gelacht'' (1918), operetta, with music by

Herman Wohl Herman Wohl ( yi, הערמאַן װאָהל, 1877–1936) was a Jewish–American composer closely associated with the American Yiddish Theatre. Galicia Wohl was born in Otyniia near Stanislavov (now called Ivano-Frankivsk) in eastern Galicia, n ...

and libretto by

Morris Goldberg Morris Goldberg is a South African saxophonist who is recognised as one of the early pioneers of Cape Jazz, along with Dollar Brand and Chris McGregor. Biography Born in Cape Town, Goldberg grew up in Observatory, a suburb of Cape Town. He left ...

. Performed by David Kessler. * ''Der rebbe hot geheysen freylakh zayn'' (1922), with music by Joseph Rumshinsky. * ''Keytun fun libeh'' (1923) music, lyrics and libretto by Isidore Lillian. * Co-lyricist with Joseph Tanzman for ''Sholem bays'' (1923), with music by Joseph Brody and libretto by Joseph Lateiner. * Lyricist for ''Freylakh zol zayn'' (1924), with music by Sholom Secunda and libretto by William Siegel. * Co-lyricist with

Molly Picon Molly Picon ( yi, מאָלי פּיקאָן; born Malka Opiekun; February 28, 1898 – April 5, 1992) was an American actress of stage, screen, radio and television, as well as a lyricist and dramatic storyteller. She began her career in Yidd ...

for ''Dos Radio girl'' (1929), musical, with music by Joseph Rumshinsky and libretto by Louis Freiman. Performed at the Kessler theatre by Molly Picon. * Lyricist for ''Ziseh momenten'' (1930), with music by Sholom Secunda and libretto by Louis Freiman and William Siegel. * ''The Trombinick'' (1930), with lyrics by Jacob Jacobs and music by Abe Ellstein. Performed by

Ludwig Satz Ludwig Satz (18 February 1891 – 31 August 1944) was an actor in Yiddish theater and film, best known for his comic roles. A 1925 ''New York Times'' article singles him out as the greatest Yiddish comic actor of the time. He was born in L ...

. * Lyricist for ''Der kleyne rebbeleh'' (1935), musical, with music by Philip Laskowsky and libretto by Anshel Schorr. * Lyricist for ''A sheyner kholem'' (1936), musical, with music by Sholom Secunda and libretto by William Siegel. * Lyricist for ''Fishel, der gerotener'' (1936), with music by Joseph Rumshinsky and libretto by Louis Freiman. * Lyricist for ''Der freylikher shtetl'' (1937), musical, with music by Joseph Rumshinsky and libretto by Isidore Friedman and Israel Rosenberg. * Lyricist for ''Yosel un zayn vayber'' (1937), musical, with music by Joseph Rumshinsky and libretto by Louis Freiman. *Lyricist for ''Mazel tov rebbe'' (1938), musical, with music by Joseph Rumshinsky and libretto by Anshel Schorr. * Lyricist for ''Der galitsianer rebbe'' (1938), musical, with music by Joseph Rumshinsky and libretto by Israel Rosenberg. * ''Yosel, der klezmer'' (1941) with music by Alexander Olshanetsky, libretto co-written by Lillian and Olshanetsky. * Lyricist for ''Kinder ohn a heym'' (1943), with music by Ilia Trilling and libretto by Louis Freiman. * Lyricist for ''Lucky Days'' (1943), musical, with music by Sholem Secunda, libretto by William Siegel. * Lyricist for ''Mayn fraynd Yosel'' (1944), with music by Sholom Secunda, author of libretto unknown. * Lyricist for ''Good News'' (1944), musical, with music by Joseph Rumshinsky, librettist unknown. * ''Bessarabia'' (1946), musical comedy revue, with music by Manny Fleishman, performed by

Herman Yablokoff Herman Yablokoff (August 11, 1903 – April 3, 1981, yi, הערמאַן יאַבלאָקאָף, russian: link=no, Герман Яблоков, born Chaim Yablonik, Хаим Яблоник), sometimes written Herman Yablokov, Herman Yablokow, ...

. * Co-lyricist with Jacob Jacobs for ''Wish Me Luck'' (1946), musical, with music by Abe Ellstein, and libretto by Isidore Friedman and Israel Rosenberg. Performed by

and Miriam Kressyn. * Co-lyricist with Jacob Jacobs for ''My Wedding Night'' (1946), musical comedy, music by Abe Ellstein and libretto by Isidore Friedman. Performed by Menasha Skulnik. * Co-lyricist with Jacob Jacobs for ''Just My Luck'' (1947), musical, with music by Abe Ellstein and libretto by William Siegel. * Co-lyricist with Jacob Jacobs for ''The Baby Sitter'' (1948), musical comedy, music by Abe Ellstein and libretto by William Siegel. * Co-lyricist with Jacob Jacobs for ''Lakh un zay freylakh'' (1950), musical, with music by Sholom Secunda and libretto by Louis Freiman.

References

External links

Isidore Lillian listing
in the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lillian, Isidore 1880s births 1960 deaths Jewish American composers Yiddish theatre People from Rzeszów Date of birth unknown