Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over 100 stage works, including such classics as " Ol' Man River", "

Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" with music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, is one of the most famous songs from their classic 1927 musical play '' Show Boat'', adapted from Edna Ferber's 1926 novel. Context The song, written i ...

", " A Fine Romance", "

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is a show tune written by American composer Jerome Kern and lyricist Otto Harbach for the 1933 musical '' Roberta''. The song was sung in the Broadway show by Tamara Drasin. Its first recorded performance was by Ge ...

", "

The Song Is You "The Song Is You" is a popular song and jazz standard composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was written for their musical ''Music in the Air'' (1932) and sung in that show by Tullio Carminati. In the subsequent 1934 ...

", "

All the Things You Are "All the Things You Are" is a song composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics written by Oscar Hammerstein II. The song was written for the musical ''Very Warm for May'' (1939)

", "

The Way You Look Tonight "The Way You Look To-night" is a song from the film ''Swing Time'' that was performed by Fred Astaire and composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics written by Dorothy Fields. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1936. Fields remarked, ...

" and "

Long Ago (and Far Away) "Long Ago (and Far Away)" is a popular song with music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics about nostalgia by Ira Gershwin from the 1944 Technicolor film musical ''Cover Girl'' starring Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly and released by Columbia Pictures. T ...

". He collaborated with many of the leading librettists and lyricists of his era, including George Grossmith Jr.,

Guy Bolton Guy Reginald Bolton (23 November 1884 – 4 September 1979) was an Anglo-American playwright and writer of musical comedies. Born in England and educated in France and the US, he trained as an architect but turned to writing. Bolton preferred ...

P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, ( ; 15 October 188114 February 1975) was an English author and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeeve ...

Otto Harbach Otto Abels Harbach, born Otto Abels Hauerbach (August 18, 1873 – January 24, 1963) was an American lyricist and librettist of nearly 50 musical comedies and operettas. Harbach collaborated as lyricist or librettist with many of the leading B ...

Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and (usually uncredited) director in the musical theater for almost 40 years. He won eight Ton ...

Dorothy Fields Dorothy Fields (July 15, 1904 – March 28, 1974) was an American librettist and lyricist. She wrote over 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films. Her best-known pieces include "The Way You Look Tonight" (1936), "A Fine Romance" (1936), " On t ...

, Johnny Mercer,

Ira Gershwin Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 2 ...

and

Yip Harburg Edgar Yipsel Harburg (born Isidore Hochberg; April 8, 1896 – March 5, 1981) was an American popular song lyricist and librettist who worked with many well-known composers. He wrote the lyrics to the standards "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" ( ...

. A native

New Yorker New Yorker or ''variant'' primarily refers to: * A resident of the State of New York ** Demographics of New York (state) * A resident of New York City ** List of people from New York City * ''The New Yorker'', a magazine founded in 1925 * '' The ...

, Kern created dozens of

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

musicals and

Hollywood films The cinema of the United States, consisting mainly of major film studios (also known as Hollywood) along with some independent film, has had a large effect on the global film industry since the early 20th century. The dominant style of Ame ...

in a career that lasted for more than four decades. His musical innovations, such as 4/4 dance rhythms and the employment of syncopation and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

progressions, built on, rather than rejected, earlier musical theatre tradition. He and his collaborators also employed his melodies to further the action or develop characterization to a greater extent than in the other musicals of his day, creating the model for later musicals. Although dozens of Kern's musicals and musical films were hits, only ''

Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock worke ...

'' is now regularly revived. Songs from his other shows, however, are still frequently performed and adapted. Many of Kern's songs have been adapted by jazz musicians to become standard tunes.

Biography

Early life

Kern was born in New York City, on Sutton Place, in what was then the city's brewery district."Jerome Kern Dies; Noted Composer, 60"
''The New York Times'', November 12, 1945 His parents were Henry Kern (1842–1908), a Jewish German immigrant, and Fannie Kern ''née'' Kakeles (1852–1907), who was an American Jew of

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

n parentage.Slonimsky, Nicholas and Laura Kuhn (ed)
Kern, Jerome (David)"
''Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians'', Volume 3 (Schirmer Reference, New York, 2001), accessed May 10, 2010 (requires subscription) At the time of Kern's birth, his father ran a livery stable; later he became a successful merchant. Kern grew up on East 56th Street 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 ...

, where he attended public schools. He showed an early aptitude for music and was taught to play the piano and organ by his mother, a professional player and teacher.Byrnside, Ronald and Andrew Lamb
"Kern, Jerome (David)"
''Grove Online'', Oxford Music Online, accessed May 10, 2010 (requires subscription). In 1897, the family moved to

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Barringer High School in 1907). He wrote songs for the school's first musical, a

minstrel show The minstrel show, also called minstrelsy, was an American form of racist theatrical entertainment developed in the early 19th century. Each show consisted of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music performances that depicted people spe ...

, in 1901, and for an amateur musical adaptation of ''

Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U. ...

'' put on at the Newark Yacht Club in January 1902. Kern left high school before graduation in the spring of his senior year in 1902. In response, Kern's father insisted that his son work with him in business, instead of composing. Kern, however, failed miserably in one of his earliest tasks: he was supposed to purchase two pianos for the store, but instead he ordered 200. His father relented, and later in 1902, Kern became a student at the

New York College of Music The New York College of Music was an American conservatory of music located in Manhattan that flourished from 1878 to 1968. The college was incorporated under the laws of New York and was empowered to confer diplomas and degrees ranging from a Bac ...

, studying the piano under Alexander Lambert and Paolo Gallico, and harmony under Dr. Austin Pierce. His first published composition, a piano piece, ''At the Casino'', appeared in the same year. Between 1903 and 1905, he continued his musical training under private tutors in

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: ''Heidlberg'') is a city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914 ...

, Germany, returning to New York via London."Kern, Jerome David"
''Who Was Who'', accessed May 10, 2010 (requires subscription)

First compositions

Angela Lansbury in Till the Clouds Roll By

For a time, Kern worked as a rehearsal pianist in

theatres and as a song-plugger for

Tin Pan Alley Tin Pan Alley was a collection of music publishers and songwriters in New York City that dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It originally referred to a specific place: West 28th Street ...

music publishers. While in London, he secured a contract from the American impresario

Charles Frohman Charles Frohman (July 15, 1856 – May 7, 1915) was an American theater manager and producer, who discovered and promoted many stars of the American stage. Notably, he produced ''Peter Pan'', both in London and the US, the latter production ...

to provide songs for interpolation in Broadway versions of London shows. He began to provide these additions in 1904 to British scores for ''An English Daisy'', by

Seymour Hicks Sir Edward Seymour Hicks (30 January 1871 – 6 April 1949), better known as Seymour Hicks, was a British actor, music hall performer, playwright, actor-manager and producer. He became known, early in his career, for writing, starring in and p ...

and

Walter Slaughter Walter Alfred Slaughter (17 February 1860 – 2 March 1908) was an English conductor and composer of musical comedy, comic opera and children's shows. He was engaged in the West End as a composer and musical director from 1883 to 1904. Life ...

, and ''Mr. Wix of Wickham'', for which he wrote most of the songs. In 1905, Kern contributed the song "How'd you like to spoon with me?" to

Ivan Caryll Félix Marie Henri Tilkin (12 May 1861 – 29 November 1921), better known by his pen name Ivan Caryll, was a Belgian-born composer of operettas and Edwardian musical comedies in the English language, who made his career in London and later ...

's hit musical ''

The Earl and the Girl ''The Earl and the Girl'' is a musical comedy in two acts by Seymour Hicks, with lyrics by Percy Greenbank and music by Ivan Caryll. It was produced by William Greet and opened at the Adelphi Theatre in London on 10 December 1903. It transferre ...

'' when the show transferred to Chicago and New York in 1905. He also contributed to the New York production of '' The Catch of the Season'' (1905), ''The Little Cherub'' (1906) and ''

The Orchid ''The Orchid'' is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts with music by Ivan Caryll and Lionel Monckton, a book by James T. Tanner, lyrics by Adrian Ross and Percy Greenbank, and additional numbers by Paul Rubens. The story concerns marital ...

'' (1907), among other shows. From 1905 on, he spent long periods of time in London, contributing songs to West End shows like ''

The Beauty of Bath ''The Beauty of Bath'' is a musical comedy with a book by Seymour Hicks and Cosmo Hamilton, lyrics by C. H. Taylor and music by Herbert Haines; additional songs were provided by Jerome Kern (lyrics and music), F. Clifford Harris (lyrics) and P ...

'' (1906; with lyricist

) and making valuable contacts, including George Grossmith Jr. and Seymour Hicks, who were the first to introduce Kern's songs to the London stage. In 1909 during one of his stays in England, Kern took a boat trip on the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

with some friends, and when the boat stopped at

Walton-on-Thames Walton-on-Thames, locally known as Walton, is a market town on the south bank of the Thames in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey, England. Walton forms part of the Greater London built-up area, within the KT postcode and is served by a wide ran ...

, they went to an inn called the Swan for a drink. Kern was much taken with the proprietor's daughter, Eva Leale (1891–1959), who was working behind the bar. He wooed her, and they were married at the

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

church of St. Mary's in Walton on October 25, 1910. The couple then lived at the Swan when Kern was in England. Kern is believed to have composed music for

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

s as early as 1912, but the earliest documented film music which he is known to have written was for a twenty-part serial, ''Gloria's Romance'' in 1916. This was one of the first starring vehicles for

Billie Burke Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke (August 7, 1884 – May 14, 1970) was an American actress who was famous on Broadway and radio, and in silent and sound films. She is best known to modern audiences as Glinda the Good Witch of the North ...

, for whom Kern had earlier written the song "Mind the Paint", with lyrics by A. W. Pinero. The film is now considered

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

, but Kern's music survives. Another score for the silent movies, ''Jubilo'', followed in 1919.Banfield, p. 50 Kern was one of the founding members of

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

. Kern's first complete score was Broadway's '' The Red Petticoat'' (1912), one of the first musical-comedy Westerns. The libretto was by

Rida Johnson Young Rida Johnson Young (February 28, 1875 – May 8, 1926) was an American playwright, songwriter and librettist.IBDBRida Johnson Young Retrieved November 21, 2007 In her career, Young wrote over thirty plays and musicals, and over 500 songs. She ...

. By

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, more than a hundred of Kern's songs had been used in about thirty productions, mostly Broadway adaptations of West End and European shows. Kern contributed two songs to '' To-Night's the Night'' (1914), another Rubens musical. It opened in New York and went on to become a hit in London. The best known of Kern's songs from this period is probably "

They Didn't Believe Me "They Didn't Believe Me" is a song with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Herbert Reynolds. First introduced in the 1914 musical '' The Girl from Utah'' it was one of five numbers added to the show by Kern and Reynolds for its Broadway debut at ...

", which was a hit in the New York version of the Paul Rubens and Sidney Jones musical, '' The Girl from Utah'' (1914), for which Kern wrote five songs. Kern's song, with four beats to a bar, departed from the customary

waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the wa ...

-rhythms of European influence and fitted the new American passion for modern dances such as the

fox-trot The foxtrot is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. It is danced to big band (usually vocal) music. The dance is similar in its look to waltz, although the rhythm is in a tim ...

. He was also able to use elements of American styles, such as ragtime, as well as syncopation, in his lively dance tunes.Bordman, Gerald. "Jerome David Kern, Innovator/Traditionalist", ''The Musical Quarterly'', Volume 71, no. 4, April 1985, pp. 468-73 Theatre historian John Kenrick writes that the song put Kern in great demand on Broadway and established a pattern for musical comedy love songs that lasted through the 1960s. In May 1915, Kern was due to sail with Charles Frohman from New York to London on board the RMS ''Lusitania'', but Kern missed the boat, having overslept after staying up late playing poker. Frohman died in the sinking of the ship.

Princess Theatre musicals

Kern composed 16 Broadway scores between 1915 and 1920 and also contributed songs to the London hit ''

Theodore & Co ''Theodore & Co'' is an English musical comedy in two acts with a book by H. M. Harwood and George Grossmith Jr. based on the French comedy ''Théodore et Cie'' by Paul Armont and Nicolas Nancey, with music by Ivor Novello and Jerome Kern a ...

'' (1916; most of the songs are by the young Ivor Novello) and to revues like the

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as ''The Ziegfeld Follies of the Ai ...

. The most notable of his scores were those for a series of shows written for the Princess Theatre, a small (299-seat) house built by Ray Comstock. Theatrical agent

Elisabeth Marbury Elisabeth "Bessie" Marbury (June 19, 1856 – January 22, 1933) was a pioneering American theatrical and literary agent and producer who helped shape business methods of the modern commercial theater, and encouraged women to enter that industry. ...

asked Kern and librettist

to create a series of intimate and low-budget, yet smart, musicals. The "Princess Theatre shows" were unique on Broadway not only for their small size, but their clever, coherent plots, integrated scores and naturalistic acting, which presented "a sharp contrast to the large-scale

Ruritania Ruritania is a fictional country, originally located in central Europe as a setting for novels by Anthony Hope, such as ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1894). Nowadays the term connotes a quaint minor European country, or is used as a placeholder name f ...

n operettas then in vogue" or the star-studded

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own dur ...

s and extravaganzas of producers like Florenz Ziegfeld. Earlier

musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

had often been thinly plotted, gaudy pieces, marked by the insertion of songs into their scores with little regard to the plot. But Kern and Bolton followed the examples of Gilbert and Sullivan and French ''

opéra bouffe Opéra bouffe (, plural: ''opéras bouffes'') is a genre of late 19th-century French operetta, closely associated with Jacques Offenbach, who produced many of them at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens, inspiring the genre's name. Opéras bouff ...

'' in integrating song and story. "These shows built and polished the mold from which almost all later major musical comedies evolved. ... The characters and situations were, within the limitations of musical comedy license, believable and the humor came from the situations or the nature of the characters. Kern's exquisitely flowing melodies were employed to further the action or develop characterization." The shows featured modern American settings and simple scene changes to suit the small theatre.Kenrick, John
''History of The Musical Stage 1910-1919: Part I''
accessed May 11, 2010 An Old-Fashioned Wife cover

The team's first Princess Theatre show was an adaptation of Paul Rubens' 1905 London show, ''Mr. Popple (of Ippleton)'', called ''Nobody Home'' (1915). The piece ran for 135 performances and was a modest financial success. However, it did little to fulfill the new team's mission to innovate, except that Kern's song, "The Magic Melody", was the first Broadway showtune with a basic

progression. Kern and Bolton next created an original piece, ''

Very Good Eddie ''Very Good Eddie'' is a musical with a book by Guy Bolton and Philip Bartholomae, music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics by Schuyler Greene, with additional lyrics by Elsie Janis, Herbert Reynolds, Harry B. Smith, John E. Hazzard, Ring Lardner and Je ...

'', which was a surprise hit, running for 341 performances, with additional touring productions that went on into the 1918-19 season. The British humorist, lyricist and librettist P. G. Wodehouse joined the Princess team in 1917, adding his skill as a lyricist to the succeeding shows. '' Oh, Boy!'' (1917) ran for an extraordinary 463 performances.Bloom and Vlastnik, pp. 230–31 Other shows written for the theatre were ''Have a Heart'' (1917), ''

Leave It to Jane ''Leave It to Jane'' is a musical in two acts, with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, based on the 1904 play '' The College Widow'', by George Ade. The story concerns the football rivalry between Atwater ...

'' (1917) and '' Oh, Lady! Lady!!'' (1918). The first opened at another theatre before ''Very Good Eddie'' closed. The second played elsewhere during the long run of ''Oh Boy!'' An anonymous admirer wrote a verse in their praise that begins: Not Yet cover

In February 1918,

Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker (née Rothschild; August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet, writer, critic, and satirist based in New York; she was known for her wit, wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles. From a conflicted and unhap ...

wrote in '' Vanity Fair'': ''Oh, Lady! Lady!!'' was the last successful "Princess Theatre show". Kern and Wodehouse disagreed over money, and the composer decided to move on to other projects. Kern's importance to the partnership was illustrated by the fate of the last musical of the series, ''Oh, My Dear!'' (1918), to which he contributed only one song: "Go, Little Boat". The rest of the show was composed by

Louis Hirsch Louis Achille Hirsch, also known as Louis A. Hirsch and Lou Hirsch (November 28, 1887 – May 13, 1924), was an American composer of songs and musicals in the early 20th century. Life and career Hirsch was born in New York City. In his senior ...

and ran for 189 performances: "Despite a respectable run, everyone realized there was little point in continuing the series without Kern."

Early 1920s

The 1920s were an extremely productive period in American musical theatre, and Kern created at least one show every year for the entire decade. His first show of 1920 was ''

The Night Boat ''The Night Boat'' (1920) is a musical in three acts, based on a farce by Alexandre Bisson, with a book and lyrics by Anne Caldwell and music by Jerome Kern. The story lampoons the notorious New York City-to- Albany night boat, on which clande ...

'', with book and lyrics by

Anne Caldwell Anne Marsh Caldwell (August 30, 1867 – October 22, 1936), also known as Anne Caldwell O'Dea, was an American playwright and lyricist. She wrote both pop songs and Broadway shows, sometimes working with composer Jerome Kern. Biography Anne Ma ...

, which ran for more than 300 performances in New York and for three seasons on tour. Later in the same year, Kern wrote the score for ''

Sally Sally may refer to: People *Sally (name), a list of notable people with the name Military * Sally (military), an attack by the defenders of a town or fortress under siege against a besieging force; see sally port *Sally, the Allied reporting na ...

'', with a book by Bolton and lyrics by

. This show, staged by Florenz Ziegfeld, ran for 570 performances, one of the longest runs of any Broadway show in the decade, and popularized the song "

Look for the Silver Lining "Look for the Silver Lining" is a 1919 popular song with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by B.G. DeSylva. Background The song was written in 1919 for the unsuccessful musical ''Zip, Goes a Million''. In 1920, it was publishedSuskin, Steven ...

" (which had been written for an earlier show), performed by the rising star

Marilyn Miller Marilyn Miller (born Mary Ellen Reynolds; September 1, 1898 – April 7, 1936) was one of the most popular Broadway musical stars of the 1920s and early 1930s. She was an accomplished tap dancer, singer and actress, and the combination of these ...

. It also had a long run in London in 1921, produced by George Grossmith Jr. Kern's next shows were ''Good Morning, Dearie'' (1921, with Caldwell) which ran for 347 performances; followed in 1922 by a West End success, ''

The Cabaret Girl ''The Cabaret Girl'' is a musical comedy in three acts with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by George Grossmith, Jr. and P. G. Wodehouse. It was produced by Grossmith and J. A. E. Malone at the Winter Garden Theatre in London's West ...

'' in collaboration with Grossmith and Wodehouse; another modest success by the same team, ''

The Beauty Prize ''The Beauty Prize'' is a musical comedy in three acts, with music by Jerome Kern, book and lyrics by George Grossmith and P. G. Wodehouse. It was first produced by Grossmith and J A E Malone on 5 September 1923 at the Winter Garden Theatre, ...

'' (1923); and a Broadway flop, '' The Bunch and Judy'', remembered, if at all, as the first time Kern and

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

worked together. ''

Stepping Stones Stepping stones or stepstones are sets of stones arranged to form an improvised causeway that allows a pedestrian to cross a natural watercourse such as a river; or a water feature in a garden where water is allowed to flow between stone steps. U ...

'' (1923, with Caldwell) was a success, and in 1924 the Princess Theatre team of Bolton, Wodehouse and Kern reunited to write ''Sitting Pretty'', but it did not recapture the popularity of the earlier collaborations."Kern, Jerome"
''Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', Oxford Music Online, accessed May 11, 2010 (requires subscription) Its relative failure may have been partly due to Kern's growing aversion to having individual songs from his shows performed out of context on radio, in cabaret, or on record, although his chief objection was to jazz interpretations of his songs. He called himself a "musical clothier – nothing more or less," and said, "I write music to both the situations and the lyrics in plays." When ''Sitting Pretty'' was produced, he forbade any broadcasting or recording of individual numbers from the show, which limited their chance to gain popularity. 1925 was a major turning point in Kern's career when he met

, with whom he would entertain a lifelong friendship and collaboration. As a young man, Kern had been an easy companion with great charm and humor, but he became less outgoing in his middle years, sometimes difficult to work with: he once introduced himself to a producer by saying, "I hear you're a son of a bitch. So am I." He rarely collaborated with any one lyricist for long. With Hammerstein, however, he remained on close terms for the rest of his life. Their first show, written together with Harbach, was '' Sunny'', which featured the song " Who (Stole My Heart Away)?" Marilyn Miller played the title role, as she had in ''Sally''. The show ran for 517 performances on Broadway, and the following year ran for 363 performances in the West End, starring Binnie Hale and

Jack Buchanan Walter John Buchanan (2 April 1891 – 20 October 1957) was a Scottish theatre and film actor, singer, dancer, producer and director. He was known for three decades as the embodiment of the debonair man-about-town in the tradition of George G ...

''Show Boat''

Because of the strong success of ''Sally'' and ''Sunny'' and consistent good results with his other shows, Ziegfeld was willing to gamble on Kern's next project in 1927. Kern had been impressed by

Edna Ferber Edna Ferber (August 15, 1885 – April 16, 1968) was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels include the Pulitzer Prize-winning '' So Big'' (1924), ''Show Boat'' (1926; made into the celebrated 1927 musical), '' Ci ...

's novel ''

'' and wished to present a musical stage version. He persuaded Hammerstein to adapt it and Ziegfeld to produce it. The story, dealing with racism, marital strife and alcoholism, was unheard of in the escapist world of musical comedy. Despite his doubts, Ziegfeld spared no expense in staging the piece to give it its full epic grandeur. According to the theatre historian John Kenrick: "After the opening night audience filed out of the Ziegfeld Theatre in near silence, Ziegfeld thought his worst fears had been confirmed. He was pleasantly surprised when the next morning brought ecstatic reviews and long lines at the box office. In fact, ''Show Boat'' proved to be the most lasting accomplishment of Ziegfeld's career – the only one of his shows that is regularly performed today."Kenrick, John
"Three Landmarks"
''History of The Musical Stage'', accessed May 11, 2010 The score is, arguably, Kern's greatest and includes the well-known songs " Ol' Man River" and "

" as well as "

Make Believe Make believe, also known as pretend play, is a loosely structured form of play that generally includes role-play, object substitution and nonliteral behavior. What separates play from other daily activities is its fun and creative aspect rather t ...

", "

You Are Love "You Are Love" is a song by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II from their classic 1927 musical play ''Show Boat''. It is sung twice in the show - first, by Magnolia Hawks, the heroine, and riverboat gambler Gaylord Ravenal when they agree to mar ...

", "Life Upon the Wicked Stage", "Why Do I Love You", all with lyrics by Hammerstein, and "

Bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

", originally written for ''Oh, Lady! Lady!'', with lyrics by P. G. Wodehouse. The show ran for 572 performances on Broadway and was also a success in London. Although Ferber's novel was filmed unsuccessfully as a

part-talkie A part-talkie is a partly, and most often primarily, silent film which includes one or more synchronous sound sequences with audible dialog or singing. During the silent portions, lines of dialog are presented as "titles"—printed text briefly ...

in 1929 (using some songs from the Kern score), the musical itself was filmed twice, in 1936, and, with

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

, in 1951. In 1989, a stage version of the musical was presented on television for the first time, in a production from the

Paper Mill Playhouse Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey on the Rahway River. Due to its relatively close location to Manhattan, it draws from the pool of actors (and audience members) who live i ...

telecast by

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

on ''

Great Performances ''Great Performances'' is a television anthology series dedicated to the performing arts; the banner has been used to televise theatrical performances such as plays, musicals, opera, ballet, concerts, as well as occasional documentaries. It is p ...

''. While most Kern musicals have largely been forgotten, except for their songs, ''Show Boat'' remains well-remembered and frequently seen. It is a staple of stock productions and has been revived numerous times on Broadway and in London. A 1946 revival integrated choreography into the show, in the manner of a

Rodgers and Hammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their popular ...

production, as did the 1994

Harold Prince Harold Smith Prince (born Harold Smith; January 30, 1928 – July 31, 2019), commonly known as Hal Prince, was an American theatre director and producer known for his work in musical theatre. One of the foremost figures in 20th century America ...

– Susan Stroman revival, which was nominated for ten

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

, winning five, including best revival. It was the first musical to enter a major opera company's repertory (New York City Opera, 1954), and the rediscovery of the 1927 score with Robert Russell Bennett's original orchestrations led to a large-scale

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...

recording in 1987 and several opera-house productions. In 1941, the conductor

Artur Rodziński Artur Rodziński (2 January 1892 – 27 November 1958) was a Polish-American conductor of orchestral music and opera. He began his career after World War I in Poland, where he was discovered by Leopold Stokowski, who invited him to be his ass ...

wished to commission a symphonic suite from the score, but Kern considered himself a songwriter and not a symphonist. He never orchestrated his own scores, leaving that to musical assistants, principally Frank Saddler (until 1921) and Robert Russell Bennett (from 1923). In response to the commission, Kern oversaw an arrangement by Charles Miller and Emil Gerstenberger of numbers from the show into the orchestral work ''Scenario for Orchestra: Themes from Show Boat'', premiered in 1941 by the

Cleveland Orchestra The Cleveland Orchestra, based in Cleveland, is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the " Big Five". Founded in 1918 by the pianist and impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Se ...

conducted by Rodziński. Kathryn Grayson in Show Boat trailer

Kern's last Broadway show in the 1920s was '' Sweet Adeline'' (1929), with a libretto by Hammerstein. It was a period piece, set in the Gay 90s, about a girl from

Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,690 i ...

(near Kern's childhood home), who becomes a Broadway star. Opening just before the stock market crash, it received rave reviews, but the elaborate, old-fashioned piece was a step back from the innovations in ''Show Boat'', or even the Princess Theatre shows. In January 1929, at the height of the Jazz Age, and with ''Show Boat'' still playing on Broadway, Kern made news on both sides of the Atlantic for reasons wholly unconnected with music. He sold at auction, at New York's Anderson Galleries, the collection of English and American literature that he had been building up for more than a decade. The collection, rich in inscribed first editions and manuscript material of eighteenth and nineteenth century authors, sold for a total of $1,729,462.50 () – a record for a single-owner sale that stood for over fifty years. Among the books he sold were first or early editions of poems by

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...

and

Percy Bysshe Shelley Percy Bysshe Shelley ( ; 4 August 17928 July 1822) was one of the major English Romantic poets. A radical in his poetry as well as in his political and social views, Shelley did not achieve fame during his lifetime, but recognition of his achie ...

, and works by

Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish Satire, satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whig (British political party), Whigs, then for the Tories (British political party), Tories), poe ...

Henry Fielding Henry Fielding (22 April 1707 – 8 October 1754) was an English novelist, irony writer, and dramatist known for earthy humour and satire. His comic novel ''Tom Jones'' is still widely appreciated. He and Samuel Richardson are seen as founders ...

and

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

, as well as manuscripts by

Alexander Pope Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early 18th century. An exponent of Augustan literature, ...

, John Keats, Shelley,

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...

, Thomas Hardy and others."Obituary, Mr. Jerome Kern", ''The Times'', February 17, 1947, p. 8

First films and later shows

In 1929 Kern made his first trip to Hollywood to supervise the 1929 film version of ''Sally'', one of the first "all-talking" Technicolor films. The following year, he was there a second time to work on '' Men of the Sky'', released in 1931 without his songs, and a 1930 film version of ''Sunny''. There was a public reaction against the early glut of film musicals after the advent of film sound; Hollywood released more than 100 musical films in 1930, but only 14 in 1931.

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

bought out Kern's contract, and he returned to the stage. He collaborated with Harbach on the Broadway musical '' The Cat and the Fiddle'' (1931), about a composer and an opera singer, featuring the songs " She Didn't Say Yes" and "The Night Was Made for Love". It ran for 395 performances, a remarkable success for the Depression years, and transferred to London the following year. It was filmed in 1934 with

Jeanette MacDonald Jeanette Anna MacDonald (June 18, 1903 – January 14, 1965) was an American singer and Actor, actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (''The Love Parade'', ''Love Me Tonight'', ''The Merry Widow (1934 ...

. ''

Music in the Air ''Music in the Air'' is a musical written by Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics and book) and Jerome Kern (music). It introduced songs such as "The Song Is You", "In Egern on the Tegern See" and " I've Told Ev'ry Little Star". The musical premiered on ...

'' (1932) was another Kern-Hammerstein collaboration and another show-biz plot, best remembered today for "

" and "

I've Told Ev'ry Little Star "I've Told Ev'ry Little Star" is a popular song with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, published in 1932. The song was introduced in the musical ''Music in the Air.''Leszczak, Bob (2014). Who Did It First?: Great Pop Cover ...

". It was "undoubtedly an operetta", set in the German countryside, but without the Ruritanian trimmings of the operettas of Kern's youth. ''

Roberta ''Roberta'' is a musical from 1933 with music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics and book by Otto Harbach. The musical is based on the novel ''Gowns by Roberta'' by Alice Duer Miller. It features the songs " Yesterdays", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "Let ...

'' (1933) by Kern and Harbach included the songs "

", "

Let's Begin "Let's Begin" is a popular song composed in 1933 by Jerome Kern, with lyrics written by Otto Harbach. It was written for the musical ''Roberta'' (1933) where it was introduced by George Murphy. In the 1935 film version, the song was performed by Fr ...

and " Yesterdays" and featured, among others,

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in Bob Hope filmography, more than 70 short and ...

, Fred MacMurray,

George Murphy George Lloyd Murphy (July 4, 1902 – May 3, 1992) was an American dancer, actor, and politician. Murphy was a song-and-dance leading man in many big-budget Hollywood musicals from 1930 to 1952. He was the president of the Screen Actors Guild fro ...

and

Sydney Greenstreet Sydney Hughes Greenstreet (December 27, 1879 – January 18, 1954) was a British-American actor. While he did not begin his career in films until the age of 61, he had a run of significant motion pictures in a Hollywood career lasting throu ...

all in the early stages of their careers. Kern's '' Three Sisters'' (1934), was his last West End show, with a libretto by Hammerstein. The musical, depicting horse-racing, the circus, and class distinctions, was a failure, running for only two months. Its song "

I Won't Dance "I Won't Dance" is a song with music by Jerome Kern that has become a jazz standard. The song has two different sets of lyrics: the first written by Oscar Hammerstein II and Otto Harbach in 1934, and second written by Dorothy Fields (though Jimmy ...

" was used in the film ''

''. Some British critics objected to American writers essaying a British story;

James Agate James Evershed Agate (9 September 1877 – 6 June 1947) was an English diarist and theatre critic between the two world wars. He took up journalism in his late twenties and was on the staff of ''The Manchester Guardian'' in 1907–1914. He later ...

, doyen of London theatre critics of the day, dismissed it as "American inanity," though both Kern and Hammerstein were strong and knowledgeable Anglophiles. Kern's last Broadway show (other than revivals) was ''

Very Warm for May ''Very Warm for May'' is a musical composed by Jerome Kern, with a libretto by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was the team's final score for Broadway, following their hits ''Show Boat'', '' Sweet Adeline'', and '' Music in the Air''. It marked a return ...

'' (1939), another show-biz story and another disappointment, although the score included the Kern and Hammerstein classic "

All The Things You Are "All the Things You Are" is a song composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics written by Oscar Hammerstein II. The song was written for the musical ''Very Warm for May'' (1939)

Kern in Hollywood

In 1935, when musical films had become popular once again, thanks to

Busby Berkeley Busby Berkeley (born Berkeley William Enos; November 29, 1895 – March 14, 1976) was an American film director and musical choreographer. Berkeley devised elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geometric patterns. Berke ...

, Kern returned to Hollywood, where he composed the scores to a dozen more films, although he also continued working on Broadway productions. He settled permanently in Hollywood in 1937. After suffering a heart attack in 1939, he was told by his doctors to concentrate on film scores, a less stressful task, as Hollywood songwriters were not as deeply involved with the production of their works as Broadway songwriters. This second phase of Kern's Hollywood career had considerably greater artistic and commercial success than the first. With Hammerstein, he wrote songs for the film versions of his recent Broadway shows ''Music in the Air'' (1934), which starred

Gloria Swanson Gloria May Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress and producer. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most f ...

in a rare singing role, and ''Sweet Adeline'' (1935). With

, he composed the new music for '' I Dream Too Much'' (1935), a musical melodrama about the opera world, starring the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is oper ...

diva

Lily Pons Alice Joséphine Pons (April 12, 1898 – February 13, 1976), known professionally as Lily Pons, was a French-American operatic soprano and actress who had an active career from the late 1920s through the early 1970s. As an opera singer, she s ...

. Kern and Fields interspersed the opera numbers with their songs, including "the swinging 'I Got Love,' the lullaby 'The Jockey on the Carousel,' and the entrancing title song." Also with Fields, he wrote two new songs, "

" and "Lovely to Look At", for the Fred Astaire and

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

film version of ''

'' (1935), which was a hit. The show also included the song "

I'll Be Hard to Handle "I'll Be Hard to Handle" is a 1932 song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics written by Bernard Dougall. It was written for the musical ''Roberta'', where it was introduced by Lyda Roberti. ''Roberta'' opened on Broadway in November 1933.< ...

". This was given a 1952 remake called ''

Lovely to Look At ''Lovely to Look At'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Mervyn LeRoy, based on the 1933 Broadway musical '' Roberta''. Plot Broadway producers Al Marsh, Tony Naylor, and Jerry Ralby are desperately searching for invest ...

''. Their next film, ''

Swing Time In music, the term ''swing'' has two main uses. Colloquially, it is used to describe the propulsive quality or "feel" of a rhythm, especially when the music prompts a visceral response such as foot-tapping or head-nodding (see pulse). This sens ...

'' (1936) included the song "

", which won the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

in 1936 for the best song. Other songs in ''Swing Time'' include " A Fine Romance", "

Pick Yourself Up "Pick Yourself Up" is a popular song composed in 1936 by Jerome Kern, with lyrics by Dorothy Fields. It has a verse and chorus, as well as a third section, though the third section is often omitted in recordings. Like most popular songs of the ...

" and "

Never Gonna Dance ''Never Gonna Dance'' is a Broadway musical featuring the music of Jerome Kern. The musical was based on the 1936 Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers film '' Swing Time''. Lyricists include Oscar Hammerstein, Ira Gershwin, P. G. Wodehouse, Bernard Dougal ...

". ''The Oxford Companion to the American Musical'' calls ''Swing Time'' "a strong candidate for the best of the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals" and says that, although the screenplay is contrived, it "left plenty of room for dance and all of it was superb. ... Although the movie is remembered as one of the great dance musicals, it also boasts one of the best film scores of the 1930s." For the 1936 film version of ''Show Boat'', Kern and Hammerstein wrote three new songs, including "I Have The Room Above Her" and "Ah Still Suits Me". ''

High, Wide, and Handsome ''High, Wide and Handsome'' is a 1937 American musical Western film starring Irene Dunne, Randolph Scott, Alan Hale, Sr., Charles Bickford and Dorothy Lamour. The film was directed by Rouben Mamoulian and written by Oscar Hammerstein II and G ...

'' (1937) was intentionally similar in plot and style to ''Show Boat'', but it was a box-office failure. Kern songs were also used in the

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

film, '' When You're in Love'' (1937), and the first Abbott and Costello feature, ''

One Night in the Tropics ''One Night in the Tropics'' is a 1940 comedy film which was the film debut of Abbott and Costello. They are listed as supporting actors but have major exposure with five of their classic routines, including an abbreviated version of "Who's On Fi ...

'' (1940). In 1940, Hammerstein wrote the lyric "

The Last Time I Saw Paris ''The Last Time I Saw Paris'' is a 1954 American Technicolor romantic drama made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It is loosely based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story "Babylon Revisited." It was directed by Richard Brooks, produced by Jack Cummings ...

", in homage to the French capital, recently occupied by the Germans. Kern set it, the only time he set a pre-written lyric, and his only hit song not written as part of a musical. Originally a hit for Tony Martin and later for

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

, the song was used in the film '' Lady Be Good'' (1941) and won Kern another Oscar for best song. Kern's second and last symphonic work was his '

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...

Suite'' (1942). In his last Hollywood musicals, Kern worked with several new and distinguished partners. With Johnny Mercer for ''

You Were Never Lovelier ''You Were Never Lovelier'' is a 1942 American musical romantic comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth. The supporting cast also features Adolphe Menjou, Xavier Cugat and Adele Mara. The music was co ...

'' (1942), he contributed "a set of memorable songs to entertain audiences until the plot came to its inevitable conclusion". The film starred Astaire and

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

and included the song "

I'm Old Fashioned "I'm Old Fashioned" is a 1942 song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics written by Johnny Mercer. It was written for the film ''You Were Never Lovelier'' (1942), where it was introduced by Nan Wynn who dubbed for Rita Hayworth as part of a song ...

". Kern's next collaboration was with

on ''

Cover Girl A cover girl is a woman whose photograph features on the front cover of a magazine. She may be a model, celebrity or entertainer. The term would generally not be used to describe a casual, once-off appearance by a person on the cover of a maga ...

'' starring Hayworth and Gene Kelly (1944) for which Kern composed "Sure Thing","Put Me to the Test," "Make Way for Tomorrow" (lyric by

E. Y. Harburg Edgar Yipsel Harburg (born Isidore Hochberg; April 8, 1896 – March 5, 1981) was an American popular song lyricist and librettist who worked with many well-known composers. He wrote the lyrics to the standards "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" ( ...

), and the hit ballad "

".Hischak, Thomas
"Cover Girl"
''The Oxford Companion to the American Musical'', Oxford University Press 2009. Oxford Reference Online, accessed May 15, 2010 (requires subscription) For the

Deanna Durbin Edna Mae Durbin (December 4, 1921 – April 17, 2013), known professionally as Deanna Durbin, was a Canadian-born actress and singer, who moved to the USA with her family in infancy. She appeared in musical films in the 1930s and 1940s. With t ...

Western musical, ''

Can't Help Singing ''Can't Help Singing'' is a 1944 American musical Western film directed by Frank Ryan and starring Deanna Durbin, Robert Paige, and Akim Tamiroff. Based on a story by John D. Klorer and Leo Townsend, the film is about a senator's daughter who ...

'' (1944), with lyrics by Harburg, Kern "provided the best original score of Durbin's career, mixing operetta and Broadway sounds in such songs as 'Any Moment Now,' 'Swing Your Partner,' 'More and More,' and the lilting title number." "More and More" was nominated for an Oscar. Kern composed his last film score, ''

Centennial Summer ''Centennial Summer'' is a 1946 musical film directed by Otto Preminger. Starring Jeanne Crain and Cornel Wilde, the film is based on a novel by Albert E. Idell. It was produced in response to the hugely successful 1944 MGM musical film ''Meet ...

'' (1946) in which "the songs were as resplendent as the story and characters were mediocre. ... Oscar Hammerstein,

Leo Robin Leo Robin (April 6, 1900 – December 29, 1984) was an American composer, lyricist and songwriter. He is probably best known for collaborating with Ralph Rainger on the 1938 Academy Award for Best Original Song, Oscar-winning song "Thanks for t ...

, and E. Y. Harburg contributed lyrics for Kern's lovely music, resulting in the soulful ballad 'All Through the Day,' the rustic 'Cinderella Sue,' the cheerful 'Up With the Lark,' and the torchy 'In Love in Vain.'" "All Through the Day" was another Oscar nominee. The music of Kern's last two films is notable in the way it developed from his earlier work. Some of it was too advanced for the film companies; Kern's biographer, Stephen Banfield, refers to "tonal experimentation ... outlandish enharmonics" that the studios insisted on cutting. At the same time, in some ways his music came full circle: having in his youth helped to end the reigns of the waltz and operetta, he now composed three of his finest waltzes ("Can't Help Singing", "Californ-i-ay" and "Up With the Lark"), the last having a distinctly operetta-like character.

Personal life and death

Kern and his wife, Eva, often vacationed on their yacht ''Show Boat''. He collected rare books and enjoyed betting on horses. At the time of Kern's death,

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

was filming a fictionalized version of his life, ''

Till the Clouds Roll By ''Till The Clouds Roll By'' is a 1946 American Technicolor musical film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. A fictionalized biopic of composer Jerome Kern, portrayed by Robert Walker, Kern was originally involved with the production, but died before ...

'', which was released in 1946 starring Robert Walker as Kern. In the film, Kern's songs are sung by

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

Kathryn Grayson Kathryn Grayson (born Zelma Kathryn Elisabeth Hedrick; February 9, 1922 – February 17, 2010) was an American actress and coloratura soprano. Ronald Berganbr>Obituary '' London Guardian'', February 19, 2010. From the age of twelve, Grayson trai ...

, June Allyson, Lena Horne,

Dinah Shore Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, and television personality, and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during ...

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

and

Angela Lansbury Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American film, stage, and television actress. Her career spanned eight decades, much of it in the United States, and her work received a great deal ...

, among others, and

Gower Champion Gower Carlyle Champion (June 22, 1919 – August 25, 1980) was an American actor, theatre director, choreographer, and dancer. Early years Champion was born on June 22, 1919, in Geneva, Illinois, as the son of John W. Champion and Beatrice Car ...

and

Cyd Charisse Cyd Charisse (born Tula Ellice Finklea; March 8, 1922 – June 17, 2008) was an American actress and dancer. After recovering from polio as a child and studying ballet, Charisse entered films in the 1940s. Her roles usually featured her abilit ...

appear as dancers. Many of the biographical facts are fictionalized. In the fall of 1945, Kern returned to New York City to oversee auditions for a new revival of ''Show Boat'', and began to work on the score for what would become the musical '' Annie Get Your Gun'', to be produced by Rodgers and Hammerstein. On November 5, 1945, at 60 years of age, he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage while walking at the corner of Park Avenue and 57th Street. Identifiable only by his

card, Kern was initially taken to the indigent ward at City Hospital, later being transferred to Doctors Hospital in Manhattan. Hammerstein was at his side when Kern's breathing stopped. Hammerstein hummed or sang the song "I've Told Ev'ry Little Star" from ''Music in the Air'' (a personal favorite of the composer's) into Kern's ear. Receiving no response, Hammerstein realized Kern had died. Rodgers and Hammerstein then assigned the task of writing the score for ''Annie Get Your Gun'' to the veteran Broadway composer

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russi ...

. Kern is interred at

Ferncliff Cemetery Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum is located at 280 Secor Road in the hamlet of Hartsdale, town of Greenburgh, Westchester County, New York, United States, about north of Midtown Manhattan. It was founded in 1902, and is non-sectarian. Fernc ...

Westchester County, New York Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population o ...

. His daughter, Betty Jane (1913–1996) married

Artie Shaw Artie Shaw (born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky; May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004) was an American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, actor and author of both fiction and non-fiction. Widely regarded as "one of jazz's finest clarinetists", Shaw led ...

in 1942 and later Jack Cummings. Kern's wife eventually remarried, to a singer named George Byron.

Accolades

Jerome Kern was nominated eight times for an Academy Award, and won twice. Seven nominations were for

Best Original Song This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

; these included a posthumous nomination in each of 1945 and 1946. One nomination was in 1945 for Best Original Music Score. Kern was not eligible for any Tony Awards, which were not created until 1947. In 1976, ''Very Good Eddie'' was nominated for a

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

as Outstanding Revival, and the director and actors received various Tony, Drama Desk and other awards and nominations. Elisabeth Welsh was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in ''Jerome Kern Goes to Hollywood'' in 1986, and ''

'' received Tony nominations in both 1983 and 1995, winning for best revival in 1995 (among numerous other awards and nominations), and won the Laurence Olivier Award for best revival in 2008. In 1986, '' Big Deal'' was nominated for the Tony for best musical, among other awards, and Bob Fosse won as best choreographer. In 2000, ''

Swing! ''Swing!'' is a musical conceived by Paul Kelly with music by various artists. It celebrates the music of the Swing era of jazz (1930s–1946), including many well-known tunes by artists like Duke Ellington, William "Count" Basie, Benny Goodma ...

'', featuring Kern's "I Won't Dance" was nominated for the Tony for Best Musical, among others. In 2002, ''

Elaine Stritch at Liberty ''Elaine Stritch at Liberty'' is an autobiographical one-woman show written by Elaine Stritch and John Lahr, and produced by George C. Wolf, which is composed of anecdotes from Stritch's life, as well as showtunes and Broadway standards that mirr ...

'', featuring Kern's "All in Fun", won the Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event. In 2004, ''

'' received two Tony nominations. Kern was inducted into the

Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work, represent, and maintain, the her ...

posthumously, in 1970. In 1985, the

U.S. Post Office The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the Federal government of the Uni ...

issued a postage stamp (Scott #2110, 22¢), with an illustration of Kern holding sheet music. The

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, Folk music, folk, country music, country, jazz, bluegrass music, bluegrass, ...

guitarist Jerry Garcia was named after Kern by his Dixieland bandleader father.

Academy Award for Best Original Song

* 1935 – Nominated for "Lovely to Look At" (lyrics by Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh) from ''Roberta'' * 1936 – Won for "

" (lyrics by Dorothy Fields) from ''Swing Time'' * 1941 – Won for "

" (lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II) from ''Lady Be Good'' * 1942 – Nominated for "Dearly Beloved" (lyrics by Johnny Mercer) from ''You Were Never Lovelier''. * 1944 – Nominated for "

" (lyrics by Ira Gershwin) from ''Cover Girl'' * 1945 – Posthumously nominated for "More and More" (lyrics by E. Y. Harburg) from ''

'' * 1946 – Posthumously nominated for "All Through the Day" (lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II) from ''

''.

Academy Award for Best Original Music Score

* 1945 – Posthumously nominated for ''Can't Help Singing'' (with H. J. Salter).

Selected works

Note: All shows listed are musical comedies for which Kern was the sole composer unless otherwise specified. During his first phase of work (1904–1911), Kern wrote songs for 22 Broadway productions, including songs interpolated into British musicals or featured in

s (sometimes writing lyrics as well as music), and he occasionally co-wrote musicals with one or two other composers. During visits to London beginning in 1905, he also composed songs that were first performed in several London shows. The following are some of the most notable such shows from this period: *''Mr. Wix of Wickham'' (1904) – contributed most of the songs for this musical's New York production *'' The Catch of the Season'' (1905) – contributor to this

musical's New York production *''

'' (1905) – contributor of music and lyrics to this Hicks and

musical's American productions *''The Little Cherub'' (1906) – contributor to this Caryll and

Owen Hall Owen Hall (10 April 1853 – 9 April 1907) was the principal pen name of the Irish-born theatre writer, racing correspondent, theatre critic and solicitor, James "Jimmy" Davis, when writing for the stage. After his successive careers in law ...

musical's New York production *''The Rich Mr. Hoggenheimer'' (1906) – contributor of eight songs *''

'' (1906) – contributor to the original London production of this Hicks musical, with lyricist P. G. Wodehouse *''

'' (1907) – contributor to this Caryll and

Lionel Monckton Lionel John Alexander Monckton (18 December 1861 – 15 February 1924) was an English composer of musical theatre. He became Britain's most popular composer of Edwardian musical comedy in the early years of the 20th century. Life and career ...

musical's New York production *''

The Girls of Gottenberg ''The Girls of Gottenberg'' is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts by George Grossmith, Jr. and L. E. Berman, with lyrics by Adrian Ross and Basil Hood, and music by Ivan Caryll and Lionel Monckton. P. G. Wodehouse's personal papers indica ...

'' (1908) – contributor of "I Can't Say That You're The Only One" to this Caryll and Monckton musical's New York production *''Fluffy Ruffles'' (1908) – co-composer for eight out of ten songs *''

The Dollar Princess ''The Dollar Princess'' is a musical in three acts by A. M. Willner and Fritz Grünbaum (after a comedy by Gatti-Trotha), adapted into English by Basil Hood (from the 1907 '' Die Dollarprinzessin''), with music by Leo Fall and lyrics by Adrian ...

'' (1909) – contributor of songs for American production *''

Our Miss Gibbs ''Our Miss Gibbs'' is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts by 'Cryptos' and James T. Tanner, with lyrics by Adrian Ross and Percy Greenbank, music by Ivan Caryll and Lionel Monckton. Produced by George Edwardes, it opened at the Gaiety T ...

'' (1910) – contributor of four songs and some lyrics to this Caryll and Monckton musical's New York production *'' La Belle Paree'' (1911) –

– co-composer for seven songs; the Broadway debut of

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-billed ...

From 1912 to 1924, the more-experienced Kern began to work on dramatically concerned shows, including incidental music for plays, and, for the first time since his college show ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'', he wrote musicals as the sole composer. His regular lyricist collaborators for his more than 30 shows during this period were Bolton, Wodehouse, Caldwell, Harry B. Smith and

Howard Dietz Howard Dietz (September 8, 1896 – July 30, 1983) was an American publicist, lyricist, and librettist, best remembered for his songwriting collaboration with Arthur Schwartz. Biography Dietz was born in New York City. He attended Columbia Colle ...

. Some of his most notable shows during this very productive period were as follows: *''The "Mind-the-Paint" Girl'' (1912 play; starring

) – incidental music *''The Red Petticoat'' (1912) – Kern's first complete score *'' To-Night's the Night'' (1914) – contributor of two songs to this Rubens musical *'' The Girl from Utah'' (1914) – added five songs to the American production of this Rubens musical *''Nobody Home'' (1915) – the first "Princess Theatre show" *''

'' (1915; revived in 1975) *''

of 1916'' (1916; a

; the first of many) – contributed four songs *''

'' (1916) – contributed four songs to young Ivor Novello's London hit. *''

Miss 1917 ''Miss 1917'' is a musical revue with a book by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, music by Victor Herbert, Jerome Kern and others, and lyrics by Harry B. Smith, Otto Harbach, Henry Blossom and others. Made up of a string of vignettes, the show fea ...

'' - the musical comedy *''Miss Springtime'' (1917) – contributor of two songs to this

Emmerich Kalman Emmerich may refer to: Places * Emmerich am Rhein, city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany ** Emmerich Rhine Bridge ** Emmerich station * Emmerich, Wisconsin, unincorporated community in the town of Berlin, Wisconsin, United States Other uses * ...

success *''Have a Heart'' (1917) – composer and contributor of some lyrics *''

Love O' Mike ''Love O' Mike'' is a musical comedy in two acts and a prologue with book by Thomas Sydney, lyrics by Harry B. Smith, and music by Jerome Kern. The show was produced by Elisabeth Marbury and Lee Shubert at the Shubert Theatre, and opened January ...

'' (1917) *'' Oh, Boy!'' (1917) – the most successful Princess Theatre show *''

of 1917'' (1917) – contributor of "Because You Are Just You (Just Because You're You)" *''

'' (1917; revived in 1958 Off-Broadway) *'' Oh, Lady! Lady!!'' (1918) – the last Princess Theatre hit *"Oh, My Dear" (1918) – contributed one song to this last "Princess Theatre show" *''

'' (1920) *''

Hitchy-Koo ''Hitchy-Koo'' is a 1912 American popular song and a series of musical revues, inspired by the song, staged on Broadway each year from 1917 through 1920 and on tour in 1922. Described by ''Variety'' magazine as a "hit song of 1912", the song was c ...

of 1920'' (1920) –

*''

'' (1920; revived in 1923 and 1948) – one of Kern's biggest hits *''

'' (London 1922) *'' The Bunch and Judy'' (1922) – Kern's first show with

*''

'' (1923) During the last phase of his theatrical composing career, Kern continued to work with his previous collaborators but also met Oscar Hammerstein II and Otto Harbach, with whom Kern wrote his most lasting, memorable, and well-known works. The most successful of these are as follows: *'' Sunny'' (1925) – a follow-up to ''Sally'' and almost as big a hit; first collaboration with Hammerstein and Harbach *'' Criss Cross'' (1926) – with Harbach *''

'' (1927; revived frequently) – with Hammerstein *''

Blue Eyes Eye color is a polygenic phenotypic character determined by two distinct factors: the pigmentation of the eye's iris and the frequency-dependence of the scattering of light by the turbid medium in the stroma of the iris. In humans, the p ...

'' (1928; London) *'' Sweet Adeline'' (1929) – with Hammerstein *'' The Cat and the Fiddle'' (1931) – Kern collaborated with Harbach the music, book and lyrics *''

'' (1932; revived in 1951) – composer and co-

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

with Hammerstein *''

'' (1933) – with Harbach (remade as ''

'' (1952)) *''Three Sisters'' (1934; London) *''

Mamba's Daughters ''Mamba's Daughters'' () is a 1929 novel written by DuBose Heyward and published by the University of South Carolina Press. It was later adapted by Heward and his wife Dorothy Heyward for the stage; the play premiered on Broadway in 1939. Nove ...

'' (1939; revived in 1940) –

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * Pla ...

– featured songwriter *''

'' (1939) – with Hammerstein; Kern's last stage musical, and a failure In addition to revivals of his most popular shows, Kern's music has been posthumously featured in a variety of revues, musicals and concerts on and off Broadway. *''Jerome Kern Goes to Hollywood'' (1986) – Broadway revue consisting solely of Kern songs with lyrics by twelve different writers *'' Big Deal'' (1986) – a

Bob Fosse Robert Louis Fosse (; June 23, 1927 – September 23, 1987) was an American actor, choreographer, dancer, and film and stage director. He directed and choreographed musical works on stage and screen, including the stage musicals ''The Pajam ...

dance revue; includes "Pick Yourself Up" *''Something Wonderful'' (1995) – concert celebrating

's 100th birthday – featured composer *''

Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...

'' (1997) –

– includes "You Were Never Lovelier", "I'm Old Fashioned", and "Dearly Beloved" *''

'' (1999) – dance revue; includes "I Won't Dance" *''

Elaine Stritch Elaine Stritch (February 2, 1925 – July 17, 2014) was an American actress, best known for her work on Broadway and later, television. She made her professional stage debut in 1944 and appeared in numerous stage plays, musicals, feature films a ...

at Liberty'' (2002) – one-woman show; included "All In Fun" *''

'' (2003) – musical consisting solely of songs composed by Kern, with lyrics by nine different writers *''Jerome Kern: All the Things You Are'' (2008) – K T Sullivan's revue biography of Kern featuring Kern's songs *''

Come Fly Away ''Come Fly Away'' is a dance revue conceived, directed and choreographed by Twyla Tharp, around the songs of Frank Sinatra. The musical, set in a New York City nightclub, follows four couples as they look for love. It premiered on Broadway in M ...

'' – a

Twyla Tharp Twyla Tharp (; born July 1, 1941) is an American dancer, choreographer, and author who lives and works in New York City. In 1966 she formed the company Twyla Tharp Dance. Her work often uses classical music, jazz, and contemporary pop music. Fr ...

dance revue; includes "Pick Yourself Up"

Kern's songs

Among the more than 700 songs by Kern are such classics as "

" (1914), "

" (1920), " Ol' Man River", "

", "

" and "

" (all from ''Show Boat'', 1927), "

" (1932), "

", " Yesterdays" and "

" (all from ''Roberta'', 1933), "

" (1935), " A Fine Romance" and the Academy Award-winning "

" (both from ''Swing Time'', 1936), "

All the Things You Are "All the Things You Are" is a song composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics written by Oscar Hammerstein II. The song was written for the musical ''Very Warm for May'' (1939)

" (1939) and "

" (1942). Another Oscar winner was "

". One of Kern's last hits was "

" (1944).

Notes

References

*Banfield, Stephen and Geoffrey Holden Block. ''Jerome Kern'', New Haven, Connecticut, Yale University Press, 2006. *Blackman, Michael Ernest (1989). ''A short history of Walton-on-Thames'', Walton and Weybridge Local History Society. . *Block, G. "Show Boat: In the Beginning", ''Enchanted Evenings: the Broadway Musical from 'Show Boat' to Sondheim'' (New York, 1997), pp, 19–40; 319–24 *Bloom, Ken and Vlastnik, Frank. ''Broadway Musicals: The 101 Greatest Shows of all Time.'' Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, New York, 2004. * Bordman, Gerald. ''Jerome Kern: his Life and Music'' (New York, 1980) *Davis, L. ''Bolton and Wodehouse and Kern: the Men who made Musical Comedy'' (New York, 1993) *Denison, Chuck, and Duncan Schiedt. ''The Great American Songbook''. Bandon, Oregon, Robert D. Reed Publishers, 2004. . *Ewen, D. ''The World of Jerome Kern'' (New York, 1960) *Fordin, Hugh. ''Jerome Kern: the Man and his Music'' Santa Monica, CA, 1975 *Freedland, M. ''Jerome Kern: a Biography'' (London, 1978) *Green, Benny. ''P. G. Wodehouse – A Literary Biography'', Pavilion Books, London, 1981. *Green, Kay (ed.) ''Broadway Musicals, Show by Show'', Hal Leonard Corporation, 1996. *Jasen, David. ''P. G. Wodehouse – Portrait of a Master'', Garnstone Press, London, 1972. *Lamb, Andrew. ''Jerome Kern in Edwardian London'' (Littlehampton, 1981; 1985) *McLean, Lorraine Arnal. ''Dorothy Donnelly''. Jefferson, North Carolina, McFarlan, 1999. . *Wilder, A. ''American Popular Song: the Great Innovators, 1900–1950'' (New York, 1972)

External links

Jerome Kern's biography
at the "Songwriters Hall of Fame". * * *

at th
Dorothy Fields website
describes circumstances of the composer's death.
Jerome Kern Collection
at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

Jerome Kern recordings
at 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:Kern, Jerome American musical theatre composers Barringer High School alumni Best Original Song Academy Award-winning songwriters Broadway composers and lyricists Burials at Ferncliff Cemetery Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development alumni American people of German-Jewish descent Jewish American composers Jewish American songwriters Jewish classical musicians New York College of Music alumni People from Manhattan Heidelberg University alumni 1885 births 1945 deaths American bibliophiles American book and manuscript collectors Musicians from Newark, New Jersey Songwriters from New Jersey Songwriters from New York (state) American people of Czech-Jewish descent