Harry Akst
| Harry Akst | |
|---|---|
| Born |
August 15, 1894 New York, United States |
| Died |
March 31, 1963 (aged 68) Hollywood, California, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Associated acts | Irving Berlin, Sam M. Lewis, Joe Young |
Harry Akst (August 15, 1894 – March 31, 1963)[1] was an American songwriter, who started out his career as a pianist in vaudeville accompanying singers such as Nora Bayes, Frank Fay and Al Jolson.[2]
Life and career
Akst was born in New York, United States.
For four years, he worked for Bayes. Then in 1916, he enlisted in the army and was at Camp Upton when he met Irving Berlin (in 1921 they would write "Home Again Blues").[3] His most notable success came with the song he wrote in 1925 with Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young: "Dinah". It would go on to multiple hit recordings by Bing Crosby, The Boswell Sisters, Ethel Waters, Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong, The Mills Brothers, Sam Donahue, and Ted Lewis.
His movie scores include Bulldog Drummond, The Squall, This Is Heaven, On with the Show, Broadway Babies, The Mississippi Gambler, No, No, Nanette, Song of the West, The Song of the Flame, Lethernecking, Palmy Days, The Kid From Spain, Dinah, Professional Sweetheart, Glamour, Stand Up and Cheer!, Change of Heart, The Silver Streak, Paddy O'Day, Star For A Night, Fight For Your Lady, Up the River, Battle of Broadway, Island in the Sky, Harvest Melody, Rosie the Riveter and This Time For Keeps.[3]
Akst worked on the Broadway production of Artists and Models (1927), eventually moving to Hollywood to continue songwriting for Broadway musicals. He appeared as the rehearsal pianist "Gerry" in 42nd Street (1933).
Harry Akst died in Hollywood, California, on March 31, 1963, at the age of 69.[1][3]
He was inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983.[1]
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Song(s) | |
| 1929 | Frances Shelley and the Four Eton Boys | "Am I Blue?" (uncredited) | |
| Saturday's Children | "I Still Believe In You" | ||
| Bulldog Drummond | "(I Says To Myself Says I) There's The One For Me" | ||
| This Is Heaven | "This Is Heaven" | ||
| On with the Show | "Welcome Home", "Let Me Have My Dreams", "Am I Blue?", "Lift the Juleps to Your Two Lips", "In the Land of Let's Pretend", "Don't It Mean a Thing to You?", "Birmingham Bertha", "Wedding Day" | ||
| She Goes to War | "Joan", "There Is a Happy Land' | ||
| Segar Ellis and His Embassy Club Orchestra | "Am I Blue?" | ||
| Broadway Babies | "Wishing and Waiting for Love", "Jig, Jig, Jigaloo" | ||
| So Long Letty | "Am I Blue", "Let Me Have My Dreams", "Clowning", "My Beauty Shop", "My Stronngest Weakness Is You", "One Sweet Little Yes" | ||
| Is Everybody Happy? | "Wouldn't It Be Wonderful?", "I'm The Medicine Man For The Blues", "Samoa", "New Orleans", "In The Land Of Jazz", "Start The Band" | ||
| The Mississippi Gambler | "Father Mississippi" | ||
| The Show of Shows | "Just an Hour of Love", "Your Love is All I Crave" | ||
| The Sacred Flame | "The Sacred Flame" | ||
| Glorifying the American Girl | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | ||
| The Squall | "Gypsy Charmer" | ||
| 1930 | Minstrel Days | "Nobody Cares If I'm Blue" | |
| The Jazz Rehearsal | "Wouldn't It Be Wonderful" | ||
| Bubbles | "In the Land of Let's Pretend" | ||
| No, No, Nanette | "As Long As I'm with You" | ||
| Loose Ankles | "Am I Blue?" | ||
| Song of the West | "Come Back to Me" | ||
| Song of the Flame | "The Goose Hangs High", "Liberty Song", "Passing Fancy", "Petrograd", "One Little Drink" | ||
| Dancing Sweeties | "Wishing and Waiting For Love" | ||
| Leathernecking | "All My Life" | ||
| Bright Lights | "Nobody Cares If I'm Blue" | ||
| Check and Double Check | "Am I Blue?" | ||
| The Booze Hangs High | "One Little Drink" (uncredited) | ||
| Golden Dawn | "Africa Smiles No More", "Mooda's Song", "My Heart's Love Call", "In a Jungle Bungalow" | ||
| 1931 | Husband's Holiday | "What Price Love?" | |
| Peach-O-Reno | "From Niagara Falls to Reno" (uncredited) | ||
| Palmy Days | There's Nothing Too Good For My Baby" (uncredited) | ||
| 1932 | Artistic Temper | "That's What Heaven Means to Me" | |
| High Pressure | "I Can't Get Mississippi Off My Mind" (uncredited) | ||
| Big-Hearted Bosko | "Am I Blue?" | ||
| The Yacht Party | "Dinah" (uncredited) | ||
| A Modern Cinderella | "Dinah" | ||
| Rockabye | "Till the Real Thing Comes Along" (uncredited) | ||
| The Half-Naked Truth | "O! Mister Carpenter" (uncredited) | ||
| 1933 | Dinah | "Dinah" | |
| Broadway Bad | "Forget the Past" | ||
| Young and Healthy | "Am I Blue?" | ||
| 42nd Street | Performer in "You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me" (uncredited) | ||
| The Keyhole | "Am I Blue?" (uncredited) | ||
| Diplomaniacs | "Ood-Gay Eye-bay", "Sing To Me", "On the Boulevard", "No More War" | ||
| Lilly Turner | "Am I Blue?" (uncredited) | ||
| Professional Sweetheart | "My Imaginary Sweetheart" | ||
| I Loved You Wednesday | "Roll Your Bones" | ||
| Baby Face | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | ||
| Rafter Romance | "Dinah" (uncredited) | ||
| Rufus Jones for President | "Am I Blue?" (uncredited) | ||
| Melodía prohibida | "Pais ideal (The Islands Are Calling Me)", "Siempre (Till the End of Time)", "La melodía prohibida", "La canción del paria (Derelict Song)" | ||
| The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon | "Am I Blue?" (uncredited) | ||
| Plane Nuts | "Dinah" (uncredited) | ||
| Roman Scandals | "Dinah" (uncredited) | ||
| Sittin' on a Backyard Fence | "Am I Blue?" | ||
| 1934 | Glamour | "Heaven on Earth" | |
| Stand Up and Cheer! | "Stand Up And Cheer!" | ||
| Let's Talk It Over | "Heaven on Earth" | ||
| The Loudspeaker | "Who But You", "Doo Ah Doo Ah Know What I'm Doing" | ||
| Now I'll Tell | "Fooling with the Other Woman's Man", "Harlem Versus the Jungle" | ||
| The Cat's-Paw | "I'm Just That Way" | ||
| The Man with Two Faces | "Am I Blue?" | ||
| Pursued | "Wanted - Someone (When the Right One Comes Along)" | ||
| Chained | "Dinah" | ||
| Marie Galante | "On a Little Side Street", "Je t'adore" | ||
| The Flame Song | "One Little Drink" | ||
| Change of Heart | "So What?" (uncredited) | ||
| 1935 | Under the Pampas Moon | "Je t'adore" | |
| After the Dance | "Tomorrow Night" (uncredited), "Without You I'm Just Drifting" (uncredited) | ||
| Bright Lights | "Nobody Cares If I'm Blue" | ||
| Paddy O'Day | "Which is Which" | ||
| Tuned Out | "Dinah" (uncredited) | ||
| 1936 | Trouble in Toyland | "Dinah" (uncredited) | |
| Can This Be Dixie? | "Pick Pick Pickaninny", "Uncle Tom Is a Cabaret Now", "Does You Wanna Go To Heaven?", "It's Julep Time in Dixieland" | ||
| Rose Marie | "Dinah" (uncredited) | ||
| The Music Goes 'Round | "Rolling Along", "This Is Love", "Let's Go", "Suzannah", "There'll Be No South" | ||
| Star for a Night | "Over a Cup of Coffee", "Down Around Malibu Way", "Holy Lie Production Routine #1", "At the Beach at Malibu (Hullabaloo at Malibu)" | ||
| Little Beau Porky | "Am I Blue?" | ||
| Crack-Up | "Top Gallante" | ||
| Don't Look Now | "Am I Blue?" (uncredited) | ||
| 1937 | Woman-Wise | "You're a Knockout" | |
| The Holy Terror | "Don't Sing-Everybody Swing", "There I Go Again", "I Don't Know Myself Since I Know You", "The Call of the Siren" | ||
| Round-Up Time in Texas | "Dinah" | ||
| Sing and Be Happy | "Pickles", "What a Beautiful Beginning", "Travelin' Light", "Sing and Be Happy" | ||
| She Had to Eat | "Living on the Town", "When a Girl from Alabama Meets a Boy from Tennessee" | ||
| Wild and Woolly | "Whoa Whoopee, Whoa Whipee (Yippy-I-O-I-Ay)" | ||
| Think Fast, Mr. Moto | "The Shy Violet" | ||
| Talent Scout | "Am I Blue?" (uncredited) | ||
| Porky's Garden | "Am I Blue?" (uncredited) | ||
| The Lyin' Mouse | "Am I Blue?" | ||
| Ali Baba Goes to Town | "Dinah" (uncredited) | ||
| Big Town Girl | "Argentine Swing,", "Don't Throw Kisses", "I'll Settle for Love" | ||
| September in the Rain | "Am I Blue?" (uncredited) | ||
| Fight for Your Lady | "Blame It on the Danube" | ||
| 1938 | International Settlement | "You Made Me That Way", "Shrug" | |
| Walking Down Broadway | "Good-Bye My Heart (Good Luck to You)" | ||
| Battle of Broadway | "Daughter of Mademoiselle", "Legionaires" | ||
| Rascals | "Blue Is The Evening", "Take A Tip From A Gypsy", "Song Of A Gypsy Band:, "Carnival Song (What a Gay Occasion)" | ||
| Streamlined Swing | "Dinah" (uncredited) | ||
| Up the River | "It's The Strangest Thing", "Song of Rockwell", "Rhythmettes" | ||
| 1939 | A Day at the Zoo | "Am I Blue?" (uncredited) | |
| Boy Friend | "Doin' The Socialite" | ||
| 1940 | Johnny Apollo | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | |
| Confederate Honey | "Am I Blue?" (uncredited) | ||
| Slap Happy Pappy | "Am I Blue?" (uncredited) | ||
| Cinderella's Feller | "In the Land of Let's Pretend" (uncredited) | ||
| Shooting High | "On the Rancho with My Pancho" (uncredited) | ||
| 1941 | Her First Beau | "This Is Love" | |
| Wabbit Twouble | "Am I Blue?" (uncredited) | ||
| 1942 | Broadway | "Dinah" (uncredited) | |
| Casablanca | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | ||
| Ding Dog Daddy | "Am I Blue?" (uncredited) | ||
| 1943 | The Voice That Thrilled the World | "Am I Blue?" (uncredited) | |
| The Hard Way | "Am I Blue?" (uncredited) | ||
| Chatterbox | "Why Can't I Sing a Love Song?", "Welcome to Victory Ranch" | ||
| Lady of Burlesque | "Take It off the E-String", "So This Is You" | ||
| Is Everybody Happy? | "Am I Blue?" | ||
| Baby Puss | "Baby Face" | ||
| 1944 | Rosie the Riveter | "Why Can't I Sing a Love Song?" | |
| Show Business | "Dinah" | ||
| The Impatient Years | "Who Said Dreams Don't Come True?" | ||
| Greenwich Village | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | ||
| Pay Day | "Am I Blue?" | ||
| Three Brothers | "Am I Blue?" (uncredited) | ||
| To Have and Have Not | "Am I Blue?" | ||
| Booby Hatched | "Am I Blue?" | ||
| She's a Sweetheart | "Who Said Dreams Don't Come True?" | ||
| 1947 | One Meat Brawl | "Am I Blue?" (uncredited) | |
| This Time for Keeps | "Why Don't They Let Me Sing a Love Song?" (uncredited), "Little Big Shot" | ||
| Intrigue | "Intrigue" | ||
| 1948 | The Street with No Name | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | |
| Let's Sing a Song from the Movies | "Am I Blue?" | ||
| Cry of the City | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | ||
| Riff Raffy Daffy | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | ||
| 1949 | Bad Ol' Putty Tat | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | |
| The Grey Hounded Hare | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | ||
| Jolson Sings Again | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | ||
| Often an Orphan | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | ||
| 1950 | Young Man with a Horn | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | |
| An Egg Scramble | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | ||
| It's Hummer Time | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | ||
| 1951 | Scent-imental Romeo | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | |
| Chow Hound | "Baby Face" (uncredited), "Am I Blue?" (uncredited) | ||
| Strangers on a Train | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | ||
| Ballot Box Bunny | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | ||
| 1952 | We're Not Married! | "Baby Face" | |
| Stop, You're Killing Me | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | ||
| 1953 | There Auto Be a Law | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | |
| 1957 | The Spirit of St. Louis | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | |
| The Helen Morgan Story | "Baby Face" (uncredited) | ||
| 1960 | The Perry Como Show | May 25 Episode: "Dinah" (uncredited) | |
| 1962 | Jackie Gleason and His American Scene Magazine | Episode #1.1 "Baby Face" | |
Selected songs
- "Home Again Blues" (1921), with Irving Berlin
- "Stella" (1923), with Al Jolson (1942 version by Del Porter with Spike Jones & His City Slickers)
- "A Smile Will Go A Long Way" (1923), with Benny Davis
- "Dinah" (1925), with Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young
- "Baby Face" (1926), with Benny Davis
- "Dearest (You're The Nearest To My Heart)", with Benny Davis
- "(I Says To Myself Says I) There's The One For Me" (1929), with Jack Yellen (From Bulldog Drummond)
- "My Strongest Weakness is You" (1929), with Sidney Clare (From So Long Letty)
- "Am I Blue?" (1929), with Grant Clarke
- "Don't It Mean A Thing" (1929), with Grant Clarke (From On with the Show!)
- "Birmingham Bertha" (1929), with Grant Clark (From On with the Show!)
- "As Long As I'm With You" (1930), with Grant Clarke (From No, No, Nanette)
- "There's Nothing Too Good For My Baby" (1931), Eddie Cantor and Benny Davis (From Palmy Days)
- "Guilty" (1931) with Gus Kahn and Richard A. Whiting.[4]
- "Everybody Swing" (1936), with Sidney Clare
- "Don't Throw Kisses" (1937), with Sidney Clare (For Big Town Girl)
- "Blue is the Evening" (1938) with Sidney Clare (For Rascals)
- "The Egg and I" (1947) music by Harry Ruby, lyrics by Bert Kalmar, Al Jolson, and Harry Akst
- "No Sad Songs For Me" (1950), with Al Jolson
Original works for Broadway
- Artists and Models of 1927 (1927) - revue, co-composed with Maurie Rubens, lyrics by J. Keirn Brennan, Benny Davis, Ted Lewis, and Jack Osterman
- Calling All Stars (1934) - revue, lyrics by Lew Brown
Other Broadway credits
- Ladies First (1918), musical, Music by A. Baldwin Sloane, Book by Harry B. Smith, Lyrics by Harry B. Smith with additional music by Nora Bayes, Seymour Simons, George Gershwin, Harry Clarke and Akst with additional lyrics by Irving Fisher, Simons, Ira Gershwin, Schuyler Greene, and Harry Clarke, also featuring songs by James Brockmann and James Kendl.
- Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic (1920), revue, Book by Ballard MacDonald, Music by Harry Carroll, with additional music by Max Hoffmann, Irving Berlin, Akst, and Dave Stamper.
- Music Box Revue (1921), revue, Musical Supervisor/Under the Personal Direction of
- Swingin' The Dream (1939), musical/variety, song "Dinah"
- At Home With Ethel Waters (1953), revue, songs "Am I Blue?" and "Dinah"
- John Murray Anderson's Almanac (1953), revue, featuring songs by Harry Akst - Additional
- Mr. Wonderful (1956),
References
- 1 2 3 Thedeadrockstarsclub.com - accessed November 19, 2011
- ↑ Laurie, Joe, Jr. Vaudeville: From the Honky-tonks to the Palace. New York: Henry Holt, 1953. p. 326, 327.
- 1 2 3 "Harry Akst Biography". Songwriters Hall of Fame. 1963-03-31. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
- ↑ Track 7 on the soundtrack of the film Amélie.
External links
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