Adolph Green
Adolph Green ( born December 2, 1914 in New York City; † October 23, 2002 ) was an American songwriter, screenwriter and actor. In his more than 60 years of collaboration with Betty Comden he wrote lyrics for Broadway musicals like On the Town, as well as screenplays for musical films such as Singin 'in the Rain.
Life
Green grew up as the son of Hungarian immigrants in the New York City borough of the Bronx. End of the 1930s he tried his hand as an actor and was officially introduced to Betty Comden. With her and Judith Tuvim, as Judy Holliday later became a movie star, he formed the group in 1939 The Revuers, which occurred successfully in the New York night club Village Vanguard. For the Revuers Betty Comden and Adolph Green wrote a series of skits and songs. During this time, they were often accompanied by the young conductor and pianist Leonard Bernstein.
After an unsuccessful attempt as an actor in Hollywood Comden and Green returned to New York. There they offered Bernstein work on a musical based on a ballet by Jerome Robbins. With Bernstein's music and lyrics by Comden and Green On the Town was born. In this musical that portrays the shore of three sailors in New York, Comden and Green also played two of the leading roles.
After On the Town COMDOM and Green worked on various Broadway shows as a songwriter and librettist, but without much success. Therefore, but they went again to Hollywood, this time as screenwriters. Reunited The dancers from Broadway, the film that Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire after 10 years, 1949 was their first original screenplay. In the same year was On the Town by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen as Today ' let's go strolling with Kelly and Frank Sinatra filmed in the lead roles. With Kelly and Donen worked as directors Comden and Green 1952 on her most famous film, Singin 'in the Rain. With Moses Supposes Comden and Green also wrote a song for Singin 'in the Rain (the other songs all came from the early years of sound films ). A year later, Comden and Green wrote the screenplay for curtain! ( engl. The Band Wagon ), a musical with Fred Astaire, which leads an ironic look behind the scenes of Broadway. Many see the characters Lester and Lily Marton illustrated by Oscar Levant and Nanette Fabray autobiographical by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, but they were in real life, never more than good friends. For curtains up! they received their first of two Oscar nominations. 1955 was another Oscar nomination for the screenplay of Fair Weather ( It's Always Fair Weather ), which was originally designed as a continuation of On the Town.
Mid -1950s, Betty Comden and Adolph Green concentrated more strongly on Broadway. With Leonard Bernstein In 1953, the musical Wonderful Town. A year later, they contributed several songs to the successful staging of Peter Pan with Mary Martin in the starring role in. In 1956, she wrote for her friend Judy Holliday Bells are Ringing the musical (music by Jule Styne ), which was filmed in 1960 by Vincente Minnelli.
1958 returned Comden and Green himself to the stage, as they have some of their old skits and songs presented in A Party with Betty Comden & Adolph Green. In the following years, Comden and Green worked with composers such as André Previn and Cy Coleman for stars like Yves Montand, Lauren Bacall and Carol Burnett. Her achievements in the 70 years were musical version of the classic films All About Eve and Twentieth Century. In addition, their 1977 Party with Betty Comden & Adolph Green was resumed.
In the 1980s, Comden and Green experienced with A Doll 's Life one of her few failures, but most of their old musicals were revived. 1991 with The Will Rogers Follies: premiered the last musical by Comden and Green ( Music Cy Coleman ). In the same year they were awarded the prestigious Kennedy Award.
Also worked in later years Betty Comden and Adolph Green until his death in October 2002, almost every day together. Throughout her career, she won as a team seven Tony Awards, including for Wonderful Town, Hallelujah, Baby! , Applause and The Will Rogers Follies as best musical.