Mack Gordon
Encyclopedia
Mack Gordon was an American
composer
and lyricist
of songs for the stage
and film
. He was nominated for the best original song Oscar
nine times, including six consecutive years between 1940 and 1945, and won the award once, for "You'll Never Know
". That song has proved amongst his most enduring and remains popular in films and television commercials to this day. "At Last
" is another of his best-known songs.
and moved to New York City
as a child. He appeared as a vaudeville
actor and singer in the late 1920s and early 1930s but his songwriting talents were always paramount. He formed a partnership with English pianist
Harry Revel
that lasted throughout the 1930s. In the 1940s he worked with a string of other composers including Harry Warren
.
The Internet Movie Database
states that Gordon's songs have been used in the soundtrack of over 100 films, Gordon writing specifically for at least 50 of them. His catalogue includes more than 120 songs sung by some of the world's most famous and talented performers such as Frank Sinatra
, Dean Martin
, Etta James
, Glenn Miller
, Barbra Streisand
, Christina Aguilera
, Mel Tormé
, Nat King Cole
, and many more. His friendship with many of his artists (such as Frank Sinatra
and the Rat Pack
) and his ability to write lyrics that were timeless allowed him to become a famous member of the world of music and a renowned lyricist. Thus there is perhaps no surprise that his exhibit in the Songwriters Hall of Fame
says he is "arguably one of the most successful lyricists to write for the screen". He was entombed in Corridor of Immortality at Home of Peace Cemetery
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
of songs for the stage
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
and film
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
. He was nominated for the best original song Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
nine times, including six consecutive years between 1940 and 1945, and won the award once, for "You'll Never Know
You'll Never Know
"You'll Never Know" is a popular song. The music was written by Harry Warren and the lyrics by Mack Gordon, based on a poem written by a young Oklahoma war bride named Dorothy Fern Norris....
". That song has proved amongst his most enduring and remains popular in films and television commercials to this day. "At Last
At Last
"At Last" is a 1941 song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film Orchestra Wives, starring George Montgomery and Ann Rutherford. It was performed in the film and on record by Glenn Miller and his orchestra, with vocals by Ray Eberle and Pat Friday...
" is another of his best-known songs.
Biography
Gordon was born in WarsawWarsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
and moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as a child. He appeared as a vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
actor and singer in the late 1920s and early 1930s but his songwriting talents were always paramount. He formed a partnership with English pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
Harry Revel
Harry Revel
Harry Revel was an English composer of musical theatre.Revel was born in London. Before emigrating to the United States in 1929, he wrote musicals for productions in Paris, Copenhagen, Vienna and London....
that lasted throughout the 1930s. In the 1940s he worked with a string of other composers including Harry Warren
Harry Warren
Harry Warren was an American composer and lyricist. Warren was the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song eleven times and won three Oscars for composing "Lullaby of Broadway", "You'll Never Know" and "On the Atchison,...
.
The Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
states that Gordon's songs have been used in the soundtrack of over 100 films, Gordon writing specifically for at least 50 of them. His catalogue includes more than 120 songs sung by some of the world's most famous and talented performers such as Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
, Etta James
Etta James
Etta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...
, Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
, Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
, Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
, Mel Tormé
Mel Tormé
Melvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
, Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
, and many more. His friendship with many of his artists (such as Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
and the Rat Pack
Rat Pack
The Rat Pack was a group of actors originally centered on Humphrey Bogart. In the mid-1960s it was the name used by the press and the general public to refer to a later variation of the group, after Bogart's death, that called itself "the summit" or "the clan," featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean...
) and his ability to write lyrics that were timeless allowed him to become a famous member of the world of music and a renowned lyricist. Thus there is perhaps no surprise that his exhibit in the Songwriters Hall of Fame
Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. It was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The goal is to create a museum but as of April, 2008, the means do not yet exist and so instead it is an online...
says he is "arguably one of the most successful lyricists to write for the screen". He was entombed in Corridor of Immortality at Home of Peace Cemetery
Home of Peace Cemetery
The Home of Peace Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery located at 4334 Whittier Boulevard west of Interstate 710 in East Los Angeles, California.The cemetery is located across from Calvary Catholic Cemetery and next to Beth Israel Cemetery and Mount Zion Cemetery .There are a number of famous rabbis...
.
Selected songs
- "A Lady Loves"
- "A Star Fell Out of Heaven"
- "A Tree Was a Tree"
- "All About Love"
- "An Old Straw Hat"
- "An Orchid to You"
- "At LastAt Last"At Last" is a 1941 song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film Orchestra Wives, starring George Montgomery and Ann Rutherford. It was performed in the film and on record by Glenn Miller and his orchestra, with vocals by Ray Eberle and Pat Friday...
" - "Baby, Won’t You Say You Love Me"
- "Chattanooga Choo-Choo"
- "Cigarettes, Cigars"
- "Danger, Love at Work"
- "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?"Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?" is a popular song, introduced by Art Jarrett in the movie Sitting Pretty .The music was written by Harry Revel, the lyrics by Mack Gordon...
" - "Doin' the Uptown Lowdown"
- "From the Top of Your Head to the Tip of Your Toes"
- "Goodnight My LoveGoodnight My Love (1936 song)For other songs with this title, see Goodnight My Love"Goodnight My Love" is a popular song with by Mack Gordon and lyrics by Harry Revel, published in 1936. It was incorporated in the 1936 movie Stowaway, where it is sung by Shirley Temple and Alice Faye.Ella Fitzgerald recorded it on her Capitol...
" - "Help Yourself to Happiness"
- "I Can't Begin to Tell YouI Can't Begin to Tell You"I Can't Begin to Tell You" is a popular song with music written by James V. Monaco and lyrics by Mack Gordon. The song was published in 1945.The song was introduced by John Payne and reprised by Betty Grable in the film The Dolly Sisters. A version by Bing Crosby was the best-known recording,...
" - "I Feel Like a Feather in the Breeze"
- "I Had the Craziest DreamI Had the Craziest Dream"I Had the Craziest Dream" is a popular song.The music was written by Harry Warren, the lyrics by Mack Gordon. The song was published in 1942....
" - "I Played Fiddle for the Czar"
- "I've Got a Date With a Dream"
- "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo(I've Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo" Kalamazoo" is a #1 popular song recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra in 1942. It was written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren and published in 1942. It was featured in the musical film Orchestra Wives and was recorded by Glenn Miller & His Orchestra, featuring Tex Beneke, Marion Hutton and...
" - "If You Feel Like Singing, Sing"
- "In Old Chicago"
- "It Happened In Sun ValleyIt Happened in Sun Valley"It Happened in Sun Valley" is a 1941 song composed by Harry Warren, music, and Mack Gordon, lyrics, which was recorded and featured by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra in the movie Sun Valley Serenade...
" - "It Happens Every Spring"
- "It Was a Night in June"
- "It's Swell of You"
- "Listen to the German Band"
- "Lookie, Lookie, Lookie, Here Comes Cookie"
- "Love Thy Neighbor"
- "Mam'selleMam'selle"Mam'selle" is a bittersweet song about a rendez-vous with a "mam'selle" in a small café. The music was written by Edmund Goulding, the lyrics by Mack Gordon....
" - "May I?"
- "My Heart is an Open Book"
- "My Heart Tells Me"
- "On the Boardwalk at Atlantic City"
- "Once in a Blue Moon"
- "Once Too Often"
- "Paris in the SpringParis in the SpringParis in the Spring is a popular song composed in 1935, with lyrics by Mack Gordon and music by Harry Revel. It was first introduced by Mary Ellis in the film Paris in Spring. A version was also recorded by Ray Noble and His Orchestra...
" - "Serenade in BlueSerenade In Blue"Serenade in Blue" is a 1942 popular song composed by Harry Warren, with lyrics written by Mack Gordon. It was introduced in the 1942 film Orchestra Wives by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, sung by Lynn Bari in the film but dubbed by Pat Friday...
" - "She Reminds Me of You"
- "Somebody Soon"
- "Somewhere in the Night"
- "Sunny Southern Smile"
- "Takes Two to Make a Bargain"
- "Thanks for Everything"
- "The More I See YouThe More I See You"The More I See You" is a popular song written by Harry Warren, with lyrics by Mack Gordon. Chris Montez produced the most commercially successful and well known version of the song and it is this version that has been used many times in movies, notably at the beginning of the famous club scene in...
" - "There Will Never Be Another YouThere Will Never Be Another You"There Will Never Be Another You" is a popular song with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Mack Gordon for the Twentieth Century Fox musical Iceland starring Sonja Henie...
" - "Through a Long and Sleepless Night"
- "Time on My Hands"
- "Underneath the Harlem Moon"
- "What Did I Do"
- "When I'm With You"
- "Wilhelmina"
- "Without a Word of Warning"
- "With My Eyes Wide Open, I'm DreamingWith My Eyes Wide Open, I'm Dreaming"With My Eyes Wide Open, I'm Dreaming" is a popular song.It was written by Harry Revel and Mack Gordon , and published in 1934.The song was introduced by Jack Oakie and Dorothy Dell in the movie Shoot the Works....
" - "You Do"
- "You Make Me Feel So YoungYou Make Me Feel So Young"You Make Me Feel So Young" is a 1946 popular song composed by Josef Myrow, with lyrics written by Mack Gordon.-Notable recordings:*Frank Sinatra - Songs for Swingin' Lovers *Ella Fitzgerald - Get Happy!...
" - "You Say the Sweetest Things Baby"
- "You'll Never KnowYou'll Never Know"You'll Never Know" is a popular song. The music was written by Harry Warren and the lyrics by Mack Gordon, based on a poem written by a young Oklahoma war bride named Dorothy Fern Norris....
"
Original Works for Broadway
- Fast and Furious (1931) - revueRevueA revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
- primary lyricistLyricistA lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:... - Smiling FacesSmiling FacesSmiling Faces is an American musical with music by Harry Revel, lyrics by Mack Gordon, and a musical book by Harry Clarke. Produced by Lee Shubert and Jacob J. Shubert, the production opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre where it ran from August 30, 1932, through September 24, 1932, for a...
(1932) - musical - lyricistLyricistA lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:... - Strike Me Pink (1933) - revueRevueA revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
- contributing dialogueDialogueDialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
-writer
External links
- Gordon's entry in the IMDb
- Gordon's entry in the Songwriter's Hall of Fame
- Mack Gordon at the Internet Broadway DatabaseInternet Broadway DatabaseThe Internet Broadway Database is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade association for the North American commercial theatre community....