Edward Eliscu (April 2, 1902 – June 18, 1998) was an American lyricist, playwright, producer and actor, and a successful writer of songs for films.[1]
Edward Eliscu | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 2, 1902 Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Died | June 18, 1998 (aged 96) Newtown, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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Life
editEliscu was born in Manhattan, New York City.[2] He attended DeWitt Clinton High School in Manhattan as a classmate of director George Cukor. He then attended City College of New York and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree. His older brother Millton D'Eliscu was a military officer, multi-sport coach, and athletic director.[3]
He then began acting in Broadway plays. Eliscu's first film score was with Vincent Youmans and Billy Rose for the film Great Day. Two well-known songs from that show include "More Than You Know," and "Without a Song."
He married the dancer and journalist Stella Bloch in 1931. They both worked in the film industry until the House Committee on Un-American Activities named her husband in the 1950s. This ended his career in the film and later in the television industry.[4] Eliscu together with his wife's cousin Mortimer Offner moved away from Hollywood and returned to New York.[5]
Eliscu was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975.[2]
He died on June 18, 1998, aged 96, in Newtown, Connecticut.[1]
Eliscu is the grandfather of music journalist and broadcaster Jenny Eliscu.[6][non-primary source needed]
Works
editSelected film and theatre scores
edit- Lady Fingers
- The Street Singer
- A Little Racketeer
- Frederica (also librettist)
- Meet the People (also producer)
- The Banker's Daughter
- 9:15 Revue
- The Garrick Gaieties (1930)
- The Little Show
- Flying Down to Rio (1933)
- The Gay Senorita (1945)
Selected hits
edit- "Happy Because I'm in Love"
- "Ankle Up the Altar"
- "Music Makes Me"
- "Orchids in the Moonlight"
- "Meet the People"
- "A Fellow and a Girl"
- "You Forgot Your Gloves"
- "Without a Song"
- "More Than You Know"
- "I'll Still Belong To You (Eliscu and Brown song)"
Selected collaborators
edit- Vincent Youmans
- Billy Rose
- Jay Gorney
- Henry Myers (composer)
- John Green
- Gus Kahn
- Vernon Duke
- Manning Sherwin
- Richard Myers
- Ned Lehac
- Billy Hill
- Nacio Herb Brown (songwriter)
References
edit- ^ a b "Edward Eliscu, 96, Songwriter and Playwright". The New York Times. June 22, 1998.
- ^ a b Songwriters Hall of Fame Archived October 1, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 19, 2015
- ^ Kiger, Patrick J. (September 8, 2020). "Killer Instinct: How One Man Taught U.S. Rangers to Fight Dirty in WWII". HistoryNet. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
- ^ Stella Bloch papers, New York Public Library. Retrieved October 19, 2015
- ^ Larry Ceplair; Steven Englund (January 1983). The Inquisition in Hollywood: Politics in the Film Community, 1930–1960. University of California Press. pp. 399–400. ISBN 978-0-520-04886-7.
- ^ https://twitter.com/jennylsq/status/1156252912177299459. Retrieved June 26, 2020 – via Twitter.
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