Mack Gordon (born Morris Gittler; June 21, 1904 – February 28, 1959)[1] was an American
lyricist for
the stage and
film. He was nominated for the best original song
Oscar nine times in 11 years, including five consecutive years between 1940 and 1944, and won the award once, for "
You'll Never Know".[2] That song, along with "
The More I See You," has proved among his most enduring, and remains popular in films and television commercials to this day. "
At Last" is another of his best-known songs.
Biography
Of
Jewish heritage, Gordon was born in
Grodno (modern-day western
Belarus), then part of the
Russian Empire. He emigrated with his mother and older brother to New York City in May 1907;[3] the ship they sailed on was the S/S Bremen; their destination was to his father in
Guttenberg, New Jersey. Gordon appeared in
vaudeville as an actor and singer in the late 1920s and early 1930s, but his songwriting talents were always paramount.[3]
He formed a partnership with English
pianistHarry Revel that lasted throughout the 1930s.[3] In the 1940s he worked with a string of other composers including
Harry Warren.[3] Gordon was active in the Hollywood chapter of
ASCAP and according to fellow songwriter
Frank Loesser, frequently the most passionate and voluble at their meetings.[4]
The
Internet Movie Database gives credit to Gordon for songs used in the soundtrack of over 100 films, with 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,
Nat King Cole,
Dean Martin,
Sammy Davis Jr.,
Etta James,
Glenn Miller,
Barbra Streisand,
Mel Tormé,
Christina Aguilera and many more.[3] His close 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 one of the most famous members of the world of music and a legendary lyricist.[citation needed] His exhibit in the
Songwriters Hall of Fame says he was "arguably one of the most successful lyricists to write for the screen".
Gordon died in 1959. He is entombed in the Corridor of Immortality at
Home of Peace Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.
Strike Me Pink (1933) –
revue – contributing
dialogue-writer
References
^"MACK GORDON, 54, LYRICIST, IS DEAD". New York Times. Mar 1, 1959. p. 86 – via ProQuest.
^
ab"Mack Gordon". Academy Awards Database. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from
the original on July 17, 2013. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
^Loesser, Susan (1993).: A Most Remarkable Fella: Frank Loesser and the Guys and Dolls in His Life. New York: Donald I. Fine.
ISBN0-634-00927-3, quoting from a contemporary letter of his to Lynn Loesser, August 1937, p. 34, n.12.