Mack Gordon

Polish-American composer and lyricist (1904–1959)

Mack Gordon

Gordon in 1935

Background information
Birth name| Morris Gittler
Also known as| Mack Gordon
Born| (1904-06-24)June 24, 1904
Origin| Warsaw, Poland
Died| February 28, 1959(1959-02-28) (aged 54)
New York City
Occupation| lyricist

Musical artist

1942 sheet music cover, "At Last", as recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra from the movie Orchestra Wives, Leo Feist, New York.

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

[edit]

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 pianist Harry 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.

## Selected songs

[edit]

* "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"
* "Ain'tcha"
* "At Last"
* "Baby, Won't You Say You Love Me"
* "Chattanooga Choo-Choo" [5][2]
* "Cigarettes, Cigars"
* "Danger, Love at Work"
* "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?"
* "Doin' the Uptown Lowdown"
* "Down Argentine Way"[6]
* "From the Top of Your Head to the Tip of Your Toes"
* "Goodnight My Love"
* "Help Yourself to Happiness"
* "I Can't Begin to Tell You"[7]
* "I Feel Like a Feather in the Breeze"
* "I Had the Craziest Dream"
* "I Played Fiddle for the Czar"
* "I Wish I Knew"
* "I, Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi (I Like You Very Much)"
* "I'm Making Believe"[8]
* "I've Got a Date With a Dream"
* "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo"[9]
* "If You Feel Like Singing, Sing"
* "In Old Chicago"
* "It Happened In Sun Valley"
* "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'selle"
* "May I?"
* "My Heart is an Open Book"
* "My Heart Tells Me"
* "Never in a Million Years"
* "On the Boardwalk at Atlantic City"
* "Once in a Blue Moon"
* "Once Too Often"
* "Paris in the Spring"
* "Serenade in Blue"
* "She Reminds Me of You"
* "Somebody Soon"
* "Somewhere in the Night"
* "Stay As Sweet As You Are"
* "Sunny Southern Smile"
* "Takes Two to Make a Bargain"
* "Thanks for Everything"
* "The More I See You"
* "There Will Never Be Another You"
* "There's a Lull in My Life"
* "Through a Long and Sleepless Night" [10]
* "Time on My Hands"
* "Underneath the Harlem Moon"
* "What Did I Do?"
* "When I'm With You"
* "Wilhelmina" [11]
* "Without a Word of Warning"
* "With My Eyes Wide Open, I'm Dreaming"
* "You Do" [12]
* "You Make Me Feel So Young"
* "You Say the Sweetest Things Baby"
* "You'll Never Know" – winner for 1943 Academy Award for Best Original Song, from Hello, Frisco, Hello[3]

## Original works for Broadway

[edit]

* Fast and Furious (1931) – revue – primary lyricist
* Smiling Faces (1932) – musical – lyricist
* Strike Me Pink (1933) – revue – contributing dialogue-writer

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Mack Gordon, 54, Lyricist, Is Dead". The New York Times. March 1, 1959. p. 86.
2. ^ a b "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.
3. ^ a b c d e f Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (1st ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1003\. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
4. ^ Loesser, Susan (1993).: A Most Remarkable Fella: Frank Loesser and the Guys and Dolls in His Life. New York: Donald I. Fine. ISBN 0-634-00927-3, quoting from a contemporary letter of his to Lynn Loesser, August 1937, p. 34, n.12.
5. ^ – nominee for 1941 Academy Award for Best Original Song
6. ^ – nominee for 1940 Academy Award for Best Original Song
7. ^ – nominee for 1946 Academy Award for Best Original Song
8. ^ – nominee for 1944 Academy Award for Best Original Song
9. ^ – nominee for 1942 Academy Award for Best Original Song
10. ^ – nominee for 1949 Academy Award for Best Original Song
11. ^ – nominee for 1950 Academy Award for Best Original Song
12. ^ – nominee for 1947 Academy Award for Best Original Song

## External links

[edit]

* Mack Gordon discography at Discogs
* Mack Gordon at IMDb
* Mack Gordon Archived 2013-12-25 at the Wayback Machine in the Songwriters Hall of Fame
* Mack Gordon at the Internet Broadway Database
* Mack Gordon recordings at the Discography of American Historical Recordings.

* v
* t
* e

Academy Award for Best Original Song

1934–1940|

* "The Continental"
* Music: Con Conrad
* Lyrics: Herb Magidson (1934)
* "Lullaby of Broadway"
* Music: Harry Warren
* Lyrics: Al Dubin (1935)
* "The Way You Look Tonight"
* Music: Jerome Kern
* Lyrics: Dorothy Fields (1936)
* "Sweet Leilani"
* Music and lyrics: Harry Owens (1937)
* "Thanks for the Memory"
* Music: Ralph Rainger
* Lyrics: Leo Robin (1938)
* "Over the Rainbow"
* Music: Harold Arlen
* Lyrics: E. Y. Harburg (1939)
* "When You Wish Upon a Star"
* Music: Leigh Harline
* Lyrics: Ned Washington (1940)

1941–1950|

* "The Last Time I Saw Paris"
* Music: Jerome Kern
* Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II (1941)
* "White Christmas"
* Music and lyrics: Irving Berlin (1942)
* "You'll Never Know"
* Music: Harry Warren
* Lyrics: Mack Gordon (1943)
* "Swinging on a Star"
* Music: Jimmy Van Heusen
* Lyrics: Johnny Burke (1944)
* "It Might as Well Be Spring"
* Music: Richard Rodgers
* Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II (1945)
* "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe"
* Music: Harry Warren
* Lyrics: Johnny Mercer (1946)
* "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah"
* Music: Allie Wrubel
* Lyrics: Ray Gilbert (1947)
* "Buttons and Bows"
* Music: Jay Livingston
* Lyrics: Ray Evans (1948)
* "Baby, It's Cold Outside"
* Music and lyrics: Frank Loesser (1949)
* "Mona Lisa"
* Music and lyrics: Ray Evans and Jay Livingston (1950)

1951–1960|

* "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening"
* Music: Hoagy Carmichael
* Lyrics: Johnny Mercer (1951)
* "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin')"
* Music: Dimitri Tiomkin
* Lyrics: Ned Washington (1952)
* "Secret Love"
* Music: Sammy Fain
* Lyrics: Paul Francis Webster (1953)
* "Three Coins in the Fountain"
* Music: Jule Styne
* Lyrics: Sammy Cahn (1954)
* "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing"
* Music: Sammy Fain
* Lyrics: Paul Francis Webster (1955)
* "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)"
* Music and lyrics: Jay Livingston and Ray Evans (1956)
* "All the Way"
* Music: Jimmy Van Heusen
* Lyrics: Sammy Cahn (1957)
* "Gigi"
* Music: Frederick Loewe
* Lyrics: Alan Jay Lerner (1958)
* "High Hopes"
* Music: Jimmy Van Heusen
* Lyrics: Sammy Cahn (1959)
* "Never on Sunday"
* Music and lyrics: Manos Hatzidakis (1960)

1961–1970|

* "Moon River"
* Music: Henry Mancini
* Lyrics: Johnny Mercer (1961)
* "Days of Wine and Roses"
* Music: Henry Mancini
* Lyrics: Johnny Mercer (1962)
* "Call Me Irresponsible"
* Music: Jimmy Van Heusen
* Lyrics: Sammy Cahn (1963)
* "Chim Chim Cher-ee"
* Music and lyrics: Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman (1964)
* "The Shadow of Your Smile"
* Music: Johnny Mandel
* Lyrics: Paul Francis Webster (1965)
* "Born Free"
* Music: John Barry
* Lyrics: Don Black (1966)
* "Talk to the Animals"
* Music and lyrics: Leslie Bricusse (1967)
* "The Windmills of Your Mind"
* Music: Michel Legrand
* Lyrics: Alan and Marilyn Bergman (1968)
* "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head"
* Music: Burt Bacharach
* Lyrics: Hal David (1969)
* "For All We Know"
* Music: Fred Karlin
* Lyrics: Robb Royer and Jimmy Griffin (1970)

1971–1980|

* "Theme from Shaft"
* Music and lyrics: Isaac Hayes (1971)
* "The Morning After"
* Music and lyrics: Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn (1972)
* "The Way We Were"
* Music: Marvin Hamlisch
* Lyrics: Alan and Marilyn Bergman (1973)
* "We May Never Love Like This Again"
* Music and lyrics: Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn (1974)
* "I'm Easy"
* Music and lyrics: Keith Carradine (1975)
* "Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)"
* Music: Barbra Streisand
* Lyrics: Paul Williams (1976)
* "You Light Up My Life"
* Music and lyrics: Joseph Brooks (1977)
* "Last Dance"
* Music and lyrics: Paul Jabara (1978)
* "It Goes Like It Goes"
* Music: David Shire
* Lyrics: Norman Gimbel (1979)
* "Fame"
* Music: Michael Gore
* Lyrics: Dean Pitchford (1980)

1981–1990|

* "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"
* Music and lyrics: Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Christopher Cross and Peter Allen (1981)
* "Up Where We Belong"
* Music: Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie
* Lyrics: Will Jennings (1982)
* "Flashdance... What a Feeling"
* Music: Giorgio Moroder
* Lyrics: Keith Forsey and Irene Cara (1983)
* "I Just Called to Say I Love You"
* Music and lyrics: Stevie Wonder (1984)
* "Say You, Say Me"
* Music and lyrics: Lionel Richie (1985)
* "Take My Breath Away"
* Music: Giorgio Moroder
* Lyrics: Tom Whitlock (1986)
* "(I've Had) The Time of My Life"
* Music: Franke Previte, John DeNicola and Donald Markowitz
* Lyrics: Franke Previte (1987)
* "Let the River Run"
* Music and lyrics: Carly Simon (1988)
* "Under the Sea"
* Music: Alan Menken
* Lyrics: Howard Ashman (1989)
* "Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)"
* Music and lyrics: Stephen Sondheim (1990)

1991–2000|

* "Beauty and the Beast"
* Music: Alan Menken
* Lyrics: Howard Ashman (1991)
* "A Whole New World"
* Music: Alan Menken
* Lyrics: Tim Rice (1992)
* "Streets of Philadelphia"
* Music and lyrics: Bruce Springsteen (1993)
* "Can You Feel the Love Tonight"
* Music: Elton John
* Lyrics: Tim Rice (1994)
* "Colors of the Wind"
* Music: Alan Menken
* Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz (1995)
* "You Must Love Me"
* Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber
* Lyrics: Tim Rice (1996)
* "My Heart Will Go On"
* Music: James Horner
* Lyrics: Will Jennings (1997)
* "When You Believe"
* Music and lyrics: Stephen Schwartz (1998)
* "You'll Be in My Heart"
* Music and lyrics: Phil Collins (1999)
* "Things Have Changed"
* Music and lyrics: Bob Dylan (2000)

2001–2010|

* "If I Didn't Have You"
* Music and lyrics: Randy Newman (2001)
* "Lose Yourself"
* Music: Eminem, Jeff Bass and Luis Resto
* Lyrics: Eminem (2002)
* "Into the West"
* Music and lyrics: Fran Walsh, Howard Shore and Annie Lennox (2003)
* "Al otro lado del río"
* Music and lyrics: Jorge Drexler (2004)
* "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp"
* Music and lyrics: Juicy J, Frayser Boy and DJ Paul (2005)
* "I Need to Wake Up"
* Music and lyrics: Melissa Etheridge (2006)
* "Falling Slowly"
* Music and lyrics: Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová (2007)
* "Jai Ho"
* Music: A. R. Rahman
* Lyrics: Gulzar (2008)
* "The Weary Kind"
* Music and lyrics: Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett (2009)
* "We Belong Together"
* Music and lyrics: Randy Newman (2010)

2011–2020|

* "Man or Muppet"
* Music and lyrics: Bret McKenzie (2011)
* "Skyfall"
* Music and lyrics: Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth (2012)
* "Let It Go"
* Music and lyrics: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (2013)
* "Glory"
* Music and lyrics: John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn (2014)
* "Writing's on the Wall"
* Music and lyrics: James Napier and Sam Smith (2015)
* "City of Stars"
* Music: Justin Hurwitz
* Lyrics: Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (2016)
* "Remember Me"
* Music and lyrics: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (2017)
* "Shallow"
* Music and lyrics: Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt (2018)
* "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again"
* Music: Elton John
* Lyrics: Bernie Taupin (2019)
* "Fight for You"
* Music: D'Mile and H.E.R.
* Lyrics: H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas (2020)

2021–present|

* "No Time to Die"
* Music and lyrics: Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell (2021)
* "Naatu Naatu"
* Music: M. M. Keeravani
* Lyrics: Chandrabose (2022)
* "What Was I Made For?"
* Music and lyrics: Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell (2023)
* "El Mal"
* Music: Clément Ducol and Camille
* Lyrics: Clément Ducol, Camille, and Jacques Audiard (2024)

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
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* Germany
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* France
* BnF data
* Italy
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* Netherlands
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* Israel
* Finland
* Belgium

Artists|

* MusicBrainz
* Discography of American Historical Recordings

People|

* Trove

Other|

* IdRef
* SNAC
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