Edward Eliscu

Edward Eliscu (April 2, 1902 – June 18, 1998) was a lyricist, playwright, producer and actor, and a successful writer of songs for films.

Life

Eliscu was born in New York City.^[1] He attended DeWitt Clinton High School in New York City (as a classmate of director George Cukor), and the City College of New York where he attained a Bachelor of Science degree. He then began acting in Broadway plays. Eliscu's first film score was with Vincent Youmans and Billy Rose for the film Great Day.

He married the dancer and journalist Stella Bloch in 1931 after she divorced Ananda Coomaraswamy.^[2] 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.^[2] Eliscu together with his wife's cousin Mortimer Offner moved away from Hollywood and returned to New York.^[3]

Elscu was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975. He died, aged 96, in Newtown, Connecticut.^[1]

Works

Selected film and theatre scores

• "Lady Fingers"
• "The Street Singer"
• "A Little Racketeer"
• "Frederica (musical)" (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"

Selected hits

• "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"
• "They Cut Down the Old Pine Tree"
• "More Than You Know"

Selected collaborators

• Vincent Youmans
• Billy Rose
• Jay Gorney
• Henry Myers (composer)
• John Green
• Gus Kahn
• Vernon Duke
• Manning Sherwin
• Richard Myers
• Ned Lehac
• Billy Hill

References

External links

• Edward Eliscu at the Internet Broadway Database
  
• Edward Eliscu at the Internet Movie Database