Arthur Freed
b. 9 September 1894, Charleston, South Carolina, USA, d. 12 April 1973. While still at school Freed began to write song lyrics. He was already an accomplished pianist and was determined to make his way as a songwriter. His first job was as a demonstrator in a Chicago music shop where he met Minnie Marx, mother of the Marx Brothers. With her encouragement he quit his job and joined her sons’ show as a singer. He later teamed up with Gus Edwards as a musical act in vaudeville. During this period he wrote many songs with different collaborators and had his first big success in 1923 with I Cried For You, written with Gus Arnheim and Abe Lyman. By the end of the '20s Freed was in Hollywood where he contributed the score to The Broadway Melody (1929) and THE HOLLYWOOD REVUE OF 1929, amongst others. Throughout the '30s he continued to write songs for films such as MONTANA MOON, LORD BYRON OF BROADWAY, THOSE THREE FRENCH GIRLS, THE BIG BROADCAST, THE BARBARIAN, Going Hollywood, SADIE MCKEE, STUDENT TOUR, A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, BROADWAY MELODY OF 1936, SAN FRANCISCO, BROADWAY MELODY OF 1938, and Babes In Arms (1939). As well as being a hit for all concerned, including its stars, Judy Garlandand Mickey Rooney, the latter picture was significant in that it marked the beginning of Arthur Freed's second career, that of a producer. During the next two decades the legendary Freed Unit produced most of MGM's outstanding musicals, including The Wizard Of Oz, STRIKE UP THE BAND, LADY BE GOOD, Cabin In the Sky, Meet Me In St. Louis, The Ziegfeld Follies, The Pirate, The Barkleys Of Broadway, Easter Parade, TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME, Words And Music, Annie Get Your Gun, On The Town, An American In Paris (1951 Oscar for best film), Show Boat, Singin’ In The Rain, The Band Wagon, Brigadoon, Kismet, Silk Stockings, and Gigi, (1958 Oscar for best film). During his long stay at MGM Freed's closest associate was musical arranger and songwriter Roger Edens. However, his chief composing partner was Nacio Herb Brown, with whom he wrote After Sundown, Alone, The Boy Friend, Broadway Rhythm’, You Were Meant For Me, The Wedding Of The Painted Doll, The Broadway Melody, Singin In The Rain’, Should I?, Temptation, Fit As A Fiddle, Pagan Love Song, Alone, I Got A Feelin You're Foolin’, You Are My Lucky Star, Lovely Lady, Good Morning, All I Do Is Dream Of You, and many others. These were all written for various films before Freed devoted himself to producing, although several of their most popular numbers were reprised in SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (1951), including the title song which was originally introduced in HOLLYWOOD REVUE OF 1929. For SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN Freed and Brown wrote a new song, MakeEm Laugh’, which Donald O'Connor immediately made his own. Freed's other collaborators included Al Hoffman, Harry Warren, and Burton Lane. For a number of years in the '60s Freed was president of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, from whom he received the Irving Thalberg Award in 1951 and a further award in 1967 ‘for distinguished service to the Academy and the production of six top-rated Awards telecasts’. Arthur Freed's brother, Ralph Freed (b. 1 May 1907, Vancouver, Canada, d. 13 February 1973, California, USA), was also a lyricist, and contributed songs, written mainly with composers Burton Lane and Sammy Fain, to several movies during the '30s and '40s. These included CHAMPAGNE WALTZ (1937), COLLEGE HOLIDAY, DOUBLE OR NOTHING, SWING HIGH, SWING LOW, COCOANUT GROVE, SHE MARRIED A COP, BABES ON BROADWAY, Ziegfeld Girl, DUBARRY WAS A LADY, Thousands Cheer, THRILL OF ROMANCE, NO LEAVE, NO LOVE, TWO SISTERS FROM BOSTON, and Ziegfeld Follies(1946). One of his numbers, The Worry Song (with Fain), was featured in the renowned live/action sequence in Anchors Aweighin which Gene Kelly danced with Jerry the cartoon mouse. His other songs included How About You?, You Leave Me Breathless, Love Lies, Smarty, Little Dutch Mill, Hawaiian War Chant, and Who Walks In When I Walk Out?. 
Further reading: THE MOVIES’ GREATEST MUSICALS-PRODUCED IN HOLLYWOOD USA BY THE FREED UNIT, Hugh Fordin.