Rudolf Friml
b. 8 December 1879, Prague, Bohemia, d. 12 November 1972, Hollywood, California, USA. An important composer who helped to perpetuate the romantic operetta-style of musical which was so popular in America at the turn of the century. After studying at Prague University, Friml toured Europe and America as a concert pianist and settled in the US in 1906. As a composer his first opportunity came when he took over from Victor Herberton the score for The Firefly (1912) from which came Giannina Mia and Sympathy. His collaborator for that show was Otto Harbach, and the two men worked together on a further nine productions. Throughout his career Friml's other lyricists and librettists included P.G. Wodehouse, Herbert Reynolds, Harold Atteridge, Rida Johnson Young, Oscar Hammerstein II, Brian Hooker, Clifford Grey, Dailey Paskman, Edward Clark, Chisholm Cushing, and Rowland Leigh. He composed the music for some of the most popular songs of the time in a list of shows which includes HIGH JINKS (The Bubble; Love's Own Kiss; Not Now But Later), THE PEASANT GIRL (Love Is Like A Butterfly; Listen, Dear; And The Dream Came True), KATINKA (Allah's Holiday; ‘I Want to Marry A Male Quartet’; Katinka), YOU'RE IN LOVE (I'm Only Dreaming; You're In Love), GLORIANNA (My Climbing Rose; Toodle-oo), SOMETIME (Sometime; Keep On Smiling) TUMBLE INN(Snuggle And Dream; I've Told My Love), THE LITTLE WHOPPER (You'll Dream And I'll Dream; Round The Corner’), JUNE LOVE (June Love; The Flapper And The Vamp; Don't Keep Calling Me Dearie), ZIEGFELD FOLLIES OF 1921 (Bring Back My Blushing Rose; Every Time I Hear The Band Play), THE BLUE KITTEN (When I Waltz With You; Cutie; Blue Kitten Blues), CINDERS (Belle Of The Bronx; I'm Simply Mad About The Boys), Rose-Marie(Rose-Marie; Indian Love Call; Totem Tom-Tom; Song Of The Mounties), The Vagabond King(Only A Rose; Song Of The Vagabonds; Some Day), THE WILD ROSE(Brown Eyes; One Golden Hour), NO FOOLIN’ (Wasn't It Nice?; Florida, The Moon And You), THE THREE MUSKETEERS (March Of The Musketeers; Ma Belle; Queen Of My Heart; Heart Of Mine), THE WHITE EAGLE(GATHER The Rose; Give Me One Hour), LUANA (‘My Bird of Paradise’; Aloha), and MUSIC HATH CHARMS (1934) (My Heart Is Yours; Sweet Fool). In the lavish 1935 film version of Friml's first show, THE FIREFLY, Allan Jones had a big hit with The Donkey Serenade which was adapted from Friml's composition Chansonette, a piece he had originally written for the ZIEGFELD FOLLIES OF 1923. Some of his other shows were filmed and he also wrote the music for the 1947 movie NORTHWEST OUTPOST. Friml's last two shows, LUANA and MUSIC HATH CHARMS, only ran for some 20-odd performances each and he appeared unable or unwilling to adapt his music to the ever-growing American-style of musical comedy, although he remained active in his later years and appeared frequently on US television.