Harry Ruby
b. Harry Rubinstein, 27 January 1895, New York, USA, d. 23 February 1974, Woodland Hills, California, USA. Ruby was a successful composer for stage and film over a long career, mostly in collaboration with lyricist Bert Kalmar (b. 16 February 1884, New York, USA, d. 18 September 1947, Los Angeles, California, USA). Ruby played piano in music publishing houses, and accompanied vaudeville acts such as the Messenger Boys, before starting to write songs. He had an early hit in 1919 with And He'd Say Oo-La-La, Wee-Wee, written with comedian George Jessel, and a hit for the specialist novelty singer Billy Murray. From 1918-28 Kalmar and Ruby wrote songs for Broadway shows, with Ruby sometimes contributing to the libretto. These included HELEN OF TROY, NEW YORK (I Like A Big Town, Happy Ending); THE RAMBLERS (All Alone Monday, Just One Kiss, Any Little Tune); FIVE O'CLOCK GIRL (Thinking Of You, Up In The Clouds); GOOD BOY (Some Sweet Someone, I Wanna Be Loved By You, the latter memorably revived by Marilyn Monroe in the 1959 Billy Wilder movie, SOME LIKE IT HOT); and ANIMAL CRACKERS (Watching The Clouds Roll By, Who's Been Listening To My Heart?, Hooray For Captain Spaulding). While working on ANIMAL CRACKERS, Kalmar and Ruby formed a friendship with the Marx Brothers, and, after moving to Hollywood in 1928, supplied songs for some of the Marx Brothers' early movies, including HORSE FEATHERS (1932) and DUCK SOUP (1933), and the film version of ANIMAL CRACKERS. Groucho Marx later used their Hooray For Captain Spaulding as a theme for his radio and television shows. While in Hollywood, Kalmar and Ruby wrote what was probably their most popular song, Three Little Words, for the comedy film CHECK AND DOUBLE CHECK (1930), featuring radio's famous double-act, Amos 'N Andy. The songwriting team continued to write consistently for films through the '30s, including: THE CUCKOOS (1931) (I Love You So Much, Dancing The Devil Away); THE KID FROM SPAIN (1932) (Look What You've Done, What A Perfect Combination); HIPS, HIPS, HOORAY (1934) (Keep On Doin' What You're Doin'); and KENTUCKY KERNELS (1934) (One Little Kiss). Their last film together, in 1939, was The Story Of Vernon And Irene Castle (Only When You're In My Arms, Ain'tcha Comin' Out?), starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, although their 1947 song, A Kiss To Build A Dream On, written with Oscar Hammerstein II, featured in the 1951 movie, THE STRIP, and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1941, they also contributed to another Broadway show, THE HIGH KICKERS (You're On My Mind, A Panic In Panama, Time To Sing). In the 1950 bio-pic, THREE LITTLE WORDS, Red Skelton played Ruby, and Fred Astaire was cast as Kalmar. The film featured most of their big hits including Who's Sorry Now, Nevertheless, and the novelty, So Long, Oo-Long (How Long You Gonna Be Gone?). During the '40s, Ruby also wrote songs with other lyricists, including Rube Bloom, (Give Me The Simple Life), and provided both music and lyrics for the title song to the Dick Haymes-Maureen O'Hara film, DO YOU LOVE ME? (1946). After the early '50s Ruby was semi-retired, emerging occasionally to appear on television programmes to celebrate songwriters and associated artists.