Comden, Betty

Betty Comden, part of the successful team of Comden and Green, collaborated as a lyricists with Adolph Green from 1938 until the his death in 2002. Betty Comden was born in 1919 in Brooklyn, New York. After graduating from New York University, she began her career as a performer and writer in a cabaret act called The Revuers . Adolph Green was born in 1915 in the Bronx, New York. After a short career on Wall Street, Mr. Green joined The Revuers in 1938 and the Comden and Green team was formed. Comden and Green wrote the book and/or lyrics for such Broadway shows as On the Town (1944), Billion Dollar Baby (1945), Bonanza Bound (1947), Two on the Aisle (1951), Wonderful Town (1953), Peter Pan (1954), Bells are Ringing (1956), Say Darling (1958), A Party With Betty Comden and Adolph Green (1958), Do Re Mi (1960), Subways are for Sleeping (1961), Fade Out-Fade In (1964), Hallelujah, Baby! (1967), Applause (1970), Lorelei (1974), Straws in the Wind (1975), By Bernstein (1975), On the Twentieth Century (1977), A Doll's Life (1982), Singin' in the Rain (1985) and Will Rogers Follies (1991). Comden and Green wrote many screenplays including Good News (1947), The Barkleys of Broadway (1949), On the Town (1949), Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949), Singin' in the Rain (1952), The Band Wagon (1953), It's Always Fair Weather (1955), Auntie Mame (1958), Bells are Ringing (1960) and What a Way to Go! (1964). They have also written for television, radio, night clubs and recordings. They have won numerous awards including Oscar nominations and Tony awards for Wonderful Town, Hallelujah Baby!, Applause, On the Twentieth Century and Will Rogers Follies .

From the guide to the Betty Comden scores, 1938-1975, (The New York Public Library. Music Division.)

Writers and songwriters; Comden b. 1919; Green b. 1915.

From the description of Reminiscences of Betty Comden and Adolph Green : oral history, 1959. (Columbia University In the City of New York). WorldCat record id: 122597639

Betty Comden and Adolph Green began a successful collaboration as lyricists in 1938 which continues to the present.

Betty Comden was born in 1919 in Brooklyn, New York. After graduating from New York University, she began her career as a performer and writer in a cabaret act called The Revuers. Adolph Green was born in 1915 in the Bronx, New York. After a short career on Wall Street, Mr. Green joined The Revuers in 1938 and the Comden and Green team was formed.

Comden and Green wrote the book and/or lyrics for such Broadway shows as ON THE TOWN (1944), BILLION DOLLAR BABY (1945), BONANZA BOUND (1947), TWO ON THE AISLE (1951), WONDERFUL TOWN (1953), PETER PAN (1954), BELLS ARE RINGING (1956), SAY DARLING (1958), A PARTY WITH BETTY COMDEN AND ADOLPH GREEN (1958), DO RE MI (1960), SUBWAYS ARE FOR SLEEPING (1961), FADE OUT-FADE IN (1964), HALLELUJAH, BABY! (1967), APPLAUSE (1970), LORELEI (1974), STRAWS IN THE WIND (1975), BY BERNSTEIN (1975), ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY (1977), A DOLL'S LIFE (1982), and SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1985).

Comden and Green wrote many screen plays including GOOD NEWS (1947), THE BARKLEYS OF BROADWAY (1949), ON THE TOWN (1949), TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME (1949), SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952), THE BAND WAGON (1953), IT'S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER (1955), AUNTIE MAME (1958), BELLS ARE RINGING (1960) and WHAT A WAY TO GO! (1964). They have also written for television, radio, night clubs and recordings. They have won numerous awards including Oscar nominations and Tony awards.

From the description of Comden and Green papers, musical scores and sound recordings, 1930-1986. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 122485431

The writing team of Adolph Green (1915-2002) and Betty Comden (b. 1919) co-authored the books and lyrics to some of the most important works of musical theater and film.

Working together, the pair was successful and versatile as lyricists, librettists, and screenwriters. As performers, Comden and Green first worked together in 1938 as part of the cabaret act, The Revuers, and would continue to appear together frequently in their own shows. Separately, each took on an occasional acting assignment in film and television.

From the description of Comden and Green papers, 1933-2003. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 79460301

Betty Comden, part of the successful team of Comden and Green, collaborated as a lyricist from 1938 until the present.

Betty Comden was born in 1919 in Brooklyn, New York. After graduating from New York University, she began her career as a performer and writer in a cabaret act called The Revuers. Adolph Green was born in 1915 in the Bronx, New York. After a short career on Wall Street, Mr. Green joined The Revuers in 1938 and the Comden and Green team was formed. Comden and Green wrote the book and/or lyrics for such Broadway shows as On the Town (1944), Billion Dollar Baby (1945), Bonanza Bound (1947), Two on the Aisle (1951), Wonderful Town (1953), Peter Pan (1954), Bells are Ringing (1956), Say, Darling (1958), A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green (1958), Do Re Mi (1960), Subways are for Sleeping (1961), Fade Out-Fade In (1964), Hallelujah, Baby! (1967), Applause (1970), Lorelei (1974), Straws in the Wind (1975), By Bernstein (1975), On the Twentieth Century (1977), A Doll's Life (1982), Singin' in the Rain (1985), and The Will Rogers Follies (1991).

Comden and Green wrote many screenplays including Good News (1947), The Barkleys of Broadway (1949), On the Town (1949), Take Me out to the Ball Game (1949), Singin' in the Rain (1952), The Band Wagon (1953), It's Always Fair Weather (1955), Auntie Mame (1958), Bells are Ringing (1960) and What a Way to Go!(1964).

They have also written for television, radio, night clubs, and recordings. They have won numerous awards including Oscar nominations and Tony awards for Wonderful Town, Hallelujah, Baby!, Applause, On the Twentieth Century, and The Will Rogers Follies.

From the description of Betty Comden scores, 1938-1975. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 122378537

Betty Comden was an American lyricist, playwright, screenwriter and actress working on stage and screen productions from the late 1930s through the 1990s. She was born Elizabeth Cohen on May 3, 1917 in Brooklyn, NY and attended New York University, where she studied drama, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Education in 1938. Comden began her theatrical career writing and performing satirical sketches with the nightclub act, The Revuers, along with Judy Holliday and Adolph Green, who became her lifelong writing partner. The Revuers played at the Village Vanguard and the Rainbow Room in the late 1930s and made regular appearances on radio and one brief appearance in the Fox film, Greenwich Village 1944). The team of Comden and Green scored a hit with their Broadway debut, On the Town (1944), for which they provided the book and lyrics to Leonard Bernstein's score, as well as appearing in the original Broadway cast.

After their second show, Billion Dollar Baby (1945), written with composer Morton Gould, Comden and Green signed with Metro-Goldwin-Mayer and began working for the Arthur Freed Unit. Their first project was a screenplay and additional lyrics for Good News (1947). They went on to write original screenplays for several classic movie musicals, including Singin' In The Rain (1952), The Bandwagon (1953), It's Always Fair Weather (1955) and the final film of the legendary partnership between Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, The Barkleys of Broadway (1949). They also adapted the screenplay and provided lyrics to new songs for their own On The Town (1949).

In the early 1950s, Comden and Green resumed their Broadway career with the revue Two on the Aisle (1951), the first of many collaborations with their most frequent composer, Jule Styne. Their next project, Wonderful Town (1953), reunited them with Leonard Bernstein and won the Tony Award as Best Musical. Their next seven Broadway musicals were collaborations with Styne, including additional songs for Peter Pan (1954) and full scores (with Styne) and scripts for Say, Darling (1958), Do-Re-Mi (1960), Subways Are for Sleeping (1961), Fade Out-Fade In (1964) and Best Musical Tony Award winner, Hallelujah, Baby! (1968). The most successful show from their collaboration with Styne was Bells Are Ringing (1956), a vehicle for Comden and Green's old friend, Judy Holliday, now an Academy Award winning actress.

During this period of high productivity on Broadway, Comden and Green also continued to work on film projects, adapting Bells Are Ringing for the screen in 1960 and scripting the 1958 screen adaptation of Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's play Auntie Mame, which starred Rosalind Russell. Their last produced film was the comedy with songs, What A Way To Go! (1964), but they continued to work on screenplays for the rest of their careers. Comden and Green also continued performing in 1959, with the first version of their successful revue, A Party With Betty Comden and Adolph Green, which they performed several times on Broadway and around the country over the following thirty years.

In 1970, Comden and Green provided the book for Charles Strouse and Lee Adams' score for Applause, a musical version of the classic film, All About Eve, (1950) which won the Tony Award for Best Musical. Another Comden and Green show won the Tony later in the decade: On The Twentieth Century in 1978, which also won them and their composer, Cy Coleman, the Tony for Best Score. Comden and Green's next project was a departure from the witty, urbane style that had characterized their previous work when they tackled nineteenth century feminism in a collaboration with composer Larry Grossman and director Harold Prince. A Doll's Life (1982) investigates what might have happened to Nora from Ibsen's A Doll's House after she slams the door and leaves her family. This ambitious project was unsuccessful, but demonstrated Comden and Green's versatility. Their last original musical, however, was a triumph, both artistically and financially. The Will Rogers Follies (1991), another collaboration with Cy Coleman, ran 981 peformances and brought Comden, Green and Coleman another Best Score Tony Award.

Throughout her career as a writer, Comden continued to work a performer with an appearance in films like Garbo Talks (1984) and Slaves of New York (1989). She and Green also appeared together in countless tributes and concerts including Follies in Concert, performed at Avery Fisher Hall in 1985.

Betty Comden was married to artist Steven Kyle from 1942, until his death in 1979. They had two children, Alan Kyle and Suzanne Kyle. Comden died in New York on November 23, 2006.

From the guide to the Betty Comden papers, 1929-2004, (The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.)

Adolph Green was born in the Bronx, New York on December 2, 1915. After a brief stint as a runner on Wall Street, Green began his theatrical career as an actor and soon found himself writing and performing satirical sketches with the nightclub act, The Revuers. They played at the Village Vanguard and the Rainbow Room in the late 1930s and made a brief appearance in the Fox film, Greenwich Village (1944). Green’s fellow Revuers included Judy Holiday and Betty Comden, who became his lifelong writing partner. The team of Comden and Green scored a hit with their Broadway debut, On The Town (1944), for which they provided the book and lyrics to Leonard Bernstein’s score as well as appearing in the original Broadway cast.

After their second show, Billion Dollar Baby (1945), written with composer Morton Gould, Comden and Green signed with Metro-Goldwin-Mayer and began working for the Arthur Freed Unit. Their first project was a screenplay and additional lyrics for Good News (1947). They went on to write original screenplays for several classic movie musicals, including Singin’In The Rain (1952), The Bandwagon (1953), It’s Always Fair Weather (1955) and the final film of the legendary partnership between Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, The Barkleys of Broadway (1949). They also adapted the script and provided lyrics to new songs for their own On The Town (1949) for the screen.

In the early 1950s Comden and Green resumed their Broadway career with the revue Two On The Aisle (1951), the first of many collaborations with their most frequent composer, Jule Styne. Their next project, Wonderful Town (1953), reunited them with Leonard Bernstein and won the Tony Award as Best Musical. Their next seven Broadway musicals were collaborations with Styne, including additional songs for Peter Pan (1954), Say, Darling (1958), Do-Re-Mi (1960), Subways Are For Sleeping (1961), Fade Out-Fade In (1964) and Best Musical Tony Award winner, Hallelujah, Baby! (1968). The most successful show from Comden and Green’s collaboration with Jule Styne was Bells Are Ringing (1956), which was written as a vehicle for Comden and Green’s old friend, Judy Holliday, now an Academy Award winning actress.

During this period of high productivity on Broadway, Comden and Green also continued work on various film projects, adapting Bells Are Ringing for the screen in 1960. They also did the 1958 screen adaptation of Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee’s play Auntie Mame, which starred Wonderful Town ’s Rosalind Russell. Though their last produced film was the comedy with songs, What A Way To Go! (1964), they continued to work on screenplays for the rest of their careers. Comden and Green also continued their performing careers in 1959, with the first version of their successful revue, A Party With Betty Comden and Adolph Green, which they performed several times on Broadway and around the country over the following thirty years.

In 1970 Comden and Green provided the book for Charles Strouse and Lee Adams’ score for Applause, a musical version of the classic film, All About Eve, (1950) which won the Tony Award for Best Musical. Another Comden and Green show won the Tony later in the decade: On The Twentieth Century in 1978, which also won them and their composer, Cy Coleman, the Tony for Best Score. Comden and Green’s next project was a departure from the witty, urbane style that had characterized their previous work when they tackled nineteenth century feminism in a collaboration with composer Larry Grossman and director Harold Prince. A Doll’s Life (1982) investigates what might have happened to Nora from Ibsen’s A Doll’s House after she slams the door and leaves her family. This ambitious project was unsuccessful, but demonstrated Comden and Green’s versatility. Their last original musical, however, was a triumph, both artistically and financially. The Will Rogers Follies (1991), another collaboration with Cy Coleman, ran 981 performances and brought Comden, Green and Coleman another Best Score Tony Award.

Throughout his career as a writer, Green continued to work as a performer. Such films as My Favorite Year (1982) and I Want to Go Home (1989) showcased Green’s unique persona. He also appeared in countless tributes and concerts including the London Symphony Orchestra’s Candide, conducted by Leonard Bernstein in 1989, and Follies in Concert, performed at Avery Fisher Hall in 1985.

Adolph Green was married to actress Allyn Ann McLerie from 1945-1953. In 1960 he married actress Phyllis Newman, with whom he had two children, Amanda Green and Adam Green and to whom he remained married until his death on October 23, 2002.

From the guide to the Adolph Green papers, 1944-2002, (The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.)

Adolph Green was born in the Bronx, New York on December 2, 1915. After a brief stint as a runner on Wall Street, Green began his theatrical career as an actor and soon found himself writing and performing satirical sketches with the nightclub act, The Revuers. Green’s fellow Revuers included Judy Holiday and Betty Comden, who became his lifelong writing partner. Betty Comden was born Elizabeth Cohen on May 3, 1919 in Brooklyn, NY. Comden attended New York University, where she studied drama, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Education in 1938. The Revuers played at the Village Vanguard and the Rainbow Room in the late 1930s and made regular appearances on radio and one brief appearance in the Fox film, Greenwich Village (1944). The team of Comden and Green scored a hit with their Broadway debut, On The Town (1944), for which they provided the book and lyrics to Leonard Bernstein’s score as well as appearing in the original Broadway cast.

After their second show, Billion Dollar Baby (1945), written with composer Morton Gould, Comden and Green signed with Metro-Goldwin-Mayer and began working for the Arthur Freed Unit. Their first project was a screenplay and additional lyrics for Good News (1947). They went on to write original screenplays for several classic movie musicals, including Singin’ In The Rain (1952), The Bandwagon (1953), It’s Always Fair Weather (1955) and the final film of the legendary partnership between Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, The Barkleys of Broadway (1949). They also adapted the screenplay and provided lyrics to new songs for their own On The Town (1949).

In the early 1950s Comden and Green resumed their Broadway career with the revue Two On The Aisle (1951), the first of many collaborations with their most frequent composer, Jule Styne. Their next project, Wonderful Town (1953), reunited them with Leonard Bernstein and won the Tony Award as Best Musical. Their next seven Broadway musicals were collaborations with Styne, including additional songs for Peter Pan (1954), Say, Darling (1958), Do-Re-Mi (1960), Subways Are For Sleeping (1961), Fade Out-Fade In (1964) and Best Musical Tony Award winner, Hallelujah, Baby! (1968). The most successful show from Comden and Green’s collaboration with Jule Styne was Bells Are Ringing (1956), which was written as a vehicle for Comden and Green’s old friend, Judy Holliday, now an Academy Award winning actress.

During this period of high productivity on Broadway, Comden and Green also continued work on various film projects, adapting Bells Are Ringing for the screen in 1960. They also did the 1958 screen adaptation of Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee’s play Auntie Mame, which starred Wonderful Town’s Rosalind Russell. Though their last produced film was the comedy with songs, What A Way To Go! (1964), they continued to work on screenplays for the rest of their careers. Comden and Green also continued their performing careers in 1959, with the first version of their successful revue, A Party With Betty Comden and Adolph Green, which they performed several times on Broadway and around the country over the following thirty years.

In 1970 Comden and Green provided the book for Charles Strouse and Lee Adams’ score for Applause, a musical version of the classic film, All About Eve, (1950) which won the Tony Award for Best Musical. Another Comden and Green show won the Tony later in the decade: On The Twentieth Century in 1978, which also won them and their composer, Cy Coleman, the Tony for Best Score. Comden and Green’s next project was a departure from the witty, urbane style that had characterized their previous work when they tackled nineteenth century feminism in a collaboration with composer Larry Grossman and director Harold Prince. A Doll’s Life (1982) investigates what might have happened to Nora from Ibsen’s A Doll’s House after she slams the door and leaves her family. This ambitious project was unsuccessful, but demonstrated Comden and Green’s versatility. Their last original musical, however, was a triumph, both artistically and financially. The Will Rogers Follies (1991), another collaboration with Cy Coleman, ran 981 performances and brought Comden, Green and Coleman another Best Score Tony Award.

Throughout their career as writers, Comden and Green continued to work as performers in such films as My Favorite Year (1982), I Want to Go Home (1989) and Garbo Talks (1984). They also appeared in countless tributes and concerts including Follies in Concert, performed at Avery Fisher Hall in 1985 and Green appeared as Dr. Pangloss in the London Symphony Orchestra’s Candide, conducted by Leonard Bernstein in 1989.

Betty Comden was married to artist Steven Kyle from 1942, until his death in 1979. They had two children, Alan Kyle and Suzanne Kyle. Adolph Green’s first marriage in 1941, to actress/painter Elizabeth Reitell ended in divorce, as did his second marriage to actress Allyn Ann McLerie from 1945-1953. In 1960 he married actress Phyllis Newman, with whom he had two children, Amanda Green and Adam Green, and to whom he remained married until his death on October 23, 2002.

From the guide to the Comden and Green papers, 1933-2003, (The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.)