Burton Lane

Composer

About

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Also Known As

Burton Levy

Birth Place

New York City, New York, USA

Born

February 02, 1912

Died

January 05, 1997

Cause of Death

Lung Cancer

Biography

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Burton Lane produced music that was featured in many Hollywood productions. In 1933, he signed with Irving Berlin's music publishing company. In 1929, he teamed with lyricist Howard Dietz for the Broadway revue "Three's A Crowd." In 1947, he teamed with E.Y. "Yip" Harburg for the musical "Finan's Rainbow." He collaborated with Michael Feinstein on two albums in the early 1990s and accomp...

Filmography

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The Fred Astaire Songbook (1991)

Hell's Angels (1930)

Affair in Havana (1957)

The Post (2017)

Small Time Crooks (2000)

Excess Baggage (1997)

Photos & Videos

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Give A Girl A Break (1954) -- (Movie Clip) Applause, Applause

Pillow To Post (1945) -- (Movie Clip) Watcha Say? (Louis Armstrong)

Family & Companions

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Marion Seaman

Wife

Married in 1935; divorced; mother to Diana.

Lynn Lane

Wife

Second wife; survived him.

Notes

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Member of the ASCAP since 1933

Served on ASCAP's board from 1985-96

Biography

Burton Lane produced music that was featured in many Hollywood productions. In 1933, he signed with Irving Berlin's music publishing company. In 1929, he teamed with lyricist Howard Dietz for the Broadway revue "Three's A Crowd." In 1947, he teamed with E.Y. "Yip" Harburg for the musical "Finan's Rainbow." He collaborated with Michael Feinstein on two albums in the early 1990s and accompanied him on piano. Lane began his entertainment career with his music featured in films like "She Married a Cop" (1939). He followed this honor with songs in "Thousands Cheer" (1944), the musical comedy "Give a Girl a Break" (1953) with Marge Champion and the Dean Martin sports comedy "Money From Home" (1953). He also appeared in the comedy adaptation "Jupiter's Darling" (1955) with Esther Williams. He was nominated for an Academy Award for "Babes on Broadway" in 1941. . Lane was nominated for a Music (Song) Academy Award for "Royal Wedding" in 1951. In the sixties and the eighties, Lane's music continued to appear on the silver screen, including in films like the Tony Randall adaptation "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (1960), "Finian's Rainbow" (1968) with Fred Astaire and "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" (1970) with Barbra Streisand. His work was also in the Sissy Spacek drama "Raggedy Man" (1981). Lane's music was also featured in the Robin Williams fantastical comedy "The Fisher King" (1991), the Albert Finney drama "Rich in Love" (1993) and "Excess Baggage" (1997). Lane was most recently credited in the comedy "Small Time Crooks" (2000) with Woody Allen. Lane passed away in January 1997 at the age of 85.

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

The Fred Astaire Songbook (1991)

Hell's Angels (1930)

Writer (Feature Film)

Affair in Havana (1957)

Music (Feature Film)

The Post (2017)

Small Time Crooks (2000)

Excess Baggage (1997)

That's Entertainment! III (1994)

Rich in Love (1992)

Song ("I Hear Music")

The Fisher King (1991)

The Fred Astaire Songbook (1991)

The Two Jakes (1990)

Man Against the Mob: The Chinatown Murders (1989)

Racing With The Moon (1984)

Heidi's Song (1982)

Raggedy Man (1981)

Get Carter (1971)

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970)

Finian's Rainbow (1968)

The Horizontal Lieutenant (1962)

Sing, Boy, Sing (1958)

The Young Lions (1958)

The Party Crashers (1958)

Jazz Ball (1958)

Short Cut to Hell (1957)

Jupiter's Darling (1955)

Give a Girl a Break (1954)

Money from Home (1954)

Don't Bother to Knock (1952)

Everything I Have Is Yours (1952)

Strictly Dishonorable (1951)

Royal Wedding (1951)

Feudin', Fussin and A-Fightin' (1948)

I Walk Alone (1948)

This Time for Keeps (1947)

The Great Morgan (1945)

Thousands Cheer (1944)

Rainbow Island (1944)

Hollywood Canteen (1944)

Meet the People (1944)

He's My Guy (1943)

Du Barry Was a Lady (1943)

Presenting Lily Mars (1943)

Her Cardboard Lover (1942)

Panama Hattie (1942)

Ship Ahoy (1942)

Babes on Broadway (1942)

Seven Sweethearts (1942)

Dancing on a Dime (1940)

Some Like It Hot (1939)

She Married a Cop (1939)

Flight at Midnight (1939)

Cafe Society (1939)

Saint Louis Blues (1939)

Cocoanut Grove (1938)

Spawn of the North (1938)

Partners of the Plains (1938)

College Swing (1938)

Wells Fargo (1937)

Her Husband Lies (1937)

Blonde Trouble (1937)

Double or Nothing (1937)

King of Gamblers (1937)

Love on Toast (1937)

Night Club Scandal (1937)

Artists and Models (1937)

Swing High, Swing Low (1937)

Champagne Waltz (1937)

Angel's Holiday (1937)

Hideaway Girl (1936)

Every Saturday Night (1936)

College Holiday (1936)

Shadow of Doubt (1935)

The Perfect Gentleman (1935)

Reckless (1935)

Here Comes the Band (1935)

L'homme des Folies Bergère (1935)

Folies Bergère de Paris (1935)

Coming Out Party (1934)

A Wicked Woman (1934)

Strictly Dynamite (1934)

Bottoms Up (1934)

Kid Millions (1934)

Dancing Lady (1933)

Cast (Special)

Ira Gershwin at 100: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall (1997)

Music By Richard Rodgers (1990)

Musical Comedy Tonight (1981)

Music (Special)

Ira Gershwin at 100: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall (1997)

Ira Gershwin at 100: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall (1997)

Music (Short)

Gypsy Night (1935)

Life Events

1929

Teamed with lyricist Howard Dietz for the Broadway revue "Three's A Crowd"

1933

Signed with Irving Berlin's music publishing company

1933

First movie credit "Everything I Have Is Yours"

1940

First show where he wrote complete score "Hold On To Your Hats"

1947

Teamed with E.Y. "Yip" Harburg for the musical "Finan's Rainbow"

1979

Last Broadway production "Carmelina"

Videos

Give A Girl A Break (1954) -- (Movie Clip) Applause, Applause Finally on-stage for the big show that gives the movie its name, Bob (Bob Fosse) and Suzy (Debbie Reynolds) perform Applause, Applause, by Burton Land and Ira Gershwin, in Give A Girl A Break, 1954, directed by Stanley Donen.

Pillow To Post (1945) -- (Movie Clip) Watcha Say? (Louis Armstrong) Ida Lupino as sales-gal Jean is juggling William Prince as soldier Don, posing as her husband so she could get military housing, and Johnny Mitchell as client Slim, who wanted a dinner date, while Louis Armstrong leads his band with Dorothy Dandridge singing a tune by Burton Lane and Ted Koehler, in Pillow To Post, 1945.

Royal Wedding (1951) -- (Movie Clip) You're All The World To Me As entertainer "Tom Bowen," Fred Astaire is all over the walls and ceilings over his English girlfriend (played by Winston Churchill's daughter Sarah) in the famous trick sequence, directed by Stanley Donen, from MGM's Royal Wedding, 1951.

College Swing (1938) -- (Movie Clip) How'dja Like To Love Me? Just-introduced Martha Raye as Mabel, having just dropped her fake French persona, offering herself as a “Professor of Practical Romance,” for Bob Hope as Bud, who’s now in charge of staffing up the college, cueing an original tune by Burton Lane and Frank Loesser, in Paramount’s College Swing, 1938, starring George Burns and Gracie Allen.

Ship Ahoy (1942) -- (Movie Clip) I'll Take Tallulah Like many Eleanor Powell numbers, another suggesting she was the best dancer of her generation, devised by Billy Connolly, Bert Lahr and Red Skelton warbling, Tommy Dorsey's band, song by Burton Lane and Yip Harburg, clever bit for drummer Buddy Rich, in Ship Ahoy, 1942.

Ship Ahoy (1942) -- (Movie Clip) Poor You Frank Sinatra is the dandied-up singer performing Burton Lane and E.Y. Harburg's "Poor You," with Tommy Dorsey's band in the Eleanor Powell and Red Skelton vehicle Ship Ahoy, 1942.

Royal Wedding (1951) -- (Movie Clip) How Could You Believe Me... Jane Powell and Fred Astaire as Brother-Sister Act "Tom and Ellen Bowen," performing the Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner tune with a very long name in Royal Wedding, 1951, choreography by Nick Castle.

Jupiter's Darling (1955) -- (Movie Clip) If This Be Slavery High society Roman Amytis (Esther Williams) with her slave (Marge Champion), for whom she buys a slave (Gower Champion), who together perform If This Be Slavery by Burton Lane and Harold Adamson, in MGM's Jupiter's Darling, 1955.

Jupiter's Darling (1955) -- (Movie Clip) -- Never Trust A Woman Curious Roman Amytis (Esther Williams) has pretty much caused herself to be captured by conqueror Hannibal of Carthage (Howard Keel), who offers a tune by Burton Lane and Harold Adamson as he considers whether to rely on her intelligence, George Sidney directing, in MGM’s Jupiter’s Darling,1955.

Finian's Rainbow (1968) -- (Movie Clip) Look To The Rainbow Petula Clark sings the Burton Lane and E.Y. Harburg tune, as she and Fred Astaire (playing her Irish father) traverse the United States, in Francis Coppola's charming, if geographically incoherent, opening credit sequence, from Finian's Rainbow, 1968.

Finian's Rainbow (1968) -- (Movie Clip) Something Sort Of Grandish Irish Sharon (Petula Clark) has just fished leprechaun Og (Tommy Steele) from the well at her new home in the U-S-A, though he doesn't realize she's fallen for another, as they deliver a tune by Burton Lane and E.Y. Harburg, in Finian's Rainbow, 1968.

Finian's Rainbow (1968) -- (Movie Clip) Follow The Fellow Fred Astaire (as Finian, fresh from Ireland), age 68, in his last musical, leads Petula Clark (as daughter Sharon), who was convinced she couldn't dance with him, into their first number, all the American kids supporting, Francis Coppola directing, in Finian's Rainbow, 1968.

Family

Lazarus Levy

Father

Real estate broker.

Frances Fink Levy

Mother

Pianist.

Diana Lane

Daughter

Mother Marion Seamon; survived him.

Elizabeth Kaye

Step-Daughter

Survived him.

Peggy Kaye

Step-Daughter

Survived him.

Hillary Kaye

Step-Daughter

Survived him.

Companions

Marion Seaman

Wife

Married in 1935; divorced; mother to Diana.

Lynn Lane

Wife

Second wife; survived him.

Bibliography

Notes

Member of the ASCAP since 1933

Served on ASCAP's board from 1985-96

President of the American Guild of Authurs and Composers (now Songwriters Guild).

Received Academy Award nominations for "How About You" (1941), "Babes On Broadway" (1942) and "Too Late Now" (1951).

Inducted into the songwriters Hall of Fame

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