Johnny Mercer

Lyricist

About

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Also Known As

John H Mercer, John Herndon Mercer

Birth Place

Savannah, Georgia, USA

Born

November 18, 1909

Died

June 25, 1976

Biography

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Johnny Mercer is unique among the songwriters whose work makes up the so-called Great American Songbook of mid 20th century standards in a couple of ways. For one thing, in addition to the jazz and pop influences he shares with most of his peers, he also had a distinct blues feeling to many of his compositions, largely owing to his Southern upbringing. Additionally, he was one of the onl...

Filmography

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That's Entertainment! III (1994)

Old Man Rhythm (1935)

To Beat the Band (1935)

Member of the band

Second Chorus (1940)

Contr to Screenplay

I Am Mother (2019)

The Goldfinch (2019)

Family & Companions

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Ginger Meehan

Wife

Dancer. Married in 1931.

Biography

Johnny Mercer is unique among the songwriters whose work makes up the so-called Great American Songbook of mid 20th century standards in a couple of ways. For one thing, in addition to the jazz and pop influences he shares with most of his peers, he also had a distinct blues feeling to many of his compositions, largely owing to his Southern upbringing. Additionally, he was one of the only pop songwriters of his generation to make the crossover to recording artist, earning a number of hits by singing his own material. John Herndon Mercer was born on November 19, 1909 in Savannah, Georgia. Growing up, he absorbed blues, jazz, and Tin Pan Alley tunes, all of which informed his budding musical sensibilities. At the age of 19, he made his way to New York City to pursue both singing and songwriting. He eventually decided to focus on lyrics, and got a job as a staff writer for a small publishing house. He worked with Yip Harburg on songs for the 1932 production of Americana. But it was Mercer's collaboration with Hoagy Carmichael on the 1933 song "Lazybones" that really earned him his entrée into the ranks of respected songwriters. In 1935 Mercer abandoned New York for Hollywood, where he began turning out tunes for musicals, including such immortal songs as "Too Marvelous For Words," "Hooray for Hollywood," and "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby." In the early '40s, Mercer teamed up with composer Harold Arlen, and the partnership produced some of both men's most widely beloved offerings, including the Frank Sinatra classics "Blues in the Night," "That Old Black Magic," and "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)." In 1942, Mercer made an equally titanic contribution to the business side of the music world by co-founding Capitol Records. But that didn't slow his songwriting output; the Mercer parade of hits continued through the '50s and '60s with the likes of "Something's Gotta Give," "Moon River," and "Summer Wind." The timelessness of Mercer's artistry was such that Paul McCartney was reportedly pursuing him for a collaboration not long before Mercer lost his life to cancer on June 25, 1976.

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

That's Entertainment! III (1994)

Old Man Rhythm (1935)

To Beat the Band (1935)

Member of the band

Writer (Feature Film)

Second Chorus (1940)

Contr to Screenplay

Music (Feature Film)

I Am Mother (2019)

The Goldfinch (2019)

Cold Pursuit (2019)

Long Shot (2019)

Green Book (2018)

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)

Deadpool 2 (2018)

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

The Dark Tower (2017)

American Pastoral (2016)

The Rules Don't Apply (2016)

Set Fire to the Stars (2015)

Fort McCoy (2014)

Fort McCoy (2014)

Gangster Squad (2013)

Men in Black III (2012)

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012)

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)

The Wrecking Crew (2008)

Definitely, Maybe (2008)

The Water Horse (2007)

Reign Over Me (2007)

The Savages (2007)

Fred Claus (2007)

P.S. I Love You (2007)

Mama's Boy (2007)

Wind Chill (2007)

Love and Other Disasters (2007)

Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006)

For Your Consideration (2006)

Marie Antoinette (2006)

Take the Lead (2006)

Invincible (2006)

Invincible (2006)

The Notorious Bettie Page (2006)

For Your Consideration (2006)

Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)

The Family Stone (2005)

Elizabethtown (2005)

Beyond the Sea (2004)

The Last Shot (2004)

A Hard Straight (2004)

Bullet Boy (2004)

Paycheck (2003)

Mona Lisa Smile (2003)

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003)

How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)

My House in Umbria (2003)

Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003)

Matchstick Men (2003)

The Truth About Charlie (2002)

Hollywood Ending (2002)

High Crimes (2002)

Sidewalks of New York (2001)

The Score (2001)

Jeepers Creepers (2001)

Pearl Harbor (2001)

What Women Want (2000)

Paperback Hero (2000)

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (2000)

Summer of Sam (1999)

The Out of Towners (1999)

The Other Sister (1999)

Blast from the Past (1999)

Songs ("Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive" "That Old Black Magic")

Analyze This (1999)

Mad Cows (1999)

Song ("Lazy Bones")

Best Laid Plans (1999)

200 Cigarettes (1999)

Just the Ticket (1998)

Song ("Come Rain Or Come Shine")

Buffalo 66 (1998)

City of Angels (1998)

You've Got Mail (1998)

Celebrity (1998)

A Night at the Roxbury (1998)

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)

The Devil's Advocate (1997)

Breaking Up (1997)

Song ("Come Rain Or Come Shine")

The Real Blonde (1997)

L.A. Confidential (1997)

Song; Song ("Hit The Road To Dreamland")

L.A. Confidential (1997)

Song Performer ("Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive")

Mad Dog Time (1996)

The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)

Last Summer in the Hamptons (1995)

The Little Rascals (1994)

Lush Life (1994)

Cops And Robbersons (1994)

Radioland Murders (1994)

Mad Dog and Glory (1993)

Boiling Point (1993)

Sleepless In Seattle (1993)

The Man Without A Face (1993)

School Ties (1992)

Class Act (1992)

The Mighty Ducks (1992)

Medicine Man (1992)

Cool World (1992)

Rich in Love (1992)

Song ("Skylark")

Innocent Blood (1992)

The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991)

The Fred Astaire Songbook (1991)

True Colors (1991)

Dead Again (1991)

For the Boys (1991)

Days of Thunder (1990)

Arachnophobia (1990)

Funny About Love (1990)

White Hunter Black Heart (1990)

The Freshman (1990)

Man Against the Mob: The Chinatown Murders (1989)

New York Stories (1989)

Song ("Tangerine")

Born On The Fourth Of July (1989)

Loverboy (1989)

Ray's Male Heterosexual Dance Hall (1989)

The Presidio (1988)

Permanent Record (1988)

Rocket Gibraltar (1988)

36 Fillette (1988)

Torch Song Trilogy (1988)

Song ("This Time The Dream'S On Me")

The Year My Voice Broke (1988)

Let's Get Lost (1988)

In the Mood (1987)

Innerspace (1987)

Off Beat (1986)

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)

Summer Rental (1985)

Racing With The Moon (1984)

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)

Best Defense (1984)

Best Defense (1984)

Friday the 13th, Part IV: The Final Chapter (1984)

Song ("Tangerine")

Terms Of Endearment (1983)

Curse of the Pink Panther (1983)

The King Of Comedy (1983)

The Lords of Discipline (1983)

An Officer And A Gentleman (1982)

Some Kind Of Hero (1982)

Mommie Dearest (1981)

Rough Cut (1980)

More American Graffiti (1979)

Chilly Scenes of Winter (1979)

Real Life (1979)

The Brink's Job (1978)

The Parallax View (1974)

The Long Goodbye (1973)

Lyrics ("The Long Goodbye")

The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

Plaza Suite (1971)

Darling Lili (1970)

Alex in Wonderland (1970)

Downhill Racer (1969)

The Brotherhood (1968)

Barefoot in the Park (1967)

The Swinger (1966)

Alvarez Kelly (1966)

Not With My Wife, You Don't! (1966)

Moment to Moment (1966)

The Great Race (1965)

The Americanization of Emily (1964)

The Pink Panther (1964)

Man's Favorite Sport? (1964)

How the West Was Won (1963)

Days of Wine and Roses (1962)

Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962)

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

The Facts of Life (1960)

Hey Boy! Hey Girl! (1959)

Senior Prom (1959)

Li'l Abner (1959)

Merry Andrew (1958)

Spring Reunion (1957)

The Unholy Wife (1957)

Bop Girl Goes Calypso (1957)

Bernardine (1957)

Bus Stop (1956)

That Certain Feeling (1956)

The Benny Goodman Story (1956)

You Can't Run Away From It (1956)

Autumn Leaves (1956)

Timberjack (1955)

5 Against the House (1955)

Daddy Long Legs (1955)

Young at Heart (1954)

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)

Top Banana (1954)

Remains to Be Seen (1953)

Dangerous When Wet (1953)

Those Redheads from Seattle (1953)

Walking My Baby Back Home (1953)

Meet Danny Wilson (1952)

The Marrying Kind (1952)

She's Working Her Way Through College (1952)

Everything I Have Is Yours (1952)

The Belle of New York (1952)

Sunny Side of the Street (1951)

Here Comes the Groom (1951)

My Favorite Spy (1951)

Young Man with a Horn (1950)

The Petty Girl (1950)

When You're Smiling (1950)

Dark City (1950)

Mother Is a Freshman (1949)

My Dream Is Yours (1949)

Make Believe Ballroom (1949)

Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948)

Road House (1948)

Dark Passage (1947)

Swanee Showboat (1947)

The Harvey Girls (1946)

Radio Stars on Parade (1945)

Out of This World (1945)

Timber Queen (1944)

To Have and Have Not (1944)

Here Come the Waves (1944)

Riding High (1943)

King of the Cowboys (1943)

The Sky's the Limit (1943)

They Got Me Covered (1943)

Star Spangled Rhythm (1943)

True to Life (1943)

Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943)

All Through the Night (1942)

They All Kissed the Bride (1942)

Captains of the Clouds (1942)

The Fleet's In (1942)

You Were Never Lovelier (1942)

Birth of the Blues (1941)

Blues in the Night (1941)

Navy Blues (1941)

You're the One (1941)

Back in the Saddle (1941)

Let's Make Music (1941)

Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride (1940)

You'll Find Out (1940)

Second Chorus (1940)

Jeepers Creepers (1939)

Naughty but Nice (1939)

Mr. Chump (1938)

Cowboy from Brooklyn (1938)

Hollywood Hotel (1938)

Going Places (1938)

Hard to Get (1938)

Gold Diggers in Paris (1938)

Garden of the Moon (1938)

Ready, Willing and Able (1937)

Varsity Show (1937)

The Singing Marine (1937)

Rhythm on the Range (1936)

To Beat the Band (1935)

Old Man Rhythm (1935)

Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round (1934)

Gambling (1934)

College Coach (1933)

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

Mad Dog Time (1996)

Music (Special)

From Broadway: Fosse (2002)

Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days (2001)

Manilow Live! (2000)

Robert Zemeckis on Smoking, Drinking and Drugging in the 20th Century: In Pursuit of Happiness (1999)

Roger Williams: Pop Goes the Ivories (1999)

Goodnight Moon and Other Sleepytime Tales (1999)

Song ("Hit The Road To Dreamland")

Monica Mancini... On Record (1998)

Lyrics ("Moon River" "The Days Of Wine And Roses" "Charade" "Whistling Away The Dark" "Moment To Moment")

The Songs of Johnny Mercer -- Too Marvelous For Words (1997)

Lyrics ("Laura" "Dream" "Come Rain Or Shine" "Too Marvelous For Words" "One For My Baby" "Hooray For Hollywood" "My Shining Hour" "Jeepers Creepers" "Accentuate The Postive" "Skylark" "When The World Was Young" "On The Atchinson, Topeka And The Santa Fe" "In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening" "Moon River" "The Days Of Wine And Roses")

Julie Andrews in Concert (1990)

Harry Connick, Jr. & His Orchestra: Swinging Out With Harry (1990)

Music (TV Mini-Series)

Phantom of the Megaplex (2000)

Life Events

1936

Found success in Hollywood for the first time by penning "I'm an Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande)," sung by Bing Crosby in <i>Rhythm on the Range</i>.

1942

Founded both Capitol Records and the far less iconic Cowboy Records.

1944

Scored a No. 2 hit with his recording of "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive."

Family

Amanda Mercer

Daughter

John Jeff Mercer

Son

Companions

Ginger Meehan

Wife

Dancer. Married in 1931.

Bibliography

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