Cole Porter

Composer, Lyricist

About

Birth Place

Peru, Indiana, USA

Born

June 09, 1891

Died

October 15, 1964

Cause of Death

Kidney Failure

Biography

As a musician, Cole Porter's entertaining and creative music was in a variety of Hollywood productions. The early stages of his career in entertainment ran the industry gamut with credits like "The Battle of Paris" (1929) to his name. Porter was nominated for a Music (Song) Academy Award for "Something to Shout About" in 1943 as well as for a Music (Song) Academy Award for "High Society"...

Filmography

De-Lovely (2004)

Musical Performer ("You'Re The Top")

The Laundromat (2019)

The Glass Castle (2017)

Song

Fifty Shades Darker (2017)

Song

Photos & Videos

View All

Les Girls (1957) -- (Movie Clip) I've Seen You Dance

Les Girls -- (Movie Clip) Why Am I So Gone About That Gal?

Family & Companions

Linda Lee Thomas

Wife

Met in January 1918; had been married previously and widowed; married from December 18, 1919 until her death in May 20, 1954 at age 70.

Bibliography

"Cole Porter: A Biography"

William McBrien, Alfred A. Knopf (1998)

"The Life That Late He Led"

George Eells (1967)

Biography

Filmography

Life Events

1901

Wrote his first piece of music, "Song of the Birds"

1902

His mother arranged for private publication of the song "The Bobolink Waltz"

1910

First published song, "Bridget"

1911

First musical "Cora" produced at Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity at Yale

1915

First song featured on Broadway, "As I Loved You" (originally titled "Esmeralda") included in the show "Kaleidoscope"

1916

Wrote his first full score for a professional theatrical production, "See America First"

1918

Served in the foreign legion during WWI

1919

Returned to the USA; wrote songs for "Hitchy-Koo of 1919"

1920

Studied at Schola Cantorum in Paris

1923

Collaborated on the ballet "Within the Quota" with Gerald Murphy (librettist and donor)

1924

Wrote the score for "Greenwich Village 'Follies'"

1929

Composed the score for "Fifty Million Frenchmen," including such hits as "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love"

1930

Song "Love for Sale" introduced in the show "The New Yorkers"; banned from radio air play

1932

First collaboration with Fred Astaire, the Broadway show "The Gay Divorce"

1933

Wrote "Nymph Errant" for Gertrude Lawrence

1934

Had a Broadway hit with "Anything Goes," starring Ethel Merman

1934

Wrote the score for the unproduced film "Adios, Argentina"

1934

Initial outing in Hollywood, the film "The Gay Divorcee"; film, which featured Astaire, only used one Porter song from the stage show, "Night and Day"

1935

In December, signed 20-week contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for $3,000 per week to write score for "Born to Dance", starring James Stewart and Eleanor Powell

1936

"Red, Hot and Blue" opened on Broadway; show featured Jimmy Durante, Bob Hope and Ethel Merman and introduced the classic "It's DeLovely"

1936

Received his first Academy Award nomination for the song "I've Got You Under My Skin" (from "Born to Dance")

1937

Crippled in a riding accident (Porter's legs were crushed when a horse fell on him), underwent first of eventual 30 operations to save his legs; Porter later claimed to have written some of the lyrics for the score to "At Long Last Love" while waiting for help

1938

Mary Martin had a hit with Porter's "My Heart Belongs to Daddy"

1939

Bert Lahr and Ethel Merman starred in Porter's "DuBarry Was a Lady"

1940

Merman scores a triumph as "Panama Hattie"; show becomes the longest-running of Porter's shows to date (first of his book musicals to run for over 500 performances since the 1920s)

1941

Earned his second Oscar nomination for the song "Since I Kissed My Baby Goodbye" (from "You'll Never Get Rich")

1943

Reteamed with Merman for "Something for the Boys"

1943

Received his third Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" (from "Something to Shout About"

1946

Was the subject of the Warner Bros. film biography "Night and Day"; Cary Grant portrayed Porter

1948

Wrote the score for "The Pirate," starring Gene Kelly and Judy Garland

1948

Had his biggest career success with "Kiss Me, Kate", a musical inspired by Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew"; the show ran for 1,077 performances and won the Best Musical Tony Award

1949

Composed the song "Farewell, Amanda," used in "Amanda's Rib"

1953

"Kiss Me Kate" filmed

1955

Last original stage musical, "Silk Stockings"

1956

Earned his final Oscar nomination for "True Love," sung in the film "High Society" by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly

1957

Final features released to contain full Porter scores, "Silk Stockings" and "Les Girls"

1958

Wrote the score for the TV special "Alladin"; last songs written include "Come to the Supermarket in Old Peking" and "Wouldn't It Be Fun?"

1986

Premiere of "High Society" as a stage musical in London

1998

A revised version of "High Society" opened on Broadway

2000

First Broadway revival of "Kiss Me, Kate"

Photo Collections

Kiss Me Kate - Behind-the-Scenes Photos

Here are several photos taken behind-the-scenes during production of MGM's Kiss Me Kate (1953). Look for composer Cole Porter, director George Sidney, and stars Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, and others.