B. G. DeSylva

Composer, author, publisher. Born New York, NY, January 27, 1895; died Los Angeles, CA, July 11, 1950. Education: University of Southern California. He wrote songs for Broadway musicals including ZIEGFELD FOLLIES (1918, 1921), SINBAD, SALLY, THE PERFECT FOOL and THE FRENCH DOLL. Director ASCAP 1922 – 1930. Joined Lew Brown and Ray Henderson as song writing team and music publisher, 1925. Sold publishing firm 1929; went to Hollywood under contract to Fox. Produced films including “The Little Colonel,” “The Littlest Rebel,” ” Captain January, ” “Poor Little Rich Girl” and “Stowaway.” He was producer and co-librettist for Broadway musicals DUBARRY WAS A LADY and PANAMA HATTIE; produced LOUISIANA PURCHASE. He was executive producer at Paramount 1941 – 1944. Film biography, “The Best Things in Life Are Free.” Chief collaborators: Gus Kahn, Al Jolson, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Vincent Rose, Louise Silvers, Joseph Meyer, Victor Herbert, Emmerich Kalman, Ira Gershwin, Ballard Macdonald, Lewis Gensler, James Hanley, Nacio Herb Brown, Richard Whiting, Vincent Youmans.

SONGS: ‘N’ Everything; I’ll Say She Does; You Ain’t Heard Nothin’ Yet; Yoo-Hoo; Memory Lane; Why Do I Love You?; Whip-poor-will; Look For The Silver Lining; Avalon; April Showers; In Arcady; California, Here I Come; A Kiss In The Dark; I’ll Build A Stairway To Paradise; Do It Again; I Won’t Say I Will But I Won’t Say I Won’t; Somebody Loves Me; Keep Smiling At Trouble; Hello, ‘Tucky; If You Knew Susie; Just A Cottage Small By A Waterfall; Tell Me More; Alabamy Bound; Kickin’ The Clouds Away; My Fair Lady; When Day Is Done; Lucky Day; Birth Of The Blues; Black Bottom; It All Depends On You; The Best Things In Life Are Free; Good News; The Varsity Drag; Just Imagine; Lucky In Love; Broken Hearted; Just A Memory; So Blue; I’m On The Crest of A Wave; You’re The Cream In My Coffee; Button Up Your Overcoat; You Wouldn’t Fool Me, Would You?; Sonny Boy; Together; My Sin; I’m A Dreamer, Aren’t We All?; Sunny Side Up; If I Had A Talking Picture Of You; Little Pal; Without Love; Thank Your Father; Red Hot Chicago; You Try Somebody Else; Eadie Was A Lady; My Lover; I Want To Be With You; Oh, How I Long To Belong To You; Rise ’n Shine; You’re An Old Smoothie; Should I Be Sweet?; Gather Lip Rouge While You May; Polly Wolly Doodle; Wishing.

SCORES: Broadway Stage: LA LA LUCILLE; BOMBO; ORANGE BLOSSOMS; THE YANKEE PRINCESS; GEORGE WHITE’S SCANDALS (1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1928); BIG BOY; SWEET LITTLE DEVIL; TELL ME MORE; CAPTAIN JINKS; MANHATTAN MARY; co-librettist: GOOD NEWS; HOLD EVERYTHING; THREE CHEERS; FOLLOW THROUGH; FLYING HIGH; TAKE A CHANCE (also co-produced); FILMS: Sunny Side Up; The Singing Fool; Just Imagine.