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'''Harold Campbell Adamson''' (December 10, 1906 – August 17, 1980)<ref name="LarkinGE">Larkin, pp. 41-42</ref> was an American [[lyricist]] from the 1930s through the 1960s.
'''Harold Campbell Adamson''' (December 10, 1906 – August 17, 1980)<ref name="LarkinGE">Larkin, pp. 41-42</ref> was an American [[lyricist]] from the 1930s through the 1960s.


==Early life==
==Biography==
 
===Early life===
Adamson, the son of [[building contractor]] Harold Adamson and Marion "Minnie" Campbell Adamson, was born in [[Greenville, New Jersey]], United States.<ref name="Jasen">Jasen, p. 2</ref> He was raised in [[Brooklyn]], New York, where he went to public schools. He later attended the [[Hackley School|Hackley prep school]] in [[Tarrytown, New York]].<ref name="ewen">Ewen</ref>
Adamson, the son of [[building contractor]] Harold Adamson and Marion "Minnie" Campbell Adamson, was born in [[Greenville, New Jersey]], United States.<ref name="Jasen">Jasen, p. 2</ref> He was raised in [[Brooklyn]], New York, where he went to public schools. He later attended the [[Hackley School|Hackley prep school]] in [[Tarrytown, New York]].<ref name="ewen">Ewen</ref>


Line 31: Line 32:
He went on to study acting at the [[University of Kansas]] and [[Harvard]],<ref name="Jasen"/> where he wrote the book and lyrics for ''Close-Up'', the first musical produced by the [[Harvard Radcliffe Dramatic Club|Harvard Dramatic Club]].<ref name="ewen"/>
He went on to study acting at the [[University of Kansas]] and [[Harvard]],<ref name="Jasen"/> where he wrote the book and lyrics for ''Close-Up'', the first musical produced by the [[Harvard Radcliffe Dramatic Club|Harvard Dramatic Club]].<ref name="ewen"/>


==Career==
===Career===
Vincent Youmans had noticed Adamson's work at Harvard and, after Adamson graduated, recruited him to write lyrics for his 1930 [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] musical ''Smiles''.<ref name="ewen"/> Adamson then began working with composer [[Burton Lane]], contributing the song "Say the Word" to ''[[The Second Little Show#Third Little Show|The Third Little Show]]''<ref>Bloom, p. 1114</ref> and "Crazy Street" to ''Singin' the Blues''<ref>Bloom, p. 1026</ref>, and writing the songs for ''[[Earl Carroll's Vanities]]'',<ref>Green & Ginell, p. 76</ref> all in 1931. In the same year, Adamson, with lyricist [[Mack Gordon]] and composer [[Harry Revel]], also placed "(I'm) All Wrapped Up in You" in the revue ''[[Everybody's Welcome]]''<ref>Bloom, p. 298</ref> and "Where's My Happy Ending?" in Revel and Gordon's musical ''Fast and Furious''.<ref>Bloom, p. 310</ref> In 1932 Adamson collaborated with Revel and Gordon on "Do Say You Do" for their musical ''[[Smiling Faces]]''.<ref>Bloom, p. 1036</ref>
Vincent Youmans had noticed Adamson's work at Harvard and, after Adamson graduated, recruited him to write lyrics for his 1930 [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] musical ''Smiles''.<ref name="ewen"/> Adamson then began working with composer [[Burton Lane]], contributing the song "Say the Word" to ''[[The Second Little Show#Third Little Show|The Third Little Show]]''<ref>Bloom, p. 1114</ref> and "Crazy Street" to ''Singin' the Blues'',<ref>Bloom, p. 1026</ref> and writing the songs for ''[[Earl Carroll's Vanities]]'',<ref>Green & Ginell, p. 76</ref> all in 1931. In the same year, Adamson, with lyricist [[Mack Gordon]] and composer [[Harry Revel]], also placed "(I'm) All Wrapped Up in You" in the revue ''[[Everybody's Welcome]]''<ref>Bloom, p. 298</ref> and "Where's My Happy Ending?" in Revel and Gordon's musical ''Fast and Furious''.<ref>Bloom, p. 310</ref> In 1932 Adamson collaborated with Revel and Gordon on "Do Say You Do" for their musical ''[[Smiling Faces]]''.<ref>Bloom, p. 1036</ref>


Adamson and Lane both entered into songwriting contracts with [[MGM]] in 1933.<ref name="ewen"/> Their first film was ''[[Dancing Lady]]'', for which they wrote the hit song "[[Everything I Have Is Yours (song)|Everything I Have Is Yours]]". Adamson went on to write lyrics for original songs for [[:Category:Films with songs by Harold Adamson|more than 60 films]]. After Lane he worked with [[Walter Donaldson (songwriter)|Walter Donaldson]], then, on many films, with [[Jimmy McHugh]], and later with [[Jule Styne]], [[Hoagy Carmichael]], [[Harry Warren]], [[Sammy Fain]] and others.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Burton |first1=Jack |title=The Blue Book of Hollywood Musicals |date=1953 |publisher=Century House |location=Watkins Glen, N.Y. |page=40 |url=https://archive.org/details/bluebookofhollyw00burt/page/40/mode/2up |access-date=8 June 2025}}</ref>
Adamson and Lane both entered into songwriting contracts with [[MGM]] in 1933.<ref name="ewen"/> Their first film was ''[[Dancing Lady]]'', for which they wrote the hit song "[[Everything I Have Is Yours (song)|Everything I Have Is Yours]]". Adamson went on to write lyrics for original songs for [[:Category:Films with songs by Harold Adamson|more than 60 films]]. After Lane he worked with [[Walter Donaldson (songwriter)|Walter Donaldson]], then, on many films, with [[Jimmy McHugh]], and later with [[Jule Styne]], [[Hoagy Carmichael]], [[Harry Warren]], [[Sammy Fain]] and others.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Burton |first1=Jack |title=The Blue Book of Hollywood Musicals |date=1953 |publisher=Century House |location=Watkins Glen, N.Y. |page=40 |url=https://archive.org/details/bluebookofhollyw00burt/page/40/mode/2up |access-date=8 June 2025}}</ref>


Later in his career, Adamson periodically returned to Broadway, writing lyrics for ''[[Banjo Eyes]]'' (1941)<ref>Mordden, p. 26</ref> and ''[[As the Girls Go]]'' (1948).<ref>Green & Ginell, p. 1948</ref> In 1963 he added words to [[Victor Young]]'s music for the 1956 film ''[[Around the World in 80 Days (1956 film)|Around the World in 80 Days]]'' (he had written lyrics for the film's theme, "[[Around the World (1956 song)|Around the World]]", though they were not used in the film<ref name="ewen"/>), and also wrote new songs with Sammy Fain, for a stage adaptation presented at the [[Jones Beach Theater]] in [[Wantagh, New York]].<ref>Bloom, p. 49-50.</ref> His shows ''Hi Ya, Gentlemen'', with [[Johnny Green]] (1940),<ref>Bloom, p. 477</ref> and ''Strip for Action'', with [[Jimmy McHugh]] (1956),<ref>Bloom, pp. 1074-1075</ref> closed out of town.
Later in his career, Adamson periodically returned to Broadway, writing lyrics for ''[[Banjo Eyes]]'' (1941)<ref>Mordden, p. 26</ref> and ''[[As the Girls Go]]'' (1948).<ref>Green & Ginell, p. 139</ref> In 1963 he added words to [[Victor Young]]'s music for the 1956 film ''[[Around the World in 80 Days (1956 film)|Around the World in 80 Days]]'' (he had written lyrics for the film's theme, "[[Around the World (1956 song)|Around the World]]", though they were not used in the film<ref name="ewen"/>), and also wrote new songs with Sammy Fain, for a stage adaptation presented at the [[Jones Beach Theater]] in [[Wantagh, New York]].<ref>Bloom, p. 49-50.</ref> His shows ''Hi Ya, Gentlemen'', with [[Johnny Green]] (1940),<ref>Bloom, p. 477</ref> and ''Strip for Action'', with [[Jimmy McHugh]] (1956),<ref>Bloom, pp. 1074-1075</ref> closed out of town.


In 1941 Adamson collaborated with Pierce Norman and [[baseball]]'s [[Joe DiMaggio]] to write "In the Beauty of Tahoe", published by [[Memory Lane Music Group|Larry Spier, Inc.]]<ref>[https://huntauctions.com/live/imageviewer_online.cfm?auction_num=27&lot_num=911&lot_qual= "Joe DiMaggio Auction, Lot Number: 911"] ''Hunt Auctions'' June 14, 2017</ref>
In 1941 Adamson collaborated with Pierce Norman and [[baseball]]'s [[Joe DiMaggio]] to write "In the Beauty of Tahoe", published by [[Memory Lane Music Group|Larry Spier, Inc.]]<ref>[https://huntauctions.com/live/imageviewer_online.cfm?auction_num=27&lot_num=911&lot_qual= "Joe DiMaggio Auction, Lot Number: 911"] ''Hunt Auctions'' June 14, 2017</ref>
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His last projects, along with ''Around the World in 80 Days'', were the films ''[[A Ticklish Affair]]'' and ''[[Island of Love (1963 film)|Island of Love]]'' in 1963 and ''[[The Incredible Mr. Limpet]]'' in 1964.<ref name="ewen"/>
His last projects, along with ''Around the World in 80 Days'', were the films ''[[A Ticklish Affair]]'' and ''[[Island of Love (1963 film)|Island of Love]]'' in 1963 and ''[[The Incredible Mr. Limpet]]'' in 1964.<ref name="ewen"/>


==Personal life==
===Personal life===
Adamson married Judy Crisfeld in 1935. They had a daughter, Eve, who later founded the [[Jean Cocteau Repertory]] in New York City. Harold and Judy divorced in 1941. In 1947 he married Gretchen Davidson, a Broadway actress.<ref name="ewen"/>
Adamson married Judy Crisfeld in 1935. They had a daughter, Eve, who later founded the [[Jean Cocteau Repertory]] in New York City. Harold and Judy divorced in 1941. In 1947 he married Gretchen Davidson, a Broadway actress.<ref name="ewen"/>


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==References==
==References==
* {{cite book |last1=Bloom |first1=Ken |author-link1=Ken Bloom (writer) |title=American Song: The Complete Musical Theatre Companion |date=1996 |publisher=Schirmer Books |location=New York |isbn=0-02-870484-3 |page=53 |edition=2nd}}
* {{cite book |last1=Bloom |first1=Ken |author-link1=Ken Bloom (writer) |title=American Song: The Complete Musical Theatre Companion |date=1996 |publisher=Schirmer Books |location=New York |isbn=0-02-870484-3 |edition=2nd |url=https://archive.org/details/americansongcomp0000bloo_r7e6/mode/2up}}
* {{cite book |title=American Songwriters |last1=Ewen |first1=David |author-link1=David Ewen (writer) |year=1987 |pages=3-5 |publisher=H.W. Wilson |location=New York |isbn=0-8242-0744-0}}
* {{cite book |title=American Songwriters |last1=Ewen |first1=David |author-link1=David Ewen (writer) |year=1987 |pages=3-5 |publisher=H.W. Wilson |location=New York |isbn=0-8242-0744-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/americansongwrit00ewen/page/2/mode/2up}}
* {{cite book|title=Broadway Musicals: Show by Show|first1=Stanley |last1=Green|author-link1=Stanley Green (historian)|first2=Cary |last2=Ginell|publisher=Applause, [[Rowman & Littlefield]]|isbn=9781493050710|year=2019}}
* {{cite book|title=Broadway Musicals: Show by Show|first1=Stanley |last1=Green|author-link1=Stanley Green (historian)|first2=Cary |last2=Ginell|publisher=Applause, [[Rowman & Littlefield]]|isbn=9781480385474|edition=8th|year=2014|url=https://archive.org/details/broadwaymusicals0000gree_f1q2/mode/2up}}
* {{cite book |last1=Hischak |first1=Thomas |title=The American Musical Theatre Film Song Encyclopedia |date=1995 |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport, Conn. |isbn=0-313-29407-0}}
* {{cite book |last1=Hischak |first1=Thomas |title=The American Musical Theatre Film Song Encyclopedia |date=1995 |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport, Conn. |isbn=0-313-29407-0}}
* {{cite book |last1=Hischak |first1=Thomas |title=The American Musical Film Song Encyclopedia |date=1999 |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport, Conn. |isbn=0-313-30737-7}}
* {{cite book |last1=Hischak |first1=Thomas |title=The American Musical Film Song Encyclopedia |date=1999 |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport, Conn. |isbn=0-313-30737-7}}
* {{cite book |last1=Hischak |first1=Thomas |title=The TIn Pan Alley Song Encyclopedia |date=2002 |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport, Conn. |isbn=0-313-31992-8}}
* {{cite book |last1=Hischak |first1=Thomas |title=The TIn Pan Alley Song Encyclopedia |date=2002 |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport, Conn. |isbn=0-313-31992-8}}
* {{cite book|last1=Jasen|first1=David A.|title=Tin Pan Alley: An Encyclopedia of the Golden Age of American Song|url=https://archive.org/details/tinpanalleyencyc00jase|url-access=limited|date=2003|publisher=Routledge|location=New York and London|isbn=0415938775|page=[https://archive.org/details/tinpanalleyencyc00jase/page/n19 2]}}
* {{cite book|last1=Jasen|first1=David A.|title=Tin Pan Alley: An Encyclopedia of the Golden Age of American Song|date=2003|publisher=Routledge|location=New York and London|isbn=0415938775}}
* {{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Larkin, Colin.]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|pages=41–42}}
* {{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Larkin, Colin.]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|pages=41–42}}
* {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zF7nCwAAQBAJ&dq=Banjo+Eyes+1941+Harold+Adamson&pg=PA26|title=Beautiful Mornin': The Broadway Musical in the 1940s|first1=Ethan |last1=Mordden|author-link1=Ethan Mordden|year=1999|isbn=9780195128512|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}
* {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zF7nCwAAQBAJ&dq=Banjo+Eyes+1941+Harold+Adamson&pg=PA26|title=Beautiful Mornin': The Broadway Musical in the 1940s|first1=Ethan |last1=Mordden|author-link1=Ethan Mordden|year=1999|isbn=9780195128512|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}


==External links==
==External links==
* {{cite web |title=Harold Adamson |url=http://www.ciajfk.com/harold.html |website=his nephew Bruce Campbell Anderson's website |access-date=4 June 2025}} Includes lists of single songs and films with Harold Adamson's songs.
* {{cite web |title=Harold Adamson |url=http://www.ciajfk.com/harold.html |website=his nephew Bruce Campbell Anderson's website |access-date=4 June 2025}} {{webarchive |url=https://archive.today/20130119062734/http://www.ciajfk.com/harold.html |date=January 19, 2013}}. Includes lists of single songs and films with Harold Adamson's songs.
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{IBDB name}}
*[https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/mastertalent/detail/103077/Adamson_Harold Harold Adamson] at the [[Discography of American Historical Recordings]]
*[https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/mastertalent/detail/103077/Adamson_Harold Harold Adamson] at the [[Discography of American Historical Recordings]]

Latest revision as of 19:24, 26 October 2025

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Harold Campbell Adamson (December 10, 1906 – August 17, 1980)[1] was an American lyricist from the 1930s through the 1960s.

Biography

Early life

Adamson, the son of building contractor Harold Adamson and Marion "Minnie" Campbell Adamson, was born in Greenville, New Jersey, United States.[2] He was raised in Brooklyn, New York, where he went to public schools. He later attended the Hackley prep school in Tarrytown, New York.[3]

Adamson suffered from polio as a child which limited the use of his right hand. Initially, Adamson was interested in acting, but he began writing songs and poetry as a teenager.[1]

He went on to study acting at the University of Kansas and Harvard,[2] where he wrote the book and lyrics for Close-Up, the first musical produced by the Harvard Dramatic Club.[3]

Career

Vincent Youmans had noticed Adamson's work at Harvard and, after Adamson graduated, recruited him to write lyrics for his 1930 Broadway musical Smiles.[3] Adamson then began working with composer Burton Lane, contributing the song "Say the Word" to The Third Little Show[4] and "Crazy Street" to Singin' the Blues,[5] and writing the songs for Earl Carroll's Vanities,[6] all in 1931. In the same year, Adamson, with lyricist Mack Gordon and composer Harry Revel, also placed "(I'm) All Wrapped Up in You" in the revue Everybody's Welcome[7] and "Where's My Happy Ending?" in Revel and Gordon's musical Fast and Furious.[8] In 1932 Adamson collaborated with Revel and Gordon on "Do Say You Do" for their musical Smiling Faces.[9]

Adamson and Lane both entered into songwriting contracts with MGM in 1933.[3] Their first film was Dancing Lady, for which they wrote the hit song "Everything I Have Is Yours". Adamson went on to write lyrics for original songs for more than 60 films. After Lane he worked with Walter Donaldson, then, on many films, with Jimmy McHugh, and later with Jule Styne, Hoagy Carmichael, Harry Warren, Sammy Fain and others.[10]

Later in his career, Adamson periodically returned to Broadway, writing lyrics for Banjo Eyes (1941)[11] and As the Girls Go (1948).[12] In 1963 he added words to Victor Young's music for the 1956 film Around the World in 80 Days (he had written lyrics for the film's theme, "Around the World", though they were not used in the film[3]), and also wrote new songs with Sammy Fain, for a stage adaptation presented at the Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York.[13] His shows Hi Ya, Gentlemen, with Johnny Green (1940),[14] and Strip for Action, with Jimmy McHugh (1956),[15] closed out of town.

In 1941 Adamson collaborated with Pierce Norman and baseball's Joe DiMaggio to write "In the Beauty of Tahoe", published by Larry Spier, Inc.[16]

Adamson also occasionally worked in television. In 1953 he added lyrics to Eliot Daniel's theme for the sitcom I Love Lucy.[17] He and Harry Warren wrote the themes for two Western series: The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, which aired from 1955 to 1961, and The Californians, which aired from 1957 to 1959.[18]

Adamson was adept at adding lyrics to previously written melodies. In addition to "Around the World" and the I Love Lucy theme, in 1942 he added lyrics to Louis Alter's "Manhattan Serenade" and to "Mardi Gras" from Ferde Grofé's 1926 Mississippi Suite, which became "Daybreak". Both adaptations were commercial successes.[3] He also wrote "The Woodpecker Song" to Eldo Di Lazzaro's music for "Reginella campagnola" and "Ferry-Boat Serenade" to Di Lazzaro's "La piccinina", both hits in 1940.[19]

His last projects, along with Around the World in 80 Days, were the films A Ticklish Affair and Island of Love in 1963 and The Incredible Mr. Limpet in 1964.[3]

Personal life

Adamson married Judy Crisfeld in 1935. They had a daughter, Eve, who later founded the Jean Cocteau Repertory in New York City. Harold and Judy divorced in 1941. In 1947 he married Gretchen Davidson, a Broadway actress.[3]

Awards and nominations

Five of Adamson's songs written for films were nominated for Academy Award for Best Song (see Notable songs).

He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972.[20]

In 2007, ASCAP and Adamson's heirs established the annual Harold Adamson Lyric Award, given to aspiring lyricists who "demonstrate talent and an intelligent and sensitive use of language".[21] In 2024, ASCAP awarded the first Harold Adamson Prize for Mid-Career Concert Music Composers and Performers.[22]

Films

Harold Adamson wrote several original songs for each of these films:[23]

He contributed original songs to many other films.[23]

Notable songs

See also Songs with lyrics by Harold Adamson and Films with songs by Harold Adamson.

Notes

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

  1. ↑ a b Larkin, pp. 41-42
  2. ↑ a b Jasen, p. 2
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h Ewen
  4. ↑ Bloom, p. 1114
  5. ↑ Bloom, p. 1026
  6. ↑ Green & Ginell, p. 76
  7. ↑ Bloom, p. 298
  8. ↑ Bloom, p. 310
  9. ↑ Bloom, p. 1036
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Mordden, p. 26
  12. ↑ Green & Ginell, p. 139
  13. ↑ Bloom, p. 49-50.
  14. ↑ Bloom, p. 477
  15. ↑ Bloom, pp. 1074-1075
  16. ↑ "Joe DiMaggio Auction, Lot Number: 911" Hunt Auctions June 14, 2017
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Hischak 1995, p. 348-349
  25. ↑ Hischak 1999, p. 70
  26. ↑ Hischak 1999, p. 361
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Hischak 1999, p. 303
  29. ↑ Hischak 1999, p. 338
  30. ↑ Hischak 1999, p. 336-337
  31. ↑ Hischak 1999, p. 362
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Hischak 1999, p. 362-363
  34. ↑ Hischak 2002, p. 186
  35. ↑ Hischak 2002, p. 104
  36. ↑ Hischak 2002, p. 409-410
  37. ↑ Hischak 2002, p. 229
  38. ↑ Hischak 2002, p. 78-79
  39. ↑ Hischak 2002, p. 67
  40. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  41. ↑ Hischak 1999, p. 191
  42. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  43. ↑ Hischak 1999, p. 107
  44. ↑ Hischak 1999, p. 152-153
  45. ↑ Hischak 1995, p. 403
  46. ↑ Hischak 1999, p. 212
  47. ↑ Hischak 2002, p. 21
  48. ↑ Bloom, p. 1074-1075
  49. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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References

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External links

Template:Authority control

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