Otto A. Harbach(1873-1963)
- Writer
- Music Department
- Actor
Otto Harbach was a songwriter ("I Won't Dance", "Yesterdays", "The
Touch of Your Hand") and author, educated at Knox College (BA, MA, DHL,
and an honorary member of the Board of Trustees) and Columbia
University. At Whitman College he was a professor of English between
1895 and 1901, then a newspaper writer in New York between 1902 and
1903 and an advertising-agency employee into 1910. His Broadway stage
scores include "Three Twins" and "Madame Sherry" (for which he was also
librettist), "The Firefly", "High Jinks", "Katinka", "Going Up",
"Tumble In", "The Little Whopper", "The Cat and the Fiddle" and
"Roberta". He was also the co-librettist for "You're In Love", "Tickle
Me!", "Mary", "The O'Brien Girl", "The Blue Kitten", "Molly Darling",
"Wildflower", "Rose-Marie", "No, No, Nanete", "Sunny", "Song of he
Flame", "Criss-Cross", "The Desert Song" and "Golden Dawn". He was
librettist for "The Crinoline Girl" and "Nina Rosa", and co-librettist
for "Kid Boots", "Kitty's Kisses", "Oh, Please!" and "Good Boy". He
co-authored the play "Up in Mabel's Room". He was a charter member (and
director, 1920-1963) of ASCAP in 1914, and his chief musical
collaborators included
Herbert Stothart,
Rudolf Friml,
Vincent Youmans,
Karl Hoschna,
Jerome Kern,
Louis Hirsch,
George Gershwin,
Sigmund Romberg and
Oscar Hammerstein II (co-lyricist).
His other popular songs include "Cuddle Up a Little Closer, Lovey
Mine", "Every Little Movement Has a Meaning All Its Own", "Giannina
Mia", "When a Maid Comes Knocking at Your Heart", "Love Is Like a
Firefly", "Sympathy", "Something Seems Tingle-ing-eling", "Katinka",
"Not Now But Later", "Allah's Holiday", "Rackety Koo", "The Tickle
Toe", "Going Up", "The Love Nest", "Mary", "Cutie", "Wildflower",
"Bambalina", "Rose-Marie", "The Mounties", "Indian Love Call", "Totem
Tom-Tom", "No, No, Nanette", "I've Confessed to the Breeze", "Sunny",
"Who?", "Two Little Bluebirds", "D'Ye Love Me?", "Cossack Love Song",
"Song of the Flame", "Riff Song", "Romance", "The Desert Song", "One
Alone", "One Flower Grows Alone in Your Garden", "The Night Was Made
for Love", "She Didn't Say 'Yes'", "One Moment Alone", "Try to Forget",
"A New Love Is Old", "I Watch the Love Parade", "You're Devastating",
"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" and "Your Dream".