Home / Composers / Irving Berlin

Composer

Irving Berlin

1888–1989

The songwriter who was American music

Irving Berlin was born Israel Beilin in 1888 in the Russian Empire and arrived in New York with his family at the age of five, fleeing anti-Jewish pogroms. He grew up poor on the Lower East Side, left school young, and worked as a street singer and singing waiter before landing a job as a song plugger in Tin Pan Alley. Remarkably, he never learned to read music fluently and played piano almost entirely in one key, using a special transposing piano to change keys.

None of that held him back. "Alexander's Ragtime Band" (1911) made him famous, and over the following six decades he wrote some 1,500 songs, many of which became American standards. As both composer and lyricist, he had an uncanny ability to capture everyday feelings in simple, memorable language.

Hollywood gave Berlin's songs an enormous stage. Top Hat (1935) paired his music with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, producing "Cheek to Cheek." On the Avenue followed, and Holiday Inn (1942) introduced "White Christmas," which won the Academy Award and became one of the best-selling songs ever recorded. Blue Skies, Easter Parade, the film of his stage hit Annie Get Your Gun and There's No Business Like Show Business all brought his catalog to new audiences. During World War II he wrote and appeared in This Is the Army, donating the proceeds to Army relief.

Berlin also wrote "God Bless America." Jerome Kern once said that Berlin had no place in American music because he was American music. Berlin died in New York in 1989 at the age of 101.

THE ART

Music by Irving Berlin

Art celebrating his film scores. Click any piece to view it larger.

THE FILMS

The Story and the Score

Top Hat (1935)

Songs by Irving Berlin

The Story

American dancer Jerry Travers, performing in London, falls for Dale Tremont, who mistakenly believes he is married to her friend. The confusion follows them to a glamorous Venice in a whirl of mistaken identity and witty romance. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers star in the most successful of their celebrated RKO musicals.

The Music

Berlin wrote the songs for the film, including "Cheek to Cheek," "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" and "Isn't This a Lovely Day." Each song advances the romance, and the dances express what the characters cannot say. "Cheek to Cheek," with Rogers's famous feathered gown, became one of the screen's great romantic moments.

On the Avenue (1937)

Songs by Irving Berlin

The Story

A Broadway star mounts a revue that pokes fun at a wealthy society heiress and her family, and the furious heiress demands he change it. Instead, the two fall in love, though the show's jealous leading lady complicates matters. Dick Powell, Madeleine Carroll and Alice Faye star in this breezy Fox musical comedy.

The Music

Berlin's songs include "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm," which became a lasting standard, and "This Year's Kisses." The songs drive both the stage show within the film and the romance behind it. Berlin's light, witty touch makes the musical sparkle, and his music gives Alice Faye's performances real warmth.

Holiday Inn (1942)

Songs by Irving Berlin

The Story

Singer Jim Hardy quits show business for a Connecticut farm, which he turns into an inn open only on holidays. His old partner, the dancer Ted Hanover, keeps trying to steal his girl. Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire star in a musical built around the holidays of the year, from New Year's Eve onward.

The Music

Berlin wrote a song for each holiday, but one, "White Christmas," became a phenomenon, winning the Academy Award and becoming one of the best-selling recordings ever made. Astaire's firecracker dance for the Fourth of July and Crosby's warm crooning add charm, as the calendar itself becomes the musical's structure.

This Is the Army (1943)

Songs by Irving Berlin

The Story

A World War I veteran who staged an army show in 1918 sees his son enlist in World War II, where the son mounts a new soldier show to boost morale. Much of the cast came from Berlin's touring stage revue of real servicemen. George Murphy, Joan Leslie and Ronald Reagan star, along with Berlin himself.

The Music

Berlin's songs include the title song and "I Left My Heart at the Stage Door Canteen," and Berlin himself sings "Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning" from his World War I show. Kate Smith sings "God Bless America." The music made the film a patriotic morale booster and a box-office hit.

Blue Skies (1946)

Songs by Irving Berlin

The Story

Radio personality Jed Potter tells the story of his friend Johnny Adams, a restless nightclub owner, and their rivalry over the same woman, the dancer Mary O'Hara. Johnny's habit of opening and selling clubs threatens his marriage. Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire star in this Technicolor musical, told in flashback.

The Music

The film is a showcase of Berlin songs old and new, including the title song and the Oscar-nominated "You Keep Coming Back Like a Song." Its highlight is Astaire's "Puttin' On the Ritz," in which he dances in front of a chorus line of his own images. Berlin's music links decades of nightlife.

Easter Parade (1948)

Songs by Irving Berlin

The Story

When his dance partner leaves him, Broadway star Don Hewes bets he can make a star of any chorus girl. He chooses Hannah Brown, and as they rehearse their new act they slowly fall in love, leading up to the following year's Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue. Judy Garland and Fred Astaire star in this Technicolor musical.

The Music

Berlin's songs, old and new, include the title song, "Steppin' Out with My Baby" and the comic duet "A Couple of Swells," with Garland and Astaire dressed as tramps. The music celebrates vaudeville and Broadway, and its warmth and humor gave the film enduring charm. Its music won the Academy Award for scoring.

Annie Get Your Gun (1950)

Songs by Irving Berlin

The Story

Sharpshooting backwoods girl Annie Oakley joins Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and falls for its star marksman, Frank Butler. Her shooting outshines his, causing friction between them, until Annie learns that winning isn't everything. Betty Hutton and Howard Keel star in MGM's Technicolor version of Berlin's Broadway hit.

The Music

Berlin's score is packed with hits, including "There's No Business Like Show Business," "Doin' What Comes Natur'lly" and the competitive duet "Anything You Can Do." The songs define Annie's character and her rivalry with Frank, and the film's music, adapted by Adolph Deutsch and Roger Edens, won the Academy Award for scoring.

There's No Business Like Show Business poster art

There's No Business Like Show Business (1954)

Songs by Irving Berlin

The Story

The Donahues, a vaudeville family of five, perform together for years until the children grow up and find their own paths. One son falls for an ambitious nightclub singer, another becomes a priest, and the family's bonds are tested. Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor and Marilyn Monroe star in this CinemaScope musical.

The Music

The film is built around Berlin songs from across his career, including the title song, "Heat Wave" and "After You Get What You Want, You Don't Want It," both sung by Monroe. Merman's thrilling rendition of the title song is the centerpiece, and the musical serves as a warm tribute to Berlin's career.