Alan Jay Lerner

Alan Jay Lerner is perhaps best remembered for the many Broadway musicals he penned with long-time collaborator Frederick Loewe. A number of these, including Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon, My Fair Lady, and Camelot have become classics and were later successfully adapted to the screen by Lerner who was also a noted playwright and a screenwriter. Born into a wealthy family (the owners of Lerner's clothing stores), Lerner had a privileged education at Choate and Harvard. He teamed up with Loewe in 1943 to write What's Up?, and the pair remained together through 1960 when Lowe retired. Lerner later teamed up with other composers, including Burton Lane with whom he wrote On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. As a screenwriter, Lerner earned an Oscar for his screenplay and story for An American in Paris in 1951. Seven years later, he won again for Gigi. He and Loewe also shared an Academy Award for the film's title song. In 1974, he and Lowe reunited to work on the Little Prince.

~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide