Frederick Loewe

Austrian composer Frederick Loewe is best remembered for his fruitful collaborations with fellow songwriter Alan Jay Lerner. Together the two created some of Broadway's best loved musicals including Brigadoon (1947), Paint Your Wagon (1951), My Fair Lady (1956) and Camelot (1960) -- all of which later became successful feature films. Their musical feature film Gigi earned the duo nine Oscars in 1958. Shortly after completing Camelot in 1960, Loewe decided to retire. He and Lerner reunited once more in 1974 to pen the music for The Little Prince. Loewe was born in Vienna, the son of a noted tenor. As a child he was a prodigy as a composer and pianist, writing his first hit song, Katrina when he was only 15. Such great success inspired Loewe to move to New York in 1924. Though he originally had high hopes for his career, it basically went nowhere until he met Lerner at a Lambs Club gathering in 1942.

~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide