With longtime writing and performing partner Betty Comden has created some of the snappiest and also some of the most poignant popular songs ("The Party's Over," "New York, New York [It's a Hell of a Town], "Make Someone Happy," "Never Never Land," "Just in Time"), has written the lyrics and/or book to classic Broadway musicals ("On the Town" 1944, "Wonderful Town" 1953, "Bells Are Ringing" 1956, "Halllujah, Baby!" 1967, "Applause" 1970, "On the Twentieth Century" 1978, and "The Will Rogers Follies" 1991) and has written the witty original screenplays for such memorable movie musicals as "Good News" (1947), "The Barkleys of Broadway" (1949), "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), "The Band Wagon" (1953) and "It's Always Fair Weather" (1955).Green made his debut as a performer in the early 1940s in a cabaret act with Betty Comden and Judy Holliday called The Revuers which was later featured in the 1944 film, "Greenwich Village". His manic exurberance and puckish personality made him a stage natural opposite Comden's lady-like elegance in their hit Broadway musical "On the Town" (1944) and the revue "A Party With Betty Comden and Adolph Green" (1959 and 1977). Green has also appeared in the films "Simon" (1980), "My Favorite Year" (1982), "Garbo Talks" (1984), "Lily in Love" (1985), and Alain Resnais' "I Want to Go Home" (1989). Married to actress Phyllis Newman and father of comedian Adam Green and actress Amanda Green.
Profession(s):
playwright, lyricist, Actor, screenwriter
Sometimes Credited As:
Family
daughter:Amanda Green (mother, Phyllis Newman; married to Jeffrey Kaplan, a doctor, on May 21, 1999)
son:Adam Green (mother, Phyllis Newman)
wife:Allyn Ann McLerie (divorced)
wife:Elizabeth Reitell (married on June 20, 1941; divorced)
wife:Phyllis Newman (married on January 31, 1960)
Writers Guild of America Screen Laurel Award 2001
National Board of Review Special Award 1995
Johnny Mercer Award Lifetime Achievement 1991
Kennedy Center Honors Lifetime Achievement Award 1991
Tony Score "The Will Rogers Follies" 1990 - 1991
Tony Book of a Musical "On the Twentieth Century" 1978
Tony Original Score "On the Twentieth Century" 1978
Tony Musical "Applause" 1970
Tony Musical "Hallelujah, Baby!" 1968
Tony Composer and Lyricist "Hallelujah, Baby!" 1968
Donaldson Award "Wonderful Town" 1953
Tony Musical "Wonderful Town" 1953
New York Drama Critics Circle Award Best Musical "Wonderful Town" 1952 - 1953
Writers Guild of America Award Best-Written American Musical "Singin' in the Rain" 1952
1979 Film actor in "Simon"
1947 Co-wrote (with Betty Comden) first screenplay, "Good News"
1944 Co-starred and co-wrote (with Comden) the book and lyrics for Broadway muscial, "On the Town"
1944 First film appearance with the Revuers in "Greenwich Village"
1939 Formed cabaret act, The Revuers", with Betty Comden and Judy Holliday
1938 Met Betty Comden while she was a student at NYU
Worked as a runner on Wall Street