Scion of the Lerner Shops fortune whose elegant lyrics reflected the sophisticated world of style and wit in which he lived. A chance meeting in 1942 with German-born composer Frederick Loewe who was fourteen years his senior resulted in one of the most productive and prosperous collaborations in the American musical theater. Wedded to Loewe's operetta-inspired melodious tunes, Lerner's lyrics and his archly romantic and literary librettos--which skillfully integrated music, character and story into a seamless whole--elevated the post-war musical to new heights of sophistication and intelligence. Together Lerner and Loewe created a string of Broadway hits all of which Lerner adapted to film: "Brigadoon" (1954), "My Fair Lady" (1964) "Camelot" (1967) and "Paint Your Wagon" (1969). After Loewe's retirement in 1960, Lerner collaborated far less successfully with Burton Lane ("On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" and "Carmelina") Andre Previn ("Coco"), Leonard Bernstein ("1600 Pennsylvania Avenue") and Charles Strouse ("Dance a Little Closer").
Hailed by Leonard Bernstein as a "gentleman genius," Lerner also wrote the screenplay for "Royal Wedding" (1951), and won Oscars for his scripts for "An American in Paris" (1952) and the nine Oscar-winner, "Gigi" (1958), Lerner and Loewe's first original screen musical. In 1974 Loewe came out of retirement to create another original screen musical "The Little Prince". Three of Lerner's eight marriages were to actresses: Marion Bell (1947-48), Nancy Olson (1950-57) and Liz Robertson (1981 until his death in 1986).
Profession(s):
lyricist, librettist, screenwriter, producer, director, advertising copywriter, amateur boxer
Sometimes Credited As:
Family
brother:Robert Lerner (born 1921)
father:Joseph J Lerner (founder of Lerner Shops, women's specialty stores)
son:Michael Lerner (correspondent for NEWSWEEK magazine in Paris)
wife:Micheline Mussellin Posso di Bergo (married December 20, 1957; divorced)
wife:Nancy Olson (third wife; married March 19, 1950; divorced in 1957)
wife:Nina Bushkin (divorced)
wife:Karen Gundersson (married November 15, 1966; divorced December 9, 1974)
wife:Liz Robertson (married August 13, 1981 until Lerner's death in 1986; starred in revival of "My Fair Lady")
wife:Marion Bell (married in 1947; divorced in 1948; starred on Broadway in "Brigadoon" (1947); died on December 14, 1997 at age 78)
wife:Ruth Boyd (divorced)
wife:Sandra Payne (married December 10, 1974; divorced)
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Trustees Award 1999
Kennedy Center Honors Lifetime Achievement Award 1985
Golden Globe Award Best Original Score "The Little Prince" 1974
Tony Best Score "Gigi" 1974
Golden Globe Award Best Original Song "If Ever I Should Leave You" from "Camelot" 1967
Grammy Best Score From an Original Cast Show "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" 1965
Oscar Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium "Gigi" 1958
Oscar Music--Best Song "Gigi" 1958
Writers Guild of America Award Best-Written American Musical "Gigi" 1958
Donaldson Award Best Musical "My Fair Lady" 1957
Tony Best Musical "My Fair Lady" 1957
New York Drama Critics Circle Award Best Musical "My Fair Lady" 1955 - 1956
Oscar Best Story and Screenplay "An American in Paris" 1951
Writers Guild of America Award Best-Written American Musical "An American in Paris" 1951
New York Drama Critics Circle Award Best Musical "Brigadoon" 1946 - 1947
1986 Sued by IRS for $1.4 million in taxes and late penalties
1983 Directed first Broadway musical, "Dance a Little Closer"
1965 Produced first Broadway musical, "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" (also lyricist and librettist)
1951 Wrote first screenplay, "An American in Paris"
1947 First Broadway hit musical, "Brigadoon"
1943 First Broadway musical with Loewe, "What's Up?"; Was a flop
1942 Wrote lyrics for first musical collaboration with Frederick Loewe, "The Life of the Party", presented in Detroit
Wrote radio scripts while in college
Lost left eye in recreational boxing accident
First job as advertising copy writer for Lord & Thomas agency; quit in 1942 to write radio scripts for "Philco Hall of Fame"