Burton Lane

Burton Lane (February 2, 1912, New York City - January 5, 1997, New York City) was an American composer and lyricist.

Lane (real name Burton Levy) was best known for his Broadway musicals, "Finian's Rainbow" (1947) and "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" (1965). He also wrote the music for the less successful Broadway shows, "Hold On to Your Hats" (1940), "Laffing Room Only" (1944), "Junior Miss" (1957), and "Carmelina" (1979), the latter with lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, who had also written lyrics to Lane's music for "On a Clear Day" and the film "Royal Wedding" (1951). Lane also wrote music for films such as "Dancing Lady", "Babes on Broadway", and "Some Like it Hot". For a time, he was president of the American Guild of Authors and Composers, during which period he campaigned against music piracy. He also served three terms on the board of directors of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).

Lane's best-known songs include "Old Devil Moon," "How are Things In Glocca Morra?", "Too Late Now," "How About You?", and the title song from "On a Clear Day." He shared a Grammy Award in 1965 for Best Broadway Cast Album of the year ("On a Clear Day You Can See Forever").

Lane is credited by Songwriters' Hall of Fame (www.songwritershalloffame.org) with discovering the 11-year-old Frances Gumm (Judy Garland). He caught her sisters' act at the Paramount theater in Hollywood which featured a movie and a live stage show. The sisters, Susie and Mary Jane, brought on the kid, Frances, who sang "Zing Went the Strings of My Heart". Lane immediately called Jack Robbins, head of the music department at MGM, and told her he'd just heard a great new talent.

Robbins told him to bring her in next day for an audition which Lane did. Robbins was knocked out by the little girl's voice (Lane played the audition piano for her), rushed upstairs and dragged Louis B. Mayer down to listen to her belt out some songs. Mayer was so impressed he ordered every writer, director and producer on the lot to hear her with the result that the audition, which began at 9 am, finished at 7:30 pm. But Frances (Judy) was signed, and that was the start of her great career. Because of circumstance, and contractural arrangements, Burton Lane didn't work with her again for seven years ("Babes on Broadway"), but it was definitely he who discovered her.

Works for Broadway and Tony Award Nominations

*"Earl Carroll's Vanities" (1931) - revue - co-composer and co-lyricist
*"Singin' the Blues" (1931) - play with music - co-composer
*"Hold on to Your Hats" (1940) - musical - composer
*"Laffing Room Only" (1944) - revue - composer and lyricist
*"Finian's Rainbow" (1947, revivals in 1955, 1960) - musical - composer
*"On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" (1966) - musical - composer - Tony Nomination for Best Composer and Lyricist
*"We Bombed in New Haven" (1968) - play - composer for the song "Bomb, Bomb, Bombing Along"
*"Carmelina" (1979) - musical - composer - Tony Nomination for Best Original Score