| Ralph Blane | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ralph Uriah Hunsecker |
| Born | July 26, 1914 Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, USA |
| Died | November 13, 1995 (aged 81) Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, USA |
| Genres | Musical theatre, popular |
| Occupations | Composer, lyricist |
| Associated acts | Hugh Martin, Harry Warren, Harold Arlen, Kay Thompson |
Ralph Blane (July 26, 1914 – November 13, 1995) was an American composer, lyricist, and performer.
Life and career [edit]
Born Ralph Uriah Hunsecker in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Blane was the son of grocery store owners. He attended Tulsa Central High School.[1] He began his career as a radio singer for NBC in the 1930s before turning to Broadway, where he was featured in New Faces of 1936, Hooray for What!, and Louisiana Purchase. He contributed the lyrics and music to Best Foot Forward (1941) and Three Wishes for Jamie (1952).
With partner Hugh Martin, Blane penned many American standards for the stage and MGM musicals. The team's best-known songs include "The Boy Next Door", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "The Trolley Song", all written for the 1944 film musical Meet Me in St. Louis. Facing the challenge of writing a song about a trolley, the duo visited a public library, and in a book they found the caption "Clang, clang, clang went the trolley", which formed the nucleus for the lyric of their song, which earned them their first Oscar nomination (their second was for "Pass That Peace Pipe", written in collaboration with Roger Edens for the 1947 film adaptation of Good News). Meet Me in St. Louis was adapted for a 1989 Broadway musical of the same name.
Blane also collaborated with Harry Warren, Harold Arlen, and Kay Thompson, among others.
In 1983, Blane was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.[2]
He is buried in Broken Arrow's Park Grove Cemetery.
References [edit]
- ^ "Alumni Named to Central High Hall of Fame", Tulsa World, November 3, 1991.
- ^ Songwriters Hall of Fame
Along with Harry Warren, Blane wrote the songs to "Summer Holiday" with Mickey Rooney and Gloria De Haven. Often overlooked, these songs are exceptional and should be heard by fans of Blane. One of the songs about "the stanley steamer" rivals "the trolley song".
External links [edit]
- Ralph Blane at the Internet Broadway Database
- Ralph Blane at the Internet Movie Database
- musicmatch.com Ralph Blane biography
- Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Blane, Ralph
- Ralph Blane at Find a Grave
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