My Amazon Review of James Kaplan's "Irving Berlin: New York Genius"

 

Writing the American Songbook

 

James Kaplan has written an endearing biography of Irving Berlin, perhaps America’s best songwriter. Berlin born Israel Bailin in Belarus in 1888 arrives in America at age five and becomes a grade school dropout at fourteen.

He is a born hustler selling newspapers and singing in bars on the Bowery and by 1911 with his “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” he becomes America’s most celebrated songwriter over the next five decades.

 

Drafted into the army in 1918 he ends up organizing the “Yip Yank Yaphank” review with an all-soldier cast. It plays on Broadway to great acclamation. It was the precursor to his World War II “This is the Army” review.  By the 1920’s he is firmly established on Broadway and he owns 25% of the new Music Box Theater. He pens such songs as “Always” and “Puttin’ on the Ritz.” His 1933 “As Thousands Cheer” show co-stars the great Ethel Waters. She sings the tragic “Supper Times” portraying the lynching of her husband. This was the first integrated show on Broadway. A year later he would write “Easter Parade.”

 

By then Berlin would become bi-coastal with his work in Hollywood. One of his childhood friends ends up running a major studio. He goes back and forth with his second wife Ellen (his first wife dies early) and his three daughters. Along the way he works with the greats, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Further he drives very hard bargains with the Hollywood moguls. Berlin was a shrewd businessman as well.

 

In 1938 he pulls out a leftover song from “Yip Yap Yankhank” and that song becomes “God Bless America” which Kate Smith debuts to a national radio audience. ( See: - YouTube )  All the royalties would go to the boy scouts and girl scouts. With the start of the World War II, he organizes the “This is the Army” show where he travels the European and Pacific theaters being at times very close to live fire. The all-soldier unit was the only integrated army unit of the war.  Berlin donates his royalties to Army Relief. He still has time to compose “White Christmas” for Bing Crosby in 1942. During the war he meets Marshall, Eisenhower, Churchill, and Roosevelt.  At war’s end he receives the U.S. Army Medal of Merit directly from Marshall.

 

With the war over he writes the musical “Annie Get Your Gun.” In that show Ethel Merman belts out “There’s No Business Like Show Business.” He also writes in a fifteen-minute cab ride “Anything you can Do; I can do Better.”  His last Broadway show was “Call Me Madam.”

 

What can I say? Despite suffering from insomnia and depression he lived a full life, and his songs made our lives all the better. Kaplan’s biography makes him come alive.

For the full Amazon URL see: Writing the American Songbook (amazon.com)