Burton Levy professionally known as Burton Lane, was an American composer and lyricist primarily known for his theatre and film scores. His most popular and successful works include Finian's Rainbow in 1947 and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever 1965.
Biography
One source gives his birth name as "Morris Hyman Kushner"; however, his obituary in The Independent gives his birth name as "Burton Levy." His obituary in The New York Times gives his father's name as "Lazarus Levy." At some later time he became known as Burton Lane. Burton Lane was born in New York City and studied classical piano as a child. At age 14 the theatrical producers the Shuberts commissioned him to write songs for a revue, Greenwich Village Follies. At the age of 18, he contributed the music for at least two songs for the revue, Three's A Crowd: "Forget All Your Books" and "Out in the Open Air." He was known for his Broadway musicals, Finian's Rainbow and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. He also wrote the music for the less remembered Broadway shows, Hold On to Your Hats, Laffing Room Only, and Carmelina, 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. Lane mainly wrote music for films, such as Dancing Lady, and Babes on Broadway, writing for more than 30 movies. He was president of the American Guild of Authors and Composers from 1957 and for the next 10 terms, 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. 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. Finian's Rainbow has had four major revivals, and was also made into a film starring Fred Astaire and Petula Clark, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, in 1968. In 2004 and 2016 the Irish Repertory Theatre staged an Off-Broadway production. New York's City Center Encores! series performed a critically acclaimed concert version of the musical in March 2009. Directed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle, it starred Jim Norton and Kate Baldwin as Finian and Sharon, with Cheyenne Jackson as Woody and Jeremy Bobb as Og, the leprechaun. The most recent Broadway revival opened on October 29, 2009 at the St. James Theatre with most of the Encores! cast. Newly added to the Broadway cast are Christopher Fitzgerald as Og and Chuck Cooper as Billboard; Jim Norton, Kate Baldwin and Cheyenne Jackson all reprise their roles.
Lane is credited with discovering the 13-year-old Frances Gumm. He caught her sisters' act at the Paramount theater in Hollywood which featured a movie and a live stage show. The sisters, Virginia and Mary Jane, brought on their younger sister, Frances, who sang "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart." Lane immediately called Jack Robbins, head of the music department at MGM, and told him 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, 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. Frances was signed, and that was the start of her career. Because of circumstance, and contractual arrangements, Burton Lane didn't work with her again for seven years, but it was definitely he who discovered her.
Stage credits
Earl Carroll's Vanities - revue - co-composer and co-lyricist
