Harold Arlen - Harold Arlen Timeline

Harold Arlen Timeline

• 1905 Arlen born in Buffalo, New York
• 1920 (age 15) He formed his first professional band, Hyman Arluck's Snappy Trio.
• 1921 (16) Against his parent's wishes he left home.
• 1923 (18) With his new band - The Southbound Shufflers, performed on the Crystal Beach lake boat "Canadiana" during the summer of 1923.
• 1924 (19) Performed at Lake Shore Manor during the summer of 1924.
• 1924 (19) Wrote his first song, collaborating with friend Hyman Cheiffetz to write "My Gal, My Pal". Copyrighting the song as "My Gal, Won't You Please Come Back to Me?" and listed lyrics by Cheiffetz and music by Harold Arluck.
• 1925 (20) Makes his way to New York City with the group, The Buffalodians, with Arlen playing piano.
• 1926 (21) Had first published song, collaborating with Dick George to compose "Minor Gaff (Blues Fantasy)" under the name Harold Arluck.
• 1928 (23) Chaim (Life) (or Hyman) Arluck renames himself Harold Arlen, a name that combined his parents' surnames (his mother's maiden name was Orlin).
• 1929 (24) Landed a singing and acting role as Cokey Joe in the musical "The Great Day"
• 1929 (24) Composed his first well known song - (Get Happy) under the name Harold Arlen.
• 1929 (24) Signed a yearlong song writing contract with the George and Arthur Piantadosi firm.
• 1930–1934 (25-29) Wrote music for the Cotton Club.
• 1933 (28) At a party, along with partner Ted Koehler, wrote the major hit song "Stormy Weather"
• 1933 (28) Billboard heralded Shakespeare as the most prolific playwright in history, and Arlen as the most prolific composer.
• 1935 (30) Went back to California after being signed by Samuel Goldwyn to write songs for the film "Strike Me Pink"
• 1937 (32) Composed the score for the Broadway musical Hooray for What!. Married 22-year-old Anya Taranda, a celebrated Powers Agency model and former Earl Carroll and Busby Berkeley showgirl, actress, and one of the Original "Breck Girls."

• 1938 (33) Hired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to compose songs for The Wizard of Oz.
• 1938 (33) While driving along Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood and stopping in front of Schwab's Drug Store came up with the song "Over the Rainbow"
• 1941 (36) Wrote "Blues in the Night"
• 1942 (37) Along with Johnny Mercer, he wrote one of his most famous songs, "That Old Black Magic"
• 1943 (38) Wrote "My Shining Hour"
• 1944 (39) While driving with songwriter partner Johnny Mercer came up with the song "Accentuate the Positive".
• 1945 (40) In a single evening's work in October with Johnny Mercer came up with the song "Come Rain or Come Shine"
• 1949 (44) Collaborated with Ralph Blane to write the score for "My Blue Heaven".
• 1950 (45) Worked with old pal Johnny Mercer on the film "The Petty Girl", out of which came the song "Fancy Free".
• 1951 (46) His wife Anya was institutionalized in a sanitarium for 7 years after repeatedly threatening her husband and others with physical harm.
• 1952 (47) Teamed up with Dorothy Fields on the film "The Farmer Takes a Wife"
• 1953 (48) Harold's father, Cantor Samuel Arluck, died.
• 1954 (49) The Musical "A Star is Born" starring Judy Garland singing the now classic, Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin collaboration, "The Man That Got Away"
• 1954 (49) Becomes dangerously ill with a bleeding ulcer and is hospitalized but recovers to work with Truman Capote on the musical House of Flowers.
• 1956 (51) His mother Celia Arluck dies and Harold doesn't touch music for over a year, mourning her loss.
• 1962 (56) Wrote the score for the animated musical Gay Purr-ee, lyrics by E.Y. Harburg.
• 1961–1976 (55-71) Wrote over 50 songs and continued a successful career.
• 1970 (65) Arlen's wife Anya Taranda dies from a brain tumor. Arlen begins to lose interest in life, withdrawing from friends and family and becoming more reclusive.
• 1974 (69) Composes theme song for the ABC sitcom Paper Moon, based on a 1973 Peter Bogdanovich film of the same name.
• 1986 (81) Harold Arlen dies in New York City and is interred next to his wife at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.