Oscar Profile #169: Oscar Hammerstein II

Born July 12, 1895 to Alice (née Nimmo) and William Hammerstein, the vaudeville producer who invented the pie-in-the-face routine, he was named after his paternal grandfather, a well-known theatre impresario of the day. Hammerstein began writing songs for musicals while studying law at Columbia University. The first Broadway show he contributed to was 1917’s Furs and Frills produced by his uncle, Arthur Hammerstein, with music by Herbert Stothart.

Hammerstein continued to write lyrics for Stothart’s musicals, along with co-librettist Otto Harbach for many years. He also wrote the lyrics for such beloved operettas as 1926’s The Desert Song, music by Sigmund Romberg and 1927’s Rose Marie, music by Rudolf Friml. The by then accomplished lyricist entered a new phase in his career with 1927’s Show Boat, music by Jerome Kern, the first of the modern musical comedies. It was then back to Romberg for 1928’s The New Moon but modernity again intervened with his next association with Kern, 1929’s Sweet Adelaide. Other Kern-Hammerstein musicals included Music in the Air and Very Warm for May.

Hammerstein was married to first wife Myra Finn, with whom he had two children, from 1917 to 1929. That same year he married former actress Dorothy Blanchard with whom he would remain married for the rest of his life. Together they had one son. Blanchard’s daughter Susan from her first marriage was married to Henry Fonda from 1950-1956 and three husbands later to Richard Widmark from 1999 until his death in 2008.

Hammerstein’s Oscar for the instant standard “The Last Time I Saw Paris”, music by Jerome Kern, from 1941’s Lady Be Good made him the first and to date only Oscar winner named Oscar.

Hammerstein’s collaboration with composer Richard Rodgers, which began with 1943’s Oklahoma!, was the most sustained and successful collaboration of both their celebrated careers. Their only original film musical, 1945’s State Fair, brought Hammerstein a second Oscar on his third nomination for the song “It Might As Well Be Spring”. He would be nominated twice again for songs written with composers other than Rodgers., one with Kern and one with Jimmy McHugh.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s storied stage career continued with such productions as 1945’s Carousel; 1947’s Allegro; 1949’s South Pacific; 1951’s The King and I; 1953’s Me and Juliet and 1955’s Pipe Dream before a single one of their stage productions would be seen on the big screen. Finally in 1955, Fox filmed Oklahoma!, followed by Carousel and The King and I in 1956. In 1957, they mounted their first and only original production for television, Cinderella, which was re-made for TV twice and just this past season finally made it to Broadway.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s last collaborations were the 1958 and 1959 Broadway musicals, Flower Drum Song and The Sound of Music which were filmed in 1961 and 1965, respectively, the latter becoming a world-wide phenomenon and multiple Oscar winner.

Oscar Hammerstein II died of cancer on August 23, 1960 at the age of 65. His music continues to be performed everywhere, including on screen where it has graced the soundtracks of more than 400 films and TV shows to date, the latest being The Wolf of Wall Street.

ESSENTIAL FILMS

SHOW BOAT (1936), directed by James Whale

The first modern Broadway musical from which the songs are sung in character was filmed three times, first as a partial talkie in 1929 with Laura La Plante and Joseph Schildkraut and in 1951 in a version that alters the ending with Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel and Ava Gardner. This version is, however, the best of the lot with Irene Dunne, Allan Jones, Helen Morgan, Paul Robeson, Charles Winninger and Hattie McDaniel all reprising roles they had played on stage.

Every song is a gem with Robeson’s “Ol’ Man River” and Morgan’s “Bill” the standouts. The latter was Hammerstein’s revamped version of an old song by Jerome Kern and P.G. Wodehouse.

STATE FAIR (1945), directed by Walter Lang

The second film version of Philip Strong’s novel proved even more successful than the 1933 original thanks to the Rodgers & Hammerstein score which includes the Oscar winning “It Might As Well Be Spring” and the infectious “It’s a Grand Night for Singing” among its hits.

The cast was comprised of Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Dick Haymes, Vivian Blaine, Fay Bainter, Charles Winninger, Donald Meek and others at the top of their game.

THE KING AND I (1956), directed by Walter Lang

The East meets West drama of Anna and the King of Siam was tailor made for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s score which includes “I Whistle a Happy Tune”; “Hello Young Lovers” ; “Getting to Know You”; “Something Wonderful” and “Shall We Dance” among its beloved songs.

Oscar nominated Deborah Kerr and Oscar winner Yul Brynner are perfection as the title characters.

SOUTH PACIFIC (1958), directed by Joshua Logan

Beautifully filmed on location in the South Pacific, this film version of the Pulitzer Prize winning musical by Rogers & Hammerstein is marred by director Logan’s lame-brained use of color filters during the singing of most of the score which includes “There Is Nothin’ Like a Dame”; “Bali Ha’i”; “Some Enchanted Evening”; “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair” and “Younger Than Springtime”.

Mitzi Gaynor, Rossano Brazzi, John Kerr and Juanita Hall head the cast.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965), directed by Robert Wise

The film version of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s last Broadway musical became for a time the biggest box office hit in history thanks to worldwide audiences who went see the film over and over during its initial run.

Julie Andrews was at the peak of her storied career as the young postulant who will never be a nun, but will instead become the beloved matriarch of the Von Trapp Family singers who would eventually find even greater fame and success in the U.S. than in their native Austria. Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker and Peggy Wood co-star.