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Link to original content: http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/115005|79898/Jay-Livingston
Jay Livingston - Turner Classic Movies

Jay Livingston


Composer

About

Also Known As
Jay Harold Livingston, Jay Levison
Birth Place
McDonald, Pennsylvania, USA
Born
March 28, 1915
Died
October 17, 2001
Cause of Death
Pneumonia

Biography

With his longtime collaborator Ray Evans, Jay Livingston has been responsible for some of the more memorable movie songs from the late 1940 through the early 60s. The duo first met while both were students at the University of Pennsylvania. During holiday breaks, they played together in a band on cruise ships. After graduating, Evans and Livingston settled in NYC where they held odd jobs...

Family & Companions

Lynne Livingston
Wife
Married c. 1946; died on January 12, 1991 at the age of 69 from complications from emphysema.
Shirley Mitchell
Wife
Actor. Married on May 16, 1992; survived him.

Biography

With his longtime collaborator Ray Evans, Jay Livingston has been responsible for some of the more memorable movie songs from the late 1940 through the early 60s. The duo first met while both were students at the University of Pennsylvania. During holiday breaks, they played together in a band on cruise ships. After graduating, Evans and Livingston settled in NYC where they held odd jobs while trying to place their songs. In 1941, their song "G'bye Now" was incorporated in the Olsen and Johnson revue "Hellzapoppin'" and landed on "Your Hit Parade." Olsen and Johnson brought the songwriters to Hollywood in 1944 where Betty Hutton recorded "Stuff Like That There." Eventually, Evans and Livingston placed songs in films, earning their first Oscar nomination for "The Cat and the Canary" used in 1945's "Why Girls Leave Home."

Paramount put the duo under contract in 1945 and they had a success with the title song to the Olivia de Havilland vehicle "To Each His Own" (1946). Livingston and Evans won the first of a pair of Oscars for the genial "Buttons and Bows," introduced by Bob Hope in "The Paleface" (1948) and made popular by Dinah Shore. Hope and Marilyn Maxwell introduced the holiday favorite "Silver Bells" in 1951's "The Lemon Drop Kid" and the comedian and Lucille Ball had success with another of the duo's efforts "Home Cookin'" (from "Fancy Pants" 1950). While under contract at Paramount, Livingston and Evans churned out numerous hit songs ranging from "Just for Fun" (from "My Friend Irma" 1949) to the theme from "A Place in the Sun" (1951). The pair shared a second Oscar for Best Song for the haunting "Mona Lisa" introduced in "Captain Carey, U.S.A." (1950) and made popular by Nat King Cole. (In the original film, the song is heard in fragments and is sung by a blind Italian street performer). Livingston and Evans made a cameo appearance as themselves in Billy Wilder's classic "Sunset Boulevard" (1950).

After leaving Paramount in 1956, the songwriters worked freelance, winning a third Academy Award for the lilting lullaby "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" which was germane to the plot of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1956). (Doris Day introduced the song in the film and later used it as the theme for her 1960s TV sitcom.) The following year, they scored another hit and earned an Oscar nomination for the theme to "Tammy" (1957). Evans and Livingston also received Academy Award nominations for "Almost in Your Arms (Love Theme from "Houseboat")" (1958) and for their lyrics to Henry Mancini's lovely "Dear Heart" (1964). Attempts to translate their Hollywood success to the stage with the original musicals "Oh, Captain!" (1958) and "Let It Ride!" (1961) were less than successful. The pair found a more welcome home on the small screen, penning the themes to such hit series as "Bonanza" and "Mr. Ed." Livingston and Evans finally found a measure of success on stage in 1979 with material interpolated in the Broadway hit "Sugar Babies," co-starring Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller. While their last original song for a motion picture (to date) was the theme to "Foxtrot" (1975), the pair has continued to fashion specialty material for nightclub performers and charity functions.

Filmography

 

Cast (Feature Film)

Sunset Blvd. (1950)
Himself

Music (Feature Film)

Jack and Jill (2011)
Song
Flipped (2010)
Song
Four Christmases (2008)
Song
Seven Pounds (2008)
Song
Semi-Pro (2008)
Song
The Wrecking Crew (2008)
Song
Unaccompanied Minors (2006)
Song
Take the Lead (2006)
Song
The Last Shot (2004)
Theme Music
The Polar Express (2004)
Song
28 Days Later (2003)
Song
Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
Song
In the Cut (2003)
Song
Normal (2003)
Song
Nurse Betty (2000)
Song
Reindeer Games (2000)
Song
The Family Man (2000)
Song
Go (1999)
Song ("Silver Bells")
Snow Day (1999)
Song ("To Each His Own")
Pushing Tin (1999)
Song
200 Cigarettes (1999)
Song
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Song
A Night at the Roxbury (1998)
Song
The Man Who Drove with Mandela (1998)
Song
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
Song
Apt Pupil (1998)
Song ("Whatever Will Be Will Be (Que Sera Sera)")
L.A. Confidential (1997)
Song ("Silver Bells")
The Pest (1997)
Music
Donnie Brasco (1997)
Song
Wedding Bell Blues (1996)
Song
Bonanza: Under Attack (1995)
Theme Music
North (1994)
Theme Music
Ed Wood (1994)
Song
Heart and Souls (1993)
Song
Bonanza: The Return (1993)
Theme Music
The Long Day Closes (1992)
Music Composer
School Ties (1992)
Song
Night And The City (1992)
Song
Hudson Hawk (1991)
Song
All I Want for Christmas (1991)
Song
JFK (1991)
Song
City Slickers (1991)
Song
For the Boys (1991)
Song
JFK (Director's Cut) (1991)
Song
The Two Jakes (1990)
Song
Book of Love (1990)
Song
Q&A (1990)
Song
The Freshman (1990)
Song
UHF (1989)
Song
Dreaming River (1988)
Song
Beaches (1988)
Song
Heathers (1988)
Song ("Que Sera, Sera")
Scrooged (1988)
Song
No Man's Land (1987)
Song
Mona Lisa (1986)
Song
Maria's Lovers (1985)
Song
Best Defense (1984)
Song
Friday the 13th, Part IV: The Final Chapter (1984)
Song ("To Each His Own")
Best Defense (1984)
Song Performer
Top Secret! (1984)
Music ("Bonanza")
Falling in Love (1984)
Song
Some Kind Of Hero (1982)
Song
Four Friends (1981)
Song ("Theme From Bonanza")
American Pop (1981)
Song
Mommie Dearest (1981)
Song
Raging Bull (1980)
Composer
Yotzim Kavua (1979)
Song ("Tammy")
Foxtrot (1976)
Song
The Parallax View (1974)
Song
The Godfather (1972)
Composer
Wait Until Dark (1967)
Composer
Gunn (1967)
Composer
The Night of the Grizzly (1966)
Composer
This Property Is Condemned (1966)
Composer
What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966)
Composer
The Glass Bottom Boat (1966)
Composer
Never Too Late (1965)
Composer
Harlow (1965)
Composer
The Third Day (1965)
Composer
Those Calloways (1965)
Composer
Dear Heart (1964)
Composer
Tammy and the Doctor (1963)
Composer
The Two Little Bears (1961)
Composer
All Hands on Deck (1961)
Composer
Take a Giant Step (1960)
Composer
The Blue Angel (1959)
Composer
Houseboat (1958)
Composer
Saddle the Wind (1958)
Composer
The Big Beat (1958)
Composer
Girls on the Loose (1958)
Composer
Another Time, Another Place (1958)
Composer
Once Upon a Horse... (1958)
Composer
This Happy Feeling (1958)
Composer
Raw Wind in Eden (1958)
Composer
Istanbul (1957)
Composer
Omar Khayyam (1957)
Composer
The James Dean Story (1957)
Composer
Tammy and the Bachelor (1957)
Composer
Never Say Goodbye (1956)
Composer
The Scarlet Hour (1956)
Composer
The Second Greatest Sex (1955)
Composer
3 Ring Circus (1955)
Composer
Casanova's Big Night (1954)
Composer
Rear Window (1954)
Composer
Red Garters (1954)
Composer
The Stars Are Singing (1953)
Composer
Here Come the Girls (1953)
Composer
Off Limits (1953)
Composer
Those Redheads from Seattle (1953)
Composer
Tropic Zone (1953)
Composer
What Price Glory (1952)
Composer
Anything Can Happen (1952)
Composer
Somebody Loves Me (1952)
Composer
Sailor Beware (1952)
Composer
Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick (1952)
Composer
Son of Paleface (1952)
Composer
Glory Alley (1952)
Composer
The Mating Season (1951)
Composer
My Favorite Spy (1951)
Composer
Crosswinds (1951)
Composer
Here Comes the Groom (1951)
Composer
The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)
Composer
Rhubarb (1951)
Composer
Ace in the Hole (1951)
Composer
That's My Boy (1951)
Composer
Rhythm Inn (1951)
Composer
Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1950)
Composer
Copper Canyon (1950)
Composer
Fancy Pants (1950)
Composer
The Furies (1950)
Composer
My Friend Irma Goes West (1950)
Composer
Sunset Blvd. (1950)
Composer
Paid in Full (1950)
Composer
Song of Surrender (1949)
Composer
Bride of Vengeance (1949)
Composer
The Great Lover (1949)
Composer
My Friend Irma (1949)
Composer
Sorrowful Jones (1949)
Composer
Streets of Laredo (1949)
Composer
The Big Clock (1948)
Composer
Isn't It Romantic (1948)
Composer
The Paleface (1948)
Composer
Dream Girl (1948)
Composer
Saigon (1948)
Composer
My Favorite Brunette (1947)
Composer
Dear Ruth (1947)
Composer
Golden Earrings (1947)
Composer
Monsieur Beaucaire (1946)
Composer
People Are Funny (1946)
Composer
Crime, Inc. (1945)
Composer
Why Girls Leave Home (1945)
Composer
The Stork Club (1945)
Composer
Swing Hostess (1944)
Composer
I Accuse My Parents (1944)
Composer
Private Snuffy Smith (1942)
Composer

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

Explorers (1985)
Other

Music (Special)

Monica Mancini... On Record (1998)
Lyrics ("Dear Heart" "Dreamsville")
The Story of Mothers & Daughters (1997)
Music
Bob Hope Christmas Special From Waikoloa, Hawaii (1989)
Theme Lyrics
Hope News Network (1988)
Music
Bob Hope's Jolly Christmas Show With the All-America Champs (1988)
Song
Bob Hope's High-Flying Birthday (1986)
Song
Bob Hope Buys NBC? (1985)
Music
Satins and Spurs (1954)
Music

Life Events

1937

Began professional collaboration with Ray Evans

1941

Professional debut as congwriter with "G'bye Now", which was incorporated into "Hellzapoppin'"

1942

Served in the US Army

1944

Moved to California at the urging of Olsen and Johnson; had first hit song with "Stuff Like That There"

1945

Earned first Academy Award nomination for the song " The Cat and the Canary" used in the film "Why Girls Leave Home"

1946

Wrote the theme song to "To Each His Own"

1948

Won first Oscar for Best Original Song "Biuttons and Bows" from the film "The Paleface"

1950

Received second Academy Award for Best Song for "Mona Lisa" from "Captain Carey, U.S.A."

1951

Wrote the holiday perennial "Silver Bells" (introduced in the film "The Lemon Drop Kid" by Bob Hope)

1955

Left Paramount and worked with Evans as a freelance somgwriting team

1956

Received third Oscar for "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)", sung by Doris Day in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much"; Day later used the song as the theme for her 1960s TV sitcom

1957

Had hit with "Tammy", sung by Debbie Reynolds in the film of the same name; song nominated for an Academy Award

1958

Earned Oscar nomination for "Almost in Your Arms", the theme to "Houseboat"

1958

With Evans, wrote first Broadway musical, "Oh, Captain!"; received Tony nomination

1961

Worked on second Braodway show, the unsuccessful "Let It Ride!"

1964

Co-wrote the lyrics to Henry Mancini's composition "Dear Heart"

1975

Last original song for a feature film to date, "the title theme of "Foxtrot"

1979

Songs written with Ray Evans were incorporated in the Broadway musical "Sugar Babies"

1995

Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Videos

Movie Clip

Trailer

Family

Maurice Livingston
Father
Shoe store owner.
Rose Livingston
Mother
Alan Livingston
Brother
Music executive. Served as president of Capitol Records.
Nancy Olson
Sister-In-Law
Actor. Appeared in "Sunset Boulevard"; married to Alan Livingston.
Travlyn Talmadge
Daughter
Survived him.
Christopher Livingston
Nephew
Director, screenwriter.

Companions

Lynne Livingston
Wife
Married c. 1946; died on January 12, 1991 at the age of 69 from complications from emphysema.
Shirley Mitchell
Wife
Actor. Married on May 16, 1992; survived him.

Bibliography