Scion of the Lerner Shops fortune whose elegant lyrics reflected the sophisticated world of style and wit in which he lived. A chance meeting in 1942 with German-born composer Frederick Loewe who was fourteen years his senior resulted in one of the most productive and prosperous collaborations in the American musical theater. Wedded to Loewe's operetta-inspired melodious tunes, Lerner's lyrics and his archly romantic and literary librettos--which skillfully integrated music, character and story into a seamless whole--elevated the post-war musical to new heights of sophistication and intelligence. Together Lerner and Loewe created a string of Broadway hits all of which Lerner adapted to film: "Brigadoon" (1954), "My Fair Lady" (1964) "Camelot" (1967) and "Paint Your Wagon" (1969).
After Loewe's retirement in 1960, Lerner collaborated far less successfully with Burton Lane ("On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" and "Carmelina") Andre Previn ("Coco"), Leonard Bernstein ("1600 Pennsylvania Avenue") and Charles Strouse ("Dance a Little Closer").
Hailed by Leonard Bernstein as a "gentleman genius," Lerner also wrote the screenplay for "Royal Wedding" (1951), and won Oscars for his scripts for "An American in Paris" (1952) and the nine Oscar-winner, "Gigi" (1958), Lerner and Loewe's first original screen musical. In 1974 Loewe came out of retirement to create another original screen musical "The Little Prince". Three of Lerner's eight marriages were to actresses: Marion Bell (1947-48), Nancy Olson (1950-57) and Liz Robertson (1981 until his death in 1986).
Family
FATHER: Joseph J Lerner. Businessman. Founder of Lerner Shops, women's specialty stores.
MOTHER: Edith Lerner.
BROTHER: Robert Lerner. Theatre producer. Born 1921.
SON: Michael Lerner. Journalist. Correspondent for NEWSWEEK magazine in Paris.
DAUGHTER: Susan Lerner.
DAUGHTER: Liza Lerner.
DAUGHTER: Jennifer Lerner.
Companion
WIFE: Ruth Boyd. Divorced.
WIFE: Marion Bell. Actor, singer. Married in 1947; divorced in 1948; starred on Broadway in "Brigadoon" (1947); died on December 14, 1997 at age 78.
WIFE: Nancy Olson. Actor. Third wife; married March 19, 1950; divorced in 1957.
WIFE: Micheline Mussellin Posso di Bergo. Married December 20, 1957; divorced.
WIFE: Karen Gundersson. Married November 15, 1966; divorced December 9, 1974.
WIFE: Sandra Payne. Married December 10, 1974; divorced.
WIFE: Nina Bushkin. Divorced.
WIFE: Liz Robertson. Actor. Married August 13, 1981 until Lerner's death in 1986; starred in revival of "My Fair Lady".
Milestone
Wrote radio scripts while in college
Lost left eye in recreational boxing accident
First job as advertising copy writer for Lord & Thomas agency; quit in 1942 to write radio scripts for "Philco Hall of Fame"
1942: Wrote lyrics for first musical collaboration with Frederick Loewe, "The Life of the Party", presented in Detroit
1943: First Broadway musical with Loewe, "What's Up?"; Was a flop
1947: First Broadway hit musical, "Brigadoon"
1951: Wrote first screenplay, "An American in Paris"
1965: Produced first Broadway musical, "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" (also lyricist and librettist)
1983: Directed first Broadway musical, "Dance a Little Closer"
1986: Sued by IRS for $1.4 million in taxes and late penalties
Education
Bedales School - Hampshire, England
Columbia Grammar and Prepatory School - New York, New York
Choate School - Wallingford, Connecticut - 1936 - all-male school; graduated; classmate of John F Kennedy; wrote the Hasting Pudding Club shows of 1938 and 1939; in 1974, school merged with all-female Rosemary Hall; now called Choate Rosemary Hall
The Juilliard School - New York, New York - attended during the summers of 1936 and 1937
Harvard University - Cambridge, Massachusetts - BS - 1940 - graduated; classmate of John F Kennedy with whom he edited the yearbook
Bibliography
"The Lerner and Loewe Song Book" 1962
"On The Street Where I Live" Alan Jay Lerner 1978
"The Musical Theater: A Celebration" Alan Jay Lerner 1986
"The Wordsmiths: Oscar Hammerstein 2d and Alan Jay Lerner" Stephen Citron 1995
"Alan Jay Lerner: A Biography" Edward Jablonski 1996
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