Research Catalog

Title

Jay Gorney papers, 1896-1993.

Author

Gorney, Jay, 1896-1990.

Supplementary Content

Finding Aid

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Found In

p1pc Jay Gorney papers, scores and sound recordings. (CStRLIN)NYPW94-A52.

Description

7 linear feet (12 boxes)

Summary

Collection consists of personal and professional papers, production files and teaching materials documenting the life and career of composer Jay Gorney. The bulk of the collection consists of professional files relating to productions. The general files (personal and professional) contain biographical material, correspondence, legal documents, articles by Gorney, publicity, photographs, programs and certificates. Production files including correspondence, scripts, notes, lyrics, story ideas, contracts, photographs, programs and clippings illustrate Gorney's work primarily for theater and film, though there is also a small amount from radio and television. Teaching materials reflect Gorney's efforts to teach the writing of musical theater to others and include lectures, notes, correspondence, contracts, publicity and clippings. Oversized ephemera includes diplomas, certificate and posters.

Subjects

• Musicals
• Correspondence
• Composers
• Scripts
• Theater > United States
• Gorney, Jay, 1896-1990
• Musical theater > United States
• Photographic prints
• Posters
• Sheet music
• Programs

Genre/Form

• Correspondence.
• Photographic prints.
• Posters.
• Programs.
• Scripts.
• Sheet music.

Access (note)

• Collection is open to the public. Library policy on photography and photocopying will apply. Advance notice may be required.

Biography (note)

• Composer, producer, writer and teacher, Jay Gorney was born Abraham Jacob Gornetzky in Bialystok, Russia on December 12, 1896.

Indexes/Finding Aids (note)

• Collection guide available in repository and on internet.

Linking Entry (note)

• Forms part of Jay Gorney papers, scores and sound recordings.

Call Number

*T-Mss 1994-002

OCLC

NYPG05-A10184

Author

Gorney, Jay, 1896-1990.

Title

Jay Gorney papers, 1896-1993.

Restricted Access

Collection is open to the public. Library policy on photography and photocopying will apply. Advance notice may be required.

Biography

Composer, producer, writer and teacher, Jay Gorney was born Abraham Jacob Gornetzky in Bialystok, Russia on December 12, 1896. In 1906 he and his family fled a pogrom and came to the United States, settling in Detroit, Michigan. Gorney attended the University of Michigan (B.A., 1917, LL.B., 1919), but after a year of practicing law, moved to New York to focus on his real love, songwriting. It was at this point that he changed his name legally to Abraham J. Gorney and professionally, to Jay Gorney. In the 1920s he wrote the scores for a number of Broadway shows including TOP HOLE, VOGUES OF 1924 and MERRY-GO-ROUND. In the early 1930s he wrote music for Earl Carroll's VANITIES, THE ZIEGFELD FOLLIES and the Shuberts' AMERICANA. For this last show he wrote perhaps his most famous song, the Depression anthem, BROTHER, CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?, with lyrics by E. Y. Harburg. During this period, Gorney also worked for Paramount Studios in New York, coordinating musical stories and ideas, and wrote songs with lyricist Howard Dietz.

In 1933 Gorney went to Hollywood to work at Fox Studios. It was here that he discovered Shirley Temple for whom, with Lew Brown, he wrote the song, BABY, TAKE A BOW, which she sang in the movie STAND UP AND CHEER. Gorney's greatest stage success was MEET THE PEOPLE, a revue he wrote and produced with Edward Eliscu and Henry Myers that opened in Hollywood in 1939 and on Broadway on Christmas night 1940. The revue was revived in 1943-1944 and again in 1955. In the 1940s Gorney worked in both California and New York. He was a composer and producer for Columbia Pictures, writing the scores for HEY, ROOKIE and THE GAY SENORITA, among others. He also wrote THEY CAN'T GET YOU DOWN, a musical play, and the Broadway musicals, HEAVEN ON EARTH and TOUCH AND GO, the latter with sketches and lyrics by Jean and Walter Kerr. Gorney also did some television work as a writer-composer-producer.

Gorney began teaching his craft of writing for musical theater beginning in 1948 when he and his wife Sondra created a musical play department at the Dramatic Workshop of the New School in New York City. They ran the department for three years producing five student productions. In 1952 they joined the faculty of the American Theatre Wing's professional training program where they produced ON THE WING, an original student musical. Gorney also taught writing for musical theater at Hunter College. In 1953 Gorney was subpoened by the House Un-American Activities Committee where he declined to answer any questions invoking both the Fifth and the Sixth Amendments. Instead he serenaded the Committee with his musical version of the First Amendment, a song he called THE BILL OF RIGHTS. For this he was blacklisted in the entertainment industry, fired from his contract at CBS-TV, and from his position teaching writing for musical plays at Hunter College.

Gorney continued to teach, however, even setting up his own school, the Jay Gorney School of Musical Comedy which offered classes and private lessons in his Manhattan home. He also continued to compose musical scores including THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD, the children's shows KRIS KRINGLE RIDES AGAIN and THE GEOGRAFOOF, and he wrote the music for the NBC-TV 1961 series THE FRONTIERS OF FAITH. Gorney received a number of awards including a special Tony Award for his dedicated teaching at the American Theatre Wing in 1962, a citation for 40 years of creativity from the Yale Drama School in 1965, the Songwriters Hall of Fame outstanding song award in 1976, and the ASCAP/Richard Rodgers Award for his outstanding contribution to the American musical theater in 1986. Jay Gorney died on June 14, 1990 at the age of 93.

Indexes

Collection guide available in repository and on internet.

Linking Entry

Forms part of Jay Gorney papers, scores and sound recordings.

Connect to:

Request Access to Theatre Division Special Collections material

NYPL Digital Collections

Finding Aid

Occupation

Composers.

Found In:

p1pc Jay Gorney papers, scores and sound recordings. (CStRLIN)NYPW94-A52.

Research Call Number

*T-Mss 1994-002