Herbert Fields

Fields, Herbert (1897–1958), librettist. Son of Lew Fields and brother of Dorothy Fields and Joseph Fields, he was born in New York and educated at Columbia before turning his hand to librettos. His earliest work, done with Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, was considered to be among the most advanced and sophisticated of its day. His works included Dearest Enemy (1925), The Girl Friend (1926), Peggy Ann (1926), Hit the Deck! (1927), A Connecticut Yankee (1927), Present Arms (1928), Chee‐Chee (1928), Hello, Daddy (1928), Fifty Million Frenchmen (1929), The New Yorkers (1930), America's Sweetheart (1931), Pardon My English (1933), Du Barry Was a Lady (1939), and Panama Hattie (1940). After 1941, all his works were collaborations with his sister: Let's Face It! (1941), Something for the Boys (1943), Mexican Hayride (1944), Up in Central Park (1945), Annie Get Your Gun (1946), Arms and the Girl (1950), By the Beautiful Sea (1954), and Redhead (1959).

• Born: July 26, 1897
• Birthplace: New York
• Died: March 24, 1958

Herbert Fields, along with his sister, Dorothy Fields, and Sidney Sheldon, won 2 Tony Awards in 1959 for writing the book for the year's Best Musical, Redhead, as well as for Best Writers of a Musical. The children of vaudeville star, Lew Fields, Herbert and his siblings, Joseph and Dorothy, all wrote musicals for the stage. Herbert started his writing career doing the librettos for a string of Rodgers and Hart musicals during the 1920s, shows such as The Girl Friend and A Connecticut Yankee. Later he wrote the books for musicals by Cole Porter; his greatest success came in 1946 with the libretto for Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun, which ran 1,147 performances.

Most Famous Works

• Dearest Enemy (1925)
• The Girl Friend (1926)
• Hit the Deck (1927)
• A Connecticut Yankee (1927)
• Something for the Boys (1943)
• Annie Get Your Gun (1946)
• By the Beautiful Sea (1954)
• Redhead (1959)

(1897-1958)

1927

A Connecticut Yankee. This musical version of Mark Twain's novel features a score by Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers. Herbert Fields was the son of comic performer Lew Fields (1867-1941). His other works include Peggy-Ann (1926), Fifty Million Frenchmen (1929), DuBarry Was a Lady (1939), and Panama Hattie (1940).

• Born: Jul 26, 1897
• Died: 1958
• Occupation: Writer
• Active: '30s-'40s
• Major Genres: Musical, Comedy
• Career Highlights: Annie Get Your Gun, Something for the Boys, Du Barry Was a Lady
• First Major Screen Credit: Hit the Deck (1930)

Biography

Screenwriter/playwright Herbert Fields started out as a stage actor and also appeared in one film The Porcelain Lamp in 1921. He then became a choreographer and a director on Broadway until 1925 when he began writing plays. A prolific playwright, Fields also co-penned a few books for theatrical musicals such as Annie Get Your Gun with his younger sister Dorothy Fields, a noted composer/lyricist. He began writing screenplays alone and in collaboration during the 1930s. Herbert Fields is the son of comic Lew Fields. His brother Joseph is also a playwright/screenwriter. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Hit the Deck Buy this Movie	Annie Get Your Gun Buy this Movie	Mexican Hayride Buy this Movie	Up in Central Park Buy this Movie
Du Barry Was a Lady Buy this Movie	Panama Hattie Buy this Movie	Honolulu Buy this Movie	Joy of Living Buy this Movie

Show More Movies Show Fewer Movies