Phil Charig
Philip 'Phil' Charig (August 31, 1902 – July 21, 1960) was an American composer, lyricist, songwriter, and pianist. He began his career in the early 1920s as a pianist and composer with the band leader Ben Bernie. He created stage works for both the New York and London stages; of which the best known is Follow the Girls (1944).
Also recorded as Philip Charig
Phil Charig
- Born
- 1902 · New York City.
- Died
- 1960 · New York City.
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- composer · lyricist · songwriter
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wikidata · Q2085604 · wikipedia · Phil Charig
In this article
Life and career
Life and career
He also composed music for American television and film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 11th Academy Awards for the song "Merrily We Live" from the 1938 film of the same name.
Born on August 31, 1902, in New York City, Phil Charig began his career as a pianist and composer for the band leader Ben Bernie in the early 1920s. He then worked as rehearsal pianist for George Gershwin for his musicals Tell Me More (1925) and Tip-Toes (1925), and as the rehearsal pianist for Jerome Kern's Sunny (1925). He wrote the music for two songs published in the first edition of music magazine Americana; "Sunny Disposish" (1926, lyricist Ira Gershwin) and "Why Do Ya Roll Those Eyes?" (1926, lyricist Morrie Ryskind). Charig's first musical as composer, Yes, Yes, Yvette, premiered in Boston in May 1927 and starred the actress Jeanette MacDonald. After another run of performances in Philadelphia, the production moved to Broadway's Sam H. Harris Theatre on October 3, 1927, and was received with a positive review in The New York Times. He wrote several more musicals over the next three decades, of which the most successful was Follow the Girls (1944). { Charig wrote songs for the 1933 film That's a Good Girl, and composed the score to the 1938 film Swiss Miss. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 11th Academy Awards for the song "Merrily We Live" from the 1938 film of the same name. He also worked as a composer for American television; writing songs for Jackie Gleason and as a regular composer on The Milton Berle Show. Phil Charig died at his home at 850 7th Avenue in New York City on July 21, 1960, after a year and half long illness.
Musicals
Musicals
• Yes, Yes, Yvette (1927); music also by Ben Jerome • Just Fancy (1927); music also by Joseph Meyer • That's a Good Girl (1928); music also by Joseph Meyer • Polly (1929); music also by Herbert Stothart • Sweet and Low (1930); music also by others • Stand Up and Sing (1931) • Nikki (1931) • Artists and Models of 1943 (1943); music and lyrics by Phil Charig; music also by Dan Shapiro, Milton Pascal • Follow the Girls (1944); music and lyrics by Phil Charig; music also by Dan Shapiro, Milton Pascal • Catch a Star! (1955); music also by Sammy Fain
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Phil Charig, revision 1351015039 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Colin Larkin. The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4 ed.). Oxford University Press. 2009. 9780199726363.
- 2.Ean Wood. George Gershwin: His Life & Music. BobCat Books. 2012. 9780857128140.
- 3.Maggie McCormick. Jeanette MacDonald On the Air, Volume 1: Radio. BearManor Media. 2022.
- 4.YES, YES, YVETTE' IS CHEERY, REFRESHING; Jack Whiting and Jeanette MacDonald Aid in Keeping Musical Comedy at Lively Pace. The New York Times. 32. October 4, 1927.
- 5.Playbill Vault
- 6.PHILIP CHARIG, 58, COMPOSER, DEAD; Writer of Scores for Musical Comedies – Collaborated on 'Follow the Girls'. The New York Times. 19. July 23, 1960.
References
Citations
References
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Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 25 August 2026.
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