that caliber any more but they haven't, by and large, for the past decade. But culture reflects its own times, and I think itis fair to say that our graceless age is receiving the music and the lyrics it deserves.

EYOND the light, lively effervescence of Dietz's book, beyond the names, the anecdotes, and the vignettes that of- ten threaten to make the book episodic and fragmented, beyond even Garbo, Gable, and Goldwyn, one yearns for more information about Dietz's work for the theater and, especially, about his collaborationwithArthur Schwartz. Betty Comden, Howard Dietz, and Arthur Schwartz rehearsingor MGM'sThe Band Wagon Here, in the most important area of Dietz's creative life, his recollections are HOWARD DIETZ'S DANCING IN THE DARK frustratingly laconic and reticent. A fewothercavils:thebook's A book review by Robert Kimball hundred -forty -odd photos could have been more clearly reproduced, and the HEN Howard Dietz was a studenttinctive figures in the carpet of Dietz'sbook itself more attractively designed. at the Columbia University School memory. Dietz's brightly etched por-And I would have been a lot happier if of Journalism, he won the $500 firsttraits of stars and celebrities never linger the list of shows at the back of the book prize in a contest for the college mantoo long on the screen and are always as had been more complete and accurate. who wrote the best advertisement forcarefully drawn and fastidiously framedThere are also several mistakes in the Fatima cigarettes. The winning Fatimaas his best lyrics for the music of his text as well that should have been caught ad brought Dietz several job offers, andlongtime collaborator, master -composer by careful editing or proofreading. No, the one he accepted-as a copywriterArthur Schwartz. Ethel Merman did not sing Embraceable with the Philip Goodman Company- Dancing in the Dark presents no less You in Girl Crazy (1930); Ginger Ro- changed hislife. One of Goodman'sthan thirty Dietz lyrics, and these re-gers and Allen Kearns did. The obstrep- clients happened to be a rising moviemind us that it is as a lyricist-not as aerous Shubert brother Dietz mentions producernamedSamuelGoldwyn. publicist-that he will be best remem- on page 229 should be Jake (J. J.), since When Goldwyn needed a logo for hisbered. The road to his career as a lyricSam had died thirty years before. And film company, Dietz was the man who writer was paved by Philip Goodmanthere are others. On page 72, Dietz conceived the now legendary Leo the (playing a pivotal role in Dietz's life fornotes that Dear Sir opened in September Lion roaring in a friendly way out of athe second time), who arranged for the 1924 (this was the show he wrote with frame bearing the legend "Ars Gratiaunseasoned Dietz to collaborate on theKern). He then states that six months Anis" - Art for Art's Sake (Roar, Lion, score for a musical comedy with the cel- after the opening he received a letter of Roar is, of course, the Columbia school ebrated composer Jerome Kern in 1924. introduction from Arthur Schwartz. But song, and the lion is its mascot). Five years later, an established lyric he gives the date of Schwartz's letter as After World War I, the ever -resource- writer, Dietz joined forces with ArthurFebruary 24, 1924, and dates his reply ful Dietz parlayed a phony letter com-Schwartz to create a score for the first March 8, 1924. These letters would have paign in a New York newspaper (the edition of The Little Show. to have been written in 1925 or 1926. lettersblatantlyhymned Goldwyn's The impressive list of Dietz -Schwartz The year 1926 is supported by the praises) into a job with Goldwyn's pub- theater scores and songs includes 1929's dates on these same letters which ap- licity department. When the Goldwyn The Little Show (I Guess I'll Have to pear, along with Stanley Green's inform- Pictures Corporation became part ofChange My Plan),1930's Three's a ative notes, in the booklet that accom- Metro -Goldwyn -Mayer, Dietz was putCrowd (Something to Remember Youpanies "Alone Together" (Monmouth/ in charge of the new entity's advertis- By), 1931's The Band Wagon (Dancing Evergreen 6604/5), a totally delectable ing and publicity. intheDark),1932's Flying Colors two -record tribute to Dietz and Schwartz. Dietz's long, eventful association with (LouisianaHayride),1934'smusical Here thirty-two of their best songs- MGM is the source of some of the liveli-play Revenge with Music (You and thesome familiar, some obscure-are sung est of the tales that adorn his sprightly, Night and the Music, If There Is Some-sensitively and delightfully by a quartet deftlypacedbookofrecollections,one Lovelier Than You),1935's At of pros, Nancy Dussault, Karen Morrow, Dancing in the Dark. Throughout hisHome Abroad (Farewell, My Lovely),Clifford David, and Neal Kenyon. Paul evocativereminiscencesnamesand 1937's Between the Devil (I See YourTrueblood's musical direction and ar- anecdotes drop as gently and frequently FaceBeforeMe),1948'sHauntedrangements are classy. This album is a as petals from a rose. Within the space ofHeart,1961's The Gay Life,1963's perfect introduction to the wonderful two pages, for example, we can readJennie, and, of course, thetitle songworld of Dietz and Schwartz. about Joan Crawford, Hedy Lamarr,for the film That's Entertainment (1974), In the opening lyric for The Band Louis B. Mayer, Tallulah Bankhead (itoriginally written for the 1953 film ver- Wagon, Dietz admonished, "It better be was Dietz who said, "A day away fromsion of The Band Wagon. All in all,good/It better be good and funny." Fol- Tallulah is like a month in the country"),these are dandy scores with luscious lowing his own advice, he has given us a Leland Hayward, Katharine Hepburn,melodies and urbane lyrics. And theybook that is both good and funny-an Margaret Sullavan, George Cukor, andwere introduced by the likes of Fred especially notable accomplishment since others, and not simply as names in anandAdeleAstaire,Libby Holman, it was written while Dietz was engaged "among those present" list but as dis-Clifton Webb, Tamara Geva,Ethel in a (continuing) gallant fight against Dancing in the Dark,words by Howard Waters, and Mary Martin. It would beParkinson's disease. The book is a fine Dietz. Quadrangle/The New York Times superfluous perhaps to add that song- souvenir of the unique talent of one of Book Co. (1974), 370 pp., $10. writers not only do not write songs of our finest lyricists. 48 STEREO REVIEW