Herbert Fields

Herbert Fields (1897-1958) was a celebrated librettist and screenwriter. The brother and sister team of Herbert and Dorothy Fields was part of a vibrant New York theatrical family that also included their brother, Joseph, a prolific librettist and playwright, and their father, Lew, the famous producer, actor, and director. Together, Herbert and Dorothy Fields wrote the books for eight Broadway musicals, including three with scores by Cole Porter (Something For the Boys starring Ethel Merman, Let's Face It! starring Danny Kaye, and Mexican Hayride); By The Beautiful Sea with music by Arthur Schwartz; Up in Central Park with music by Sigmund Romberg; Arms and the Girl with music by Morton Gould; Redhead with music by Albert Hague; and the classic Annie Get Your Gun with a score by Irving Berlin.

Prior to collaborating with his sister, Herbert Fields wrote the books for musical comedies featuring scores by some of the greatest talents of his day. He wrote seven musicals with Rodgers & Hart, including Dearest Enemy, Peggy-Ann and A Connecticut Yankee, and seven with Cole Porter, including Fifty Million Frenchmen, Du Barry Was A Lady, and Panama Hattie, as well as the three cited above. Among his other collaborators were Vincent Youmans (Hit the Deck), George and Ira Gershwin, Sigmund Romberg and Arthur Schwartz.