Sammy Fain, (born Samuel E. Feinberg) (June 17, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was an American composer of popular music.[1] In the 1920s and early 1930s, he contributed numerous songs that form part of The Great American Songbook, and to Broadway theatre. Fain was also a popular musician and vocalist.

Biography

Sammy Fain was born in South Fallsburg, NY, United States, the son of a cantor. In 1923, Fain appeared with Artie Dunn in a short film directed by Lee De Forest filmed in DeForest’s Phonofilm sound-on-film process. In 1925, Fain left the Fain-Dunn act to devote himself to music. Fain was a self-taught pianist who played by ear. He began working as a staff pianist and composer for music publisher Jack Mills.

Later, Fain worked extensively in collaboration with Irving Kahal. Together they wrote classics such as “Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella” and “You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me,” (co-written with Pierre Norman) and “I’ll Be Seeing You.” Another lyricist who collaborated with Fain was Lew Brown, with whom he wrote “That Old Feeling”. His Broadway credits also include Everybody’s Welcome, Right This Way, Hellzapoppin’, Flahooley, Ankles Aweigh, Christine and Something More.

Film works

Fain also composed music for more than 30 films in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. He was nominated for the best Academy Award for Best Original Song nine times, winning twice, with “Secret Love” from Calamity Jane  in 1954 and with “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing”[3] from the movie of the same title in 1955. He co-wrote both songs with Paul Francis Webster, another long-time collaborator. Fain wrote the second theme to the TV series Wagon Train in 1958, which was called “(Roll Along) Wagon Train”. He also contributed to the song scores for the Walt Disney animated films Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and The Rescuers (the latter, soon to be his last effort, also earned him another Oscar nomination).

In 1963, he collaborated with Harold Adamson, in writing songs for the movie The Incredible Mr. Limpet, which came out in 1964, and such songs as “I Wish I Were a Fish”, “Be Careful How You Wish” and “Deep Rapture” enhanced his fame.

Recognition

In 1972, he was inducted into The Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Death

Fain died from a heart attack in Los Angeles, California, and is interred at Cedar Park Cemetery, in Emerson, New Jersey.

Work on Broadway

• Everybody’s Welcome (1931) – musical – composer
• Right This Way (1938) – musical – featured songwriter for “I’ll Be Seeing You”
• Hellzapoppin’ (1938) – revue – co-composer and co-lyricist
• George White’s Scandals of 1939 (1939) – revue – composer
• Boys and Girls Together (1940) – revue – composer
• Sons o’ Fun (1941) – revue – co-composer and co-lyricist
• Toplitzky of Notre Dame (1946) – musical – composer
• Alive and Kicking (1950) – revue – co-composer
• Flahooley (1951) – musical – composer
• Ankles Aweigh (1955) – musical – composer
• Catch a Star (1955) – revue – co-composer
• Ziegfeld Follies of 1957 (1957) – revue – featured songwriter for “An Element of Doubt”
• Christine (1960) – musical – composer
• Something More! (1964) – musical – composer
• Rock ‘N Roll! The First 5,000 Years (1982) – revue – featured songwriter for “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing”
• Swing! (1999) – revue – featured songwriter for “I’ll Be Seeing You”