Adolph Green, one half of the longest—and among the greatest—theatrical collaborations in Broadway history, died Thurs., Oct. 24 of natural causes in his Manhattan home. He was 87.
From his first collaboration, in 1938, with Betty Comden—writing book, music, and lyrics for a cabaret act at the behest of a mutual friend, Judy Tuvin, later Judy Holliday—Green's work as a writer and performer brimmed with wit, humor, sophistication, surprise, optimism, and dead-on, unhackneyed emotion. The act had a name—The Revuers—and was the only time Comden and Green wrote tunes to match their words. Subsequently, he was "Mr. Words," and she, "Mrs. Words," a deep collaboration that led many to believe they were married. They were not: Comden married businessman Steven Kyle in 1942, and Green, after two unsuccessful marriages, began a more than 40-year teaming up with actress Phyllis Newman in 1960.
Beginning with the musical "On the Town"—initiated by Green's old friend Leonard Bernstein—the names Comden and Green connoted Broadway excellence. As lyricists and/or book writers—mostly both—they wrote "Billion Dollar Baby" (1945), "Two On the Aisle" (1951), 'Wonderful Town" (1953), "Peter Pan" (1954), "Bells Are Ringing" (1956), "Say, Darling" (1958), "Do Re Mi" (1960), "Subways Are for Sleeping" (1961), "Fade Out—Fade In" (1964), "Hallelujah, Baby!" (1967), "Applause" (1970), "On the Twentieth Century" (1978), "A Doll's Life (1982), and "The Will Rogers Follies" (1991), working with such composers as Bernstein, Charles Strouse, Jule Styne, and Cy Coleman.
Green received a total of five Tony Awards with Comden—for "Wonder-ful Town," "On the Twentieth Century" (one for book, one for lyrics), "Hallelujah, Baby!," and "The Will Rogers Follies."
Over the years, there were also revivals of many of their shows, including two incarnations performing in "A Party With Betty Comden and Adolph Green." Among their classic songs are "New York, New York," "The Party's Over," "Just in Time," "Make Someone Happy," "Never Never Land," and "Ohio." They received Kennedy Center honors in 1991.
Yet of all their works, perhaps Green's greatest legacy is co-writing, as always with Comden, the screenplay to "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), perhaps the greatest movie musical ever written. They also wrote the screenplay for "Auntie Mame" (1958) and many other films.
In addition to Newman, Green is survived by two children, Adam and Amanda.