Arthur Freed facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Arthur Freed
Freed receiving the Screen Producers Guild's Milestone Award, 1964
Background information
Birth name	Arthur Grossman
Born	(1894-09-09)September 9, 1894 Charleston, South Carolina, United States
Died	April 12, 1973(1973-04-12) (aged 78) Los Angeles, California, United States
Occupation(s)	Lyricist, film producer

Arthur Freed (born September 9, 1894 – died April 12, 1973) was an amazing American talent in Hollywood. He started as a songwriter, writing words for many famous songs. Later, he became a very successful film producer. He was especially known for making some of the most beloved musical movies ever! He even won the top award, the Academy Award for Best Picture, twice for his musicals An American in Paris (in 1951) and Gigi (in 1958). Both of these award-winning films were musicals directed by Vincente Minnelli. Freed also produced the classic movie Singin' in the Rain, which featured many songs he had helped write earlier in his career.

Early Life and Start in Music

Arthur Freed was born into a Jewish family in Charleston, South Carolina. When he was in high school, he loved writing poetry. After finishing school in 1914, he began his career in Chicago. He worked as a song-plugger, which meant he played new songs on the piano to try and get people to buy the sheet music.

He also met Minnie Marx, the mother of the famous Marx Brothers. Freed sang as part of their act on the vaudeville circuit. Vaudeville was a popular type of entertainment with many different acts, like singers, comedians, and dancers. Freed even wrote some material for the Marx Brothers. Soon, he started writing his own songs. He was hired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), a big movie studio. For many years, he wrote lyrics for lots of films. Many of these songs had music written by Nacio Herb Brown.

Becoming a Film Producer

In 1939, Arthur Freed took on a new role at MGM. He worked as an associate producer on the famous movie The Wizard of Oz. An associate producer helps the main producer with many tasks. After this, he was promoted to lead his own special team at MGM. This team focused on making musical films. Freed helped MGM become the top studio for creating amazing movie musicals.

His first movie as the main producer was Babes in Arms (1939). This film starred young talents Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. It was a huge hit! Its success led to many more "let's put on a show" type musicals, often starring Rooney and Garland.

Bringing in New Talent

Arthur Freed was great at finding and bringing new talent to Hollywood. He brought many talented people from Broadway theaters to the MGM studios. These included famous directors like Vincente Minnelli and writers like Betty Comden and Adolph Green. He also helped shape the careers of many movie stars. These stars included Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, and Fred Astaire. Freed even convinced Fred Astaire to come out of semi-retirement to star with Judy Garland in Easter Parade.

Freed's team of writers, directors, composers, and stars created many popular and highly praised musicals. They kept making these great films until the late 1950s.

Creative Freedom in Musicals

One special thing about Arthur Freed was that he gave his directors and choreographers a lot of freedom. This was unusual at a time when many movies were made by large committees. Freed allowed for very creative moments in his films. For example, in An American in Paris (1951), he allowed a fifteen-minute ballet scene at the end of the movie. The film then finished shortly after, without more talking or singing. He also gave the musical team of Lerner and Loewe complete control over their writing for Gigi (1958).

Winning Academy Awards

Two of Arthur Freed's films won the highest honor in movies, the Academy Award for Best Picture. These were An American in Paris and Gigi. On the night An American in Paris won Best Picture, Freed also received an Honorary Oscar for his overall contributions to film.

It's important to know that in 1951, when An American in Paris won, it was the first time the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated producers by their names. Before that, the award went to the studio. So, Arthur Freed was the very first person to win the Best Picture award by name! Interestingly, his film Singin' in the Rain (1952), which is now considered one of the greatest musicals ever, did not win any Oscars at the time. In 1972, Arthur Freed was honored by being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Later Years and Legacy

Arthur Freed left MGM in 1961. He then served as the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group that gives out the Oscars. He held this important position until 1966. Arthur Freed passed away from a heart attack on April 12, 1973. His work as a lyricist and producer left a lasting mark on Hollywood, especially in the world of movie musicals.

Hit Songs

Here are some of the popular songs Arthur Freed wrote lyrics for:

With Nacio Herb Brown

With others

• "I Cried for You" (with Gus Arnheim and Abe Lyman)
• "Our Love Affair" (with Roger Edens)
• "This Heart of Mine" (with Harry Warren)
• "There's Beauty Everywhere" (with Harry Warren)
• "Here's to the Girls" (with Roger Edens)

Producing Credits

Here is a list of films Arthur Freed produced: