Porter, Cole (1891-1964)

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Porter, Cole (1891-1964)

Cole Porter was one of the most important creators of musicals from the 1920s to the 1950s. He was one of those rare Broadway composers who wrote both lyrics and music. His impressive list of twenty-three Broadway shows included Anything Goes (1934), Kiss Me, Kate (1948), and Can-Can (1953). Porter also wrote songs for films such as Rosalie (1937) and High Society (1956). Porter enjoyed the luxurious lifestyle, and his affluent upbringing is reflected in the wit and sophistication of both his music and his lyrics.

Cole Porter was born on June 9, 1891, in Peru, Indiana, with a proverbial "silver spoon" in his mouth; his grandfather was a multi-millionaire banker. Music was important to the young Cole, and he was already publishing songs at age 11. He continued writing songs and playing piano while a pre-law student at Yale University (B.A.,1913). Law school at Harvard did not fit well with Porter's interests, and he changed his studies to music. This greatly concerned his family, which was fearful that the heir to the family fortune would not have formal training in business acumen.

A devoted francophile, Porter spent a great deal of time in Paris, where he maintained a lavish apartment. He studied in Paris with French composer Vincent d'Indy, and Parisian locales appeared frequently in his shows.

Porter's first show, See America First (1916), opened and closed almost immediately. His second show, the revue Hitchy-Koo (1920), was as disastrous as its predecessor. Despite these early failures, Porter nevertheless continued to pursue a career as a composer. His first successful song, "Let's Do It," appeared in the musical comedy Paris (1928). In this song, Porter's penchant for double entendre is readily apparent. Two moderately successful shows, Fifty Million Frenchmen and Wake Up and Dream, appeared in 1929. During the early 1930s, Porter had hit songs with "Love for Sale" from The New Yorkery (1930) and "Night and Day" from The Gay Divorcee (1932).

Although he had produced a number of hit songs by the mid-1930s, Porter still had not written a successful show. Anything Goes (1934) changed that, playing 420 performances in its initial Broadway run. The plot involved mistaken identity aboard a ship, and the colorful list of characters included Reno Sweeney, an ex-evangelist turned nightclub singer; Billy Crocker, a stowaway; Hope Harcourt, a debutante; and Moon-Face Mooney, Public Enemy No. 13. Songs such as "Anything Goes," "You're the Top," "I Get a Kick out of You," and "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" garnered lavish praise for the show and its creator. Ethel Merman, William Gaxton, and Victor Moore starred in the original production.

Porter's success continued through the 1930s with several important musicals. Jubilee (1935), inspired by the Silver Jubilee of Britain's King George V and Queen Mary, concerned a royal family who were able to live in cognito. Songs included "Just One of Those Things," "Begin the Beguine," and "Why Shouldn't I?" Red, Hot and Blue! (1936), a political satire, starred Jimmy Durante, Ethel Merman, and Bob Hope. "It's De-Lovely," one of Porter's greatest songs, was introduced in this show. Another political spoof, Leave It to Me! (1938), is best remembered as the show in which Mary Martin made her Broadway debut. She sang her one solo number, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," (the lyrics of which are replete with double entendres) while doing a striptease atop a steamer trunk and surrounded by fur-clad chorus boys. DuBarry Was a Lady (1939), the fifth longest-running musical of the decade, starred Bert Lahr and Ethel Merman, who introduced the immortal duet "Friendship."

Porter was an avid equestrian. In 1937, he suffered a serious riding accident from which he never would completely recover, despite over two dozen operations and several years in a wheelchair. His right leg, which was crushed in the accident, had to be amputated in 1958. From 1937 to 1958, despite intense, constant pain, Porter continued to write successful musical comedies filled with notable songs.

Porter's shows from the 1940s included Panama Hattie (1940), Let's Face It! (1941), Mexican Hayride (1944), and Kiss Me, Kate (1948). Kiss Me, Kate, his most successful Broadway show, takes place onstage and backstage during rehearsals for a musical version of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. The book by Samuel and Bella Spewack blurred the distinction between the lives of the characters as actors and as non-actors. The calvacade of hit songs included "Another Op'nin', Another Show," "Why Can't You Behave?" "Wunderbar," "So in Love," "I Hate Men," "Where Is the Life That Late I Led?" and "Brush Up Your Shakespeare." The show starred Alfred Drake and Patricia Morison. Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson played the lead roles in the 1953 film version.

During the 1950s, Porter continued to compose successful musicals. Can-Can (1953) epitomized Porter's love for the French capital. Songs included "C'est Magnifique" and "I Love Paris." While Lido, the French actress who played the lead role, introduced the world to "I Love Paris," it was Gwen Verdon, who danced an Apache dance and the sensuous "Garden of Eden" ballet, who received the greatest accolades. Silk Stockings (1955) was Porter's last show, and his sixth to be set in France. The spy plot spawned such songs as "Paris Loves Lovers," "All of You," and "Silk Stockings." The 1957 film version featured Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse.

Porter also maintained an active career in Hollywood. Twelve of his Broadway shows were made into films, and he wrote songs for numerous other motion pictures. Significant film songs included "I've Got You Under My Skin" from Born to Dance (1936), "Rosalie" and "In the Still of the Night" from Rosalie (1937), "Be a Clown" from The Pirate (1948), and "True Love" from High Society (1956).

Cole Porter was one of the most important creators of musicals during the middle part of the century. His sophisticated use of double entendre and his love for the city of Paris inspired his greatest work. His ability to create both sophisticated words and chic music made his songs stand out from those of many of his contemporaries.

—William A. Everett