Edward Eliscu

Life 2 April 1902 – 18 June 1998

Pseudonyms

Occupation

Place of birth New York City

Country of birth USA

Citizenship

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Edward Eliscu (April 2, 1902 – June 18, 1998) was an American lyricist, playwright, producer, and actor, renowned for his contributions to Broadway and Hollywood during the early to mid-20th century.

Born in Manhattan, New York City, to Romanian immigrant parents, he attended DeWitt Clinton High School alongside future director George Cukor and later graduated from the City College of New York. He began his career as a stage actor, performing in Broadway productions such as The Racket, Quarantine, and The Dybbuk.

Eliscu transitioned to songwriting in the late 1920s, achieving early acclaim with the 1929 Broadway musical Great Day!, co-writing hits like More Than You Know and Without a Song alongside Vincent Youmans and Billy Rose. These standards cemented his place in the American songbook.

In Hollywood, he contributed to over 40 film scores. Notably, he co-wrote the lyrics to "Carioca" for the 1933 film Flying Down to Rio, which earned him an Academy Award nomination and marked the first on-screen pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

He collaborated with many major composers and lyricists of the era, including Gus Kahn, Vernon Duke, and Nacio Herb Brown. Among his notable songs are Happy Because I'm in Love, Orchids in the Moonlight, and Music Makes Me.

In the 1950s, Eliscu’s career was derailed by the Hollywood blacklist due to alleged political affiliations, prompting his return to New York. He remained active in the arts and served as president of the American Guild of Authors & Composers from 1968 to 1973.

He was married to dancer and journalist Stella Bloch from 1931 until his death. In 1975, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Eliscu's contributions are preserved in several archives, most notably the Edward Eliscu Papers at Western Connecticut State University, documenting his legacy through correspondence, scripts, and unpublished materials.