Legendary Broadway lyricist and librettist from 1907 through 1928
Lyricist Anne Caldwell, or Anne Caldwell O’Dea, was born in Boston, Massachusetts on August 30, 1867. She began her career as a singer with the Juvenile Opera Co. and was one of only four female songwriters active in the early 1900’s.
A charter member of the American Society of Composer, Authors and Publishers, Caldwell’s output as a lyricist and librettist in the years 1907 through 1928 focused mainly on Broadway scores. She was the main lyricist for the Broadway Stage shows The Canary and The City Chap and worked as the librettist on Pom-Pom, She’s a Good Fellow, The Night Boat, The Sweetheart Shop, Good Morning Dearie, Chin Chin, Jack o’ Lantern, Tip Top, Hitchy Koo of 1921, The Bunch and Judy, Stepping Stones, Criss Cross, Oh, Please!, Three Cheers, Take the Air, Top of the World and The Lady of the Slipper.
From 1900 through the mid-1920’s Caldwell mainly collaborated with composer Jerome Kern. Beginning in 1926 she teamed with other composers including Vincent Youmans, Dave Stamper, Harry Tierney, Raymond Hubbell, Otto Harbach and Hugo Felix.
Her popular song catalog boasts the hit songs “Temple Bells”, “In the Dark”, “Wait Till the Cows Come Home”, “Come and Have a Swing With Me”, “The Bullfrog Patrol”, “Whose Baby Are You?”, “Left All Alone Again Blues”,”, “Didn’t You Believe?”, “Blue Danube Blues”, “Easy Pickin’s”, “Ka-lu-a”, “Once In A Blue Moon”, “Raggedy Ann”, “Cinderella Girl”, “I Know That You Know” and “Like She Loves Me”.
Anne Caldwell died in Hollywood, California on October 22, 1936.
I wanted to know about the stage...I would not be satisfied if I wrote books and they were read in the quiet nooks of libraries. I wanted someone to read my lines and I wanted people to hear them.
