Arlen

Arlen, Harold, 1905-86, American jazz and popular composer, b. Buffalo, N.Y., as Hyman Arluck. From the age of seven Arlen sang in the synagogue where his father was cantor, at 15 he left school to play jazz piano, and at 16 he left home. After coming to New York City in 1925, Arlen achieved fame by writing songs for various reviews and for the shows at Harlem's Cotton Club (1930-34). Many of his songs became jazz standards because of their genuine blues feeling and haunting melodies (e.g., "Ill Wind," "Stormy Weather," "Blues in the Night"), and the harmonic richness and melodic inventiveness of his other songs (e.g., "That Old Black Magic," "Get Happy," "One for My Baby") also had their roots in jazz. In 1939, Arlen won an Academy Award for the song "Over the Rainbow" in the film The Wizard of Oz. Among the 29 other films for which he wrote scores are Cabin in the Sky (1943) and A Star Is Born (1954). He also wrote the music for eight Broadway shows, notably House of Flowers (1954).

Arlen, Michael, 1895-1956, English novelist, b. Bulgaria as Dikran Kuyumjian. The son of Armenian parents, he was brought to England as a child. In 1922 he became a British subject and changed his name, and in 1928 he married Countess Atalanta Mercati. Arlen is best remembered for his fantastically successful novel (and play) The Green Hat (1924), which depicts the licentious postwar life of fashionable London society. His characters are disillusioned, cynical, and witty. Although sophisticated, the novel is ultimately sentimental. Arlen's novels depicted the mood of the 1920s, and by the 30s he was no longer read. His last novel, Flying Dutchman, appeared in 1939.

orig. Hyman Arluck

(born Feb. 15, 1905, Buffalo, N.Y., U.S.—died April 23, 1986, New York, N.Y.) U.S. songwriter. After working as a performer and arranger, in 1929 he began a collaboration with lyricist Ted Koehler (1894–1973) with the song “Get Happy”; until the mid-1930s they wrote many songs that were featured in shows at Harlem's Cotton Club. Arlen's scores for Broadway musicals include Bloomer Girl (1944) and St. Louis Woman (1946). For Hollywood films Arlen wrote the songs “It's Only a Paper Moon,” “Let's Fall in Love,” and “That Old Black Magic.” His most famous song is perhaps “Over the Rainbow” (lyrics by E.Y. Harburg) from The Wizard of Oz (1939).

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orig. Hyman Arluck

(born Feb. 15, 1905, Buffalo, N.Y., U.S.—died April 23, 1986, New York, N.Y.) U.S. songwriter. After working as a performer and arranger, in 1929 he began a collaboration with lyricist Ted Koehler (1894–1973) with the song “Get Happy”; until the mid-1930s they wrote many songs that were featured in shows at Harlem's Cotton Club. Arlen's scores for Broadway musicals include Bloomer Girl (1944) and St. Louis Woman (1946). For Hollywood films Arlen wrote the songs “It's Only a Paper Moon,” “Let's Fall in Love,” and “That Old Black Magic.” His most famous song is perhaps “Over the Rainbow” (lyrics by E.Y. Harburg) from The Wizard of Oz (1939).

Learn more about Arlen, Harold with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Arlen may refer to:Places

• Arlen, Texas, a fictional town in the animated series King of the Hill is setPeople
• Harold Arlen, an American musical composer
• Michael Arlen, an Armenian novelist and short story writer
• Richard Arlen, an American actor
• Arlen Erdahl (born 1931), an American politician
• Arlen Gargagliano, an American writer and chef
• Arlen Harris (born 1980), an American football player
• Arlen Lancaster, chief of the United States Department of Agriculture
• Arlen Ness, an American motorcycle designer
• Arlen Roth (born 1952), an American guitarist
• Arlen Siu (died 1972), a Chinese-Nicaraguan writer
• Arlen Specter (born 1930), an American politican
• Arlen Thompson, drummer of the indie rock group Wolf Parade