[ Francis Wheeler ]
Currently no information available for this lyricist.
Active writing at the turn of the century (1900), He and co-lyricist Harry B. Smith are perhaps best known for their lyric to Ted Snyder's
1921 "The Sheik of Araby".
1928 "Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella", co-lyricist was Irving Kahal. Music by Ted Snyder

   [ Charles A. White ]
b. 1830, Boston, MA, USA, d. 1892, Boston, MA, USA.
Charles exhibited his love of music at a very tender age. When he could not afford to purchase a violin, he made one out of an empty cigar box, and proceeded to teach himself to play. We know that as a young man, he was on the faculty of the naval school in Newport, RI. He resigned that post, and in partnership with John F. Perry and W. Frank Smith, formed the music publishing firm of White-Smith Music Company.

He then turned his attention to songwriting; both the music and lyrics. Curiously, his first song, "The Widow in the Cottage by the Seashore", was published by his competitor, Oliver Ditson Music in 1868.

In 1870, White formed his own publishing company. The first songs he wrote for this venture were:
"A Bird From O'er the Sea"
"I'se Gwine Back to Dixie"
"Come, Birdie"
"When the Leaves Begin to Turn"

But his main claim to fame came with his big hit:
1893 "Marguerite"
He auditioned the song for Denman Thompson, at the Old Boston Theater, where Denman was starring in 'The Old Homestead'. The song was interpolated into the play, and became a national hit. It was one of the biggest hits of the decade.

After "Marguerite", he continued to compose such songs as:
1894 "The President Cleveland March"
1896 "My Love's a Rose"
1897 "Oo-Le-Me-Na"
And, he composed some very well received sentimental Ballads.
"Thou Art an Angel"
"Come Silver Moon"
"When 'Tis Moonlight"
"Beyond the Clouds"
"Birds in Dreamland Sleep"
White died in 1892, at age 62.

   [ Christopher Whelen ]
This English composer's first fame came as a writer of operas for radio (for Radio 3). He was assistant conductor with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and advocate of the music of Arnold Bax. Whelen composed three film scores:
    The Valiant (1962)
    Coast of Skeletons(1965)
    The Face of Fu Man Chu (1965)

   [ George White ]
né: George Weitz
b. March 12, 1890 (or 1892), New York, USA. (or possibly- Toronto, Canada.)
d. October 11, 1968, Hollywood, CA, USA. (Leukemia)
Overview:
White began his career touring as part of a burlesque show dance team, and later became a "singles" act. (He also danced in Flo Ziegfeld's Follies.) In the 1910s, he settled in New York City and began to produce, direct, write, and occasionally even appear in shows. He is best remembered for his productions, from the late 1910s to 1939, of the annual Scandals revues, that rivaled Florenz Ziegfeld's Follies in popularity (while never equalling Ziegfeld's lavishness).

Such entertainers as Frances Williams ( the singer & dancer who introduced the 'Charleston' dance in the 1920 edition of the Scandals; appeared in the 1929 film 'The Cocoanuts"; and introduced "As Time Goes By" in the 1931 Broadway play 'Everybody's Welcome' (née: Frances Jellinek b. Nov.3,1901, Saint Paul, MN, USA, d. Jan. 27, 1959, New York, NY,USA. age 57, cancer), appeared in the Scandals. Ray Bolger, on the right, as he appeared in the film 'Sunny', and Rudy Vallee, shown here with an older Alice Faye as they both appeared in the Hollywood film "George White's Scandals". (Vallee insisted that she would be the star), Eleanor Powell and Ann Miller, as she appeared in the film "Kiss Me Kate". and Alice Faye, (Possibly as she appeared (age 13) in the 1928 Earl Carroll Vanities - or possibly in the 1931 edition of the Scandals), all appeared in White's 'Scandals'.

Alice Faye (b. May 5, 1912, Brooklyn, NY, d. 1998, Rancho Mirage, CA. Cancer) was earning $60.00 per week as a chorine when Rudy Vallee spotted her in the chorus line and induced White to double her salary and give her a Singing role. White also made two movie-versions of his Scandals in 1934 and 1935, (appearing as himself in both) that starred Alice Faye, Rudy Vallee, and Jimmy Durante. In 1945, he appeared in his last George White's Scandals film, that starred Joan Davis, Jane Greer, Jack Daley, Jack Daley Jr., and the Gene Krupa Orchestra. Heard in the film were such songs as "I Want To Be A Drummer", "Bolero In The Jungle", "I Wake Up In The Morning", "Who Killed Vaudeville?", "Wishing", "Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries", and "Liza". White also produced some nightclub revues. His name appears on the credits as the lyricist for several songs with composer Cliff Friend.

In 1919 White staged the first of his George White's Scandals, rivaling Ziegfeld's Follies. He even "swiped" Ziegfeld star Ann Pennington (photo uncredited, as she appeared in the Ziegeld Follies) to star in it. Ziegfeld was furious and the two impresarios would feud for years. (In 1922, W.C. Fields also left Ziegfeld to star in the competng 'Scandals', at more than $1,000 a week.) From 1919 to 1922, George Gershwin was among the composers who wrote for White's Scandals. (He wrote the complete score for the 1919 edition.) In the 1922 edition, George and his brother Ira introduced their tune "I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise" in collaboration with B. G. DeSylva, which was sung by Winnie Lightner in the show. The show also featured "Blue Monday", a one act (30 minute) Opera, (later re-titled '135th Street'), with music by George Gershwin and Libretto and Lyrics by B.G. De Sylva. Principal Musical Numbers included "Blue Monday Blues", "Has Anyone Seen My Joe?", and "I'm Gonna See My Mother". (Earl Carroll (1893-1948)was another impresario whose Earl Carroll Vanities, which first premiered in 1923 (in New York), was another direct rival to Florenz Ziegfeld's Ziegfeld Follies.)

Russian-born painter Romain de Tirtoff, who called himself "Erté" after the French pronunciation of his initials was one of the 20th Century's foremost fashion and stage designers. Between World Wars I and II, his elaborate stage and costume designs were in much demand for operas, theater and ballets in Paris, Monte Carlo, New York, Chicago and Glyndebourne, UK. His designs for George White's 'Scandals,' were magnificent. He also produced sets and costumes for other productions like Irving Berlin's 'Music Box' theater. His lavish, flamboyant costumes for the 1923 and 1924 Ziegfeld Follies were sensational. He designed the gloriously extravagant costumes and stage sets for the Folies-Bergere in Paris, and shows at the Casino de Paris and the London Palladium. Erte also worked for MGM's Hollywood studios in 1925. His costumes exploited, to the full, his taste for the exotic and romantic, exhibiting his appreciation of the sinuous human figure. And, such "sinuous" figures were gracing the s hows of Ziegfeld, White, and Earl Carroll. His design illustrations regularly graced the cover of Harper's Bazaar magazine.

   [ George Whiting ]
This composer is lesser known than, and oft-times confused with, the more famous composer Richard Whiting.
George Whiting with Irving Berlin lyric (in 1913)
1913 "My Wife's Gone to the country", It was a hit!
1927 "Rosy Cheeks"

George Whiting and Pete Wendling wrote
"I'm Growing Fonder of You", another hit.
"I'll Be Blue Just Thinking of You", Ruth Etting 1930 hit.

George Whiting; Nat Schwartz, and J. C. Johnson wrote, "Believe It, Beloved", never a hit, but Fats Waller's recording is lively and fun to hear.

[ Ian Whyte ]
This distinguished Scottish conductor also composed at least one film score, - for the 1948 film 'Bonnie Prince Charlie'.