Ned Washington

12-time Oscar nominated lyricist Ned Washington was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania on August 15, 1901.

He began his career as a vaudeville Master of Ceremonies, where he not only introduced acts, but also acted as agent for some of them. His first success came in 1928 with the song “Singing in the Bathtub,” which was included in the musical revue Earl Carroll Vanities of 1929.

One of the most prolific of the Tin Pan Alley writers, Washington collaborated on several scores for Broadway including several years of the Earl Carroll’s Vanities, Vanderbilt Revue, Murder at the Vanities, Blackbirds of 1934 and Hello, Paris.

In 1934, he moved to Hollywood under contract with MGM for whom he wrote complete scores for the films Tropic Holiday, Pinocchio (winning the 1940 Academy Award and Box Office Blue Ribbon Award), Dumbo, Hands Across the Border, Mexicana, Let’s Do It Again. Subsequently, he also contributed songs to the Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney films No, No, Nanette, Little Johnny Jones, Brazil, The Greatest Show on Earth, Miss Sadie Thompson and Gulliver’s Travels.

Washington collaborated with many composers including Victor Young, Dimitri Tiomkin, Lester Lee, Michael Cleary, Allie Wrubel, George Duning, Max Steiner, Jimmy McHugh, Bronsilaw Kaper, Walter Jurmann, Leigh Harline and Sam Stept.

Highlights from Washington’s extensive catalog include “Singin’ in the Bathtub”, “My Impression of You”, “Makin’ Faces at the Man in the Moon”, “Can’t We Talk it Over?”, “Waltzing in a Dream”, “Someone Stole Gabriel’s Horn”, “Shadows on the Window”, “Got the South in My Soul”, “Love Me Tonight”, “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You”, “I Don’t Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You”, “I’ll Be Faithful”, “Give Me a Heart to Sing To”, “When You Wish Upon a Star” (1940 Academy award), “The Nearness of You”, “Someday I’ll Meet You Again”, “Hear No Evil-See No Evil”, “High Noon” (Academy award 1952), “Circus World” and “Song Without End.”

Ned Washington died in Los Angeles, California on December 20, 1976.