Herbert Fields

Herbert Fields (July 26, 1897 – March 24, 1958) was an American librettist, screenwriter, and Broadway performer born in New York City. The son of theatrical figure Lew Fields and brother of Dorothy and Joseph Fields, he began his career as an actor before moving into choreography and stage direction, eventually establishing himself as one of Broadway's most prolific book writers. He is a member of the American Theater Hall of Fame.

Fields attended Columbia University, where he took part in two Varsity Shows, among them Fly With Me (1920), a production written by Rodgers and Hart. His Broadway performing career ran from 1917 to 1919, after which he transitioned fully to writing. Beginning in 1925 and continuing until his death, he contributed libretti to a wide range of Broadway musicals, writing the books for many of the Rodgers and Hart productions of the 1930s. He later partnered with his sister Dorothy on a number of projects, including Something for the Boys (1943), Up in Central Park (1945), Annie Get Your Gun (1946), and Arms and the Girl (1950).

His full list of Broadway credits as a book writer spans three decades and includes Dearest Enemy (1925), The Girl Friend (1926), Peggy-Ann (1926), Hit the Deck (1927), A Connecticut Yankee (1927), Present Arms (1928), Chee Chee (1928), Fifty Million Frenchmen (1929), The New Yorkers (1930), America's Sweetheart (1931), Pardon My English (1933), Du Barry Was a Lady (1939), Panama Hattie (1940), Let's Face It! (1941), Mexican Hayride (1944), and By the Beautiful Sea (1954).

Alongside his stage work, Fields wrote screenplays for a number of films, including Let's Fall in Love (1933), Hands Across the Table (1935), Love Before Breakfast (1936), Fools for Scandal (1938), Honolulu (1939), and Father Takes a Wife (1941). He was also among the writers who contributed to The Wizard of Oz, though he did not receive a screen credit for that work.

Fields was awarded the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1959 for Redhead, a recognition that came posthumously, as he had died on March 24, 1958, the previous year.