Herman Hupfeld

Herman Hupfeld (February 1, 1894 – June 8, 1951) was an American songwriter and Broadway contributor best known for composing the music and lyrics to "As Time Goes By." He was born in Montclair, New Jersey, the son of Charles Ludwig Hupfeld and Fredericka Hupfeld, née Rader, who worked as a church organist. At the age of nine, Hupfeld was sent to Germany to study the violin. He later returned to the United States, graduated from Montclair High School in 1915, and subsequently enlisted in the Navy during World War I. During World War II, he entertained troops at camps and hospitals.

Hupfeld's Broadway work included contributions to the revue The Merry World and the revue Hey Nonny Nonny!, for which he served as both composer and book writer. Rather than writing complete Broadway scores, he became recognized for his ability to craft individual songs tailored to specific scenes within a production. Among his best-known compositions beyond "As Time Goes By" are "Sing Something Simple," "Let's Put Out the Lights (and Go to Sleep)," "When Yuba Plays the Rumba on the Tuba," "Are You Making Any Money?," "Savage Serenade," "Night Owl," "A Hut in Hoboken," "Down the Old Back Road," "I've Gotta Get Up and Go to Work," "Honey Ma Love," "Baby's Blue," "The Calinda," and "Untitled." Though not a public performer by reputation, Hupfeld appeared on a 78 rpm gramophone record with Victor Young and his Orchestra, recorded on January 22, 1932, on which he sang and played piano on "Goopy Geer (He Plays Piano and He Plays By Ear)" and "Down the Old Back Road."

"As Time Goes By" was originally written for the Broadway production Everybody's Welcome, which opened in 1931 and ran for 139 performances. That same year the song achieved modest commercial success, with recordings released on the Victor, Columbia, Brunswick, and dime store labels. The song later appeared in the unproduced play Everybody Comes to Rick's, which formed the basis for the 1942 film Casablanca. Composer Max Steiner, who wrote the film's score, opposed the inclusion of the song, and producers at one point considered removing it in post-production. However, because Ingrid Bergman had already cut her hair for her role in Paramount's For Whom the Bell Tolls, reshooting her scenes in which the song featured was not feasible, and the song remained in the film. Bing Crosby recorded "As Time Goes By" in 1943. Crosby was among the entertainment figures, along with Mae West, who visited Hupfeld's home in Montclair, where he lived with his mother throughout his life.

Hupfeld never married. He died of a stroke on June 8, 1951, at the age of 57, and was buried at Mount Hebron Cemetery in Montclair, New Jersey. His mother survived him by six years, dying at the age of 90.