Lyricist and movie producer Arthur Freed wrote such hit songs as "Pagan Love Song" and "Singin' in the Rain," scored the 1929 film Broadway Melody, and produced many successful movie musicals including The Wizard of Oz. Although he was born in Charleston, SC, (1894), Freed was raised in Seattle, WA. After he graduated from high school, he worked as a pianist and song plugger for a Chicago music publisher, where he met Minnie Marx. This led to Freed joining up with the Marx Brothers and touring the vaudeville circuit. He wrote material for vaudeville and performed with Louis Silvers, with whom he co-wrote New York revue material. Freed served in the Army during WWI and afterwards wrote for cabaret. He was songwriting and managing an L.A. theater when he was signed up by MGM as a lyricist. Freed's best-known songs include his first hit, "When Buddha Smiles" (1921); the follow-up that established him, 1923's "I Cried for You"; "Pagan Love Song"; "Singin' in the Rain" (1929); "Temptation" (1933); "All I Do Is Dream of You" (1934); "Broadway Rhythm"; and "You Are My Lucky Star" (1935). Freed began writing for musicals in 1929 and then got involved in producing. He produced over 45 hit movies during his career, including Babes in Arms, The Wizard of Oz (1939), Girl Crazy (1943), The Harvey Girls (1946), Easter Parade (1948), Annie Get Your Gun, Brigadoon (1954), and Gigi (1958). His last film was 1960's The Bells Are Ringing. Arthur Freed's chief collaborator was composer Nacio Herb Brown. Freed is also a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. ~ Joslyn Layne, Rovi