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LIONEL
BART
1930 - 1999
(Film-)Komponist
He started his songwriting career
in amateur theatre. first at The International Youth Centre in 1952 where
he and a friend wrote a revue together called IYC Revue 52. The following
year the pair auditioned for a production of the Leonard Irwin play The
Wages Of Eve at Unity Theatre, London. Shortly after Bart began composing
songs for Unity Theatre, contributing material (including the title song)
to their 1953 revue Turn It Up, and songs for their 1953 pantomime, an
agit prop version of Cinderella. While at Unity he was talent spotted by
Joan Littlewood and so joined Theatre Workshop.
He first gained widespread recognition
through his songwriting, which includes the hits Livin' Doll (written for
Cliff Richard) and Rock with the Cavemen, Handful of Songs, Butterfingers
and Little White Bull (for Tommy Steele). During this period, Mike Pratt
as well as Steele were his songwriting partners. In 1957, he won three
Ivor Novello Awards, a further four in 1958, and two in 1960.
He wrote the theme song for the 1963
James Bond film From Russia With Love.
<>His other hits include: Do You Mind? (by Anthony Newley and Andy
Williams), Easy Going Me (Adam Faith) and Always You And Me (with Russ
Conway)
His first professional musical was the 1959 Lock Up Your Daughters,
based on an 18th century play by Henry Fielding. Following that, Fings
Ain't Wot They Used T'Be produced by Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop,
was notable for encouraging the use of authentic Cockney accents on the
London stage. Oliver! (1960), based on Dickens' Oliver Twist was a huge
hit from the very beginning, and has sustained its popularity to the present
day. The musical which starred Ron Moody and Shani Wallis spawned such
song hits as As Long As He Needs Me (a smash for Shani Wallis and Shirley
Bassey) and Consider Yourself. In 1968 it was made into a film which won
several Oscars, including best film. It is estimated that around this time
Bart was earning 16 pounds a minute from Oliver!.
Bart's next two musicals, Blitz! (1962) (the song
Far Away produced another hit for Shirley Bassey) and Maggie May (1964),
had respectable West End runs (Blitz!, at the time London's most expensive
musical ever, had a run of 568 performances; but Twang! (1965) was a notorious
flop and La Strada (1969), which opened on Broadway in New York City, closed
after only one performance. Bart used his personal finances to try to rescue
them, selling his rights to others of his works, including Oliver!, in
order to generate capital. By 1972, Bart was bankrupt, with debts of £73,0000.
He turned to drink, and a twenty-year period of depression ensued, from
which he ultimately recovered, attending Alcoholics Anonymous.
He continued writing songs and themes
for films, but his only real success in his later years was "Happy Endings",
a 1989 advertising jingle for Abbey National.
In 1986 Bart received a special Ivor
Novello Award for his life's achievement. Cameron Mackintosh, who owned
half the rights to Oliver!, revived the musical at the London Palladium
in 1994 in a version rewritten by Lionel Bart. Mackintosh gave Lionel a
share of the production royalties. Lionel Bart was often publicly and romantically
linked with Judy Garland or Alma Cogan.
Bart died in 1999 after a long hard
struggle with cancer and his funeral took place at Golders Green Crematorium.
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