Paul Francis Webster

Biography

He was born in New York City, the son of Myron Lawrence Webster and Blanche Pauline Stonehill Webster. He attended the Horace Mann School (Riverdale, Bronx, New York), graduating in 1926, and then went to Cornell University from 1927 to 1928 and New York University from 1928 to 1930, leaving without receiving a degree. He served in the United States Navy and then became a dance instructor at a studio in New York City. By 1931, however, he turned his career direction to writing song lyrics. His first professional lyric was Masquerade (words by John Jacob Loeb) which became a hit in 1932, performed by Paul Whiteman.

In 1935 Twentieth Century Fox signed him to a contract to write lyrics for Shirley Temple's films, but shortly afterward he went back to freelance writing. His first hit was a collaboration in 1941 with Duke Ellington on the song "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)."

After 1950, Webster worked mostly for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He won two Academy Awards in collaboration with Sammy Fain, in 1953 and 1955, and another with Johnny Mandel in 1965. Altogether, sixteen of his songs received Academy Award nominations, more than the number for any other lyricist. In addition, a large number of his songs became major hits on the popular music charts.

He died in Los Angeles, California.

List of Songs

Songs by Paul Francis Webster that won the Academy Award for Best Song

• "Secret Love" (1953)
• "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing" (1955)
• "The Shadow of Your Smile" (1965)

Nominated for the award

• "A Very Precious Love" (1958)
• "A Time for Love" (1966)
• "Strange Are The Ways of Love" (1972)
• "A World that Never Was" (1976)

Songs winning Grammy Awards for best song of the year

• "The Shadow of Your Smile" (1966)

Other songs with lyrics by Paul Francis Webster

• "A Certain Smile"
• "Anastasia"
• "April Love"
• "Baltimore Oriole"
• "Black Coffee"
• "Black Hills Of Dakota"
• "Boy On A Dolphin"
• "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief"
• "Friendly Persuasion"
• "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)"
• "How It Lies, How It Lies, How It Lies!"
• "Maverick"
• "My Moonlight Madonna"
• "Padre"
• "Rainbow On The River"
• "The Lamplighter's Serenade"
• "The Loveliest Night Of The Year"
• "There's Never Been Anyone Else But You"
• "The Song Of Raintree County"
• "The Twelfth Of Never"
• "Two Cigarettes In The Dark"
• "You Was"

Song Compilation

"The Songs Of Paul Francis Webster" (ISBN 0793506654)

Referenced By