Gus Kahn

Gus Kahn (1886–1941), born Gustav Gerson Kahn in Coblenz, Germany, was a German-born American Jewish lyricist whose songs became enduring standards of popular music. His family immigrated to the United States in 1891 and settled in Chicago. Kahn initially worked outside the music business while writing lyrics and material for vaudeville performers. His early success included “I Wish I Had a Girl,” written with Grace LeBoy, who later became his wife and creative partner. Over the following decades he collaborated with leading composers and contributed to Broadway revues and Hollywood musicals. His widely known songs include “It Had to Be You,” “I'll See You in My Dreams,” and “Makin' Whoopee!” By the 1930s he was writing extensively for motion pictures. Kahn received a thematic-music credit, alongside Victor Schertzinger, on One Night of Love (1934). Its scoring award at the 1935 Academy Awards was formally presented to Columbia's music department, headed by Louis Silvers. Kahn’s life later inspired the 1951 musical biographical film I'll See You in My Dreams, starring Danny Thomas and Doris Day; the film is a dramatization rather than a documentary.