orig. Elizabeth Cohen
born May 3, 1919, Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.
U.S. musical-comedy writer and lyricist.
Comden formed a nightclub act in 1938 with Adolph Green (b. Dec. 2, 1915, Bronx, N.Y.
d. Oct. 23, 2002, New York, N.Y.), Judy Holliday (1922–65), and others. In 1944 Comden and Green wrote the book and lyrics for Leonard Bernstein 's On the Town . They later collaborated with Jule Styne on musicals such as Peter Pan (1954), Bells Are Ringing (1956), and Hallelujah, Baby! (1967, Tony Award). Their lyrics for Wonderful Town (1953), Applause (1970), and On the 20th Century (1978) won them three more Tony Awards. Their screenplays include Singin' in the Rain (1952) and Auntie Mame (1958). "Just in Time" and "The Party's Over" are two of their best-known songs.