born Dec. 7, 1879, Prague
died Nov. 12, 1972, Hollywood, Calif., U.S.
Czech-born U.S. composer.
He studied under Antonín Dvořák , and he immigrated to the U.S. in 1906. In 1912, replacing Victor Herbert , he composed the highly successful operetta The Firefly (with Otto Harbach). The next major success of his approximately 30 operettas, Rose Marie (1924; with "Indian Love Call"), was followed by The Vagabond King (1925; with "Song of the Vagabonds" and "Some Day") and The Three Musketeers (1928), among the last operettas to enjoy popular success.