born Aug. 31, 1918, New York, N.Y., U.S.
died June 14, 1986, New York City
U.S. librettist and lyricist.
Born to a prosperous retailing family, he studied at Juilliard and Harvard. He wrote more than 500 radio scripts between 1940 and 1942, the year he met the composer Frederick Loewe . The two began collaborating, and their first Broadway success came with Brigadoon (1947; film, 1954). It was followed by Paint Your Wagon (1951; film, 1969). My Fair Lady (1956) was an unprecedented triumph, setting a record for the longest original run of any musical; the film version (1964) won seven Academy Awards. Their film musical Gigi (1958) received nine Academy Awards. Camelot followed in 1960 (film, 1967). Lerner also collaborated with Kurt Weill ( Love Life , 1948) and Burton Lane ( On a Clear Day You Can See Forever , 1965; film, 1970), among others. His film scripts include An American in Paris (1951, Academy Award).