Arthur Freed

Who was Arthur Freed?

Arthur Freed (né Grossman; September 9, 1894 – April 12, 1973) was an American lyricist and a Hollywood film producer. Freed was born in Charleston, South Carolina to a Jewish family, and wrote poetry as a high schooler at Phillips Exeter Academy. Both films were musicals, and both were directed by Vincente Minnelli. In addition, he produced the film Singin' in the Rain, the soundtrack for which primarily consisted of songs he co-wrote earlier in his career. In the decades following his death, Freed has become the subject of several sexual assault allegations, most notably from child actress Shirley Temple and actress and dancer Barrie Chase. After graduating in 1914, he began his career as a song-plugger and pianist in Chicago. After meeting Minnie Marx, he sang as part of her sons' act, the Marx Brothers, on the vaudeville circuit and also wrote material for them.

He soon began to write songs, and he was hired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. For years, he wrote lyrics for numerous films, many set to music by Nacio Herb Brown.

Historical significance

He won the Academy Award for Best Picture twice, in 1951 for An American in Paris and in 1958 for Gigi.