American songwriter
Musical artist
Arthur James Johnston (January 10, 1898 – May 1, 1954) was an American composer, conductor, pianist and arranger.
Life and career
Born in New York City, he began playing piano in movie houses, and went to work for Fred Fisher's music publishing company at the age of 16. He met, and was soon hired by, Irving Berlin, becoming Berlin's personal arranger, and director of early Music Box Revues. His first hit song was "Mandy Make Up Your Mind", co-written with George W. Meyer, Roy Turk and Grant Clarke for Florence Mills to sing in the show Dixie to Broadway.[1][2]
In 1929, he moved to Hollywood, where he orchestrated and arranged the music for films including Puttin' On the Ritz and Charlie Chaplin's City Lights. He worked with Sam Coslow on such songs as ""Just One More Chance" (1932) and "Cocktails for Two" (1934). He became closely associated with Bing Crosby, writing songs for the films College Humor (1933), Too Much Harmony (1933), and Pennies From Heaven (1936), the first film on which he worked with lyricist Johnny Burke.[1][2] Johnston and Burke were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1936 for the song "Pennies From Heaven".[3]
He visited Britain in 1938, writing the music for the Jessie Matthews film Sailing Along, and served in the US Army in World War II. After returning to Hollywood, he wrote for movies including Song of the South (1947).[1] He was a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.[2]
He died in Corona del Mar, California, in 1954, aged 56.[1]
