{{short description|American songwriter}} {{Use American English|date=December 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Arthur Hammerstein | image = Arthur Hammerstein.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Hammerstein in 1912 | birth_date = {{birth date|1872|12|21}} | birth_place = New York City, New York, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1955|10|12|1872|12|21}} | death_place = New York City, New York, U.S. | resting_place = Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York City | occupation = Songwriter<br>Dramatist<br>Playwright<br>Theater manager<br>Producer | years_active = 1908–1930 | spouse = Jean Allison<br>Grace Weir<br>Claire Nagle<br>Dorothy Dalton | children = Elaine Hammerstein | parents = Oscar Hammerstein I }} '''Arthur Hammerstein''' (December 21, 1872 – October 12, 1955) was an American songwriter, dramatist, playwright and theater manager.
==Biography == Born and educated to a Jewish family in New York City, Hammerstein was the son of the theater impresario and composer Oscar Hammerstein I. Arthur started out as a bricklayer and plasterer,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1917&dat=19300826&id=FF4hAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7YUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1215,6213854|title=Hammerstein In Footsteps Of His Father|date=August 26, 1930|newspaper=Schenectady Gazette|access-date=February 24, 2014}}</ref> working on projects with his father including the Victoria Theater and Manhattan Opera House.
In 1908 Hammerstein started working on becoming a producer, signing Italian singer Luisa Tetrazzini to the family's Manhattan Center and negotiating with Otto Kahn before moving to London in 1910. While there Arthur and his father had a disagreement with money spending and Arthur vowed never to speak to him again. With his father's support, Arthur embarked on his first production, ''Naughty Marietta''.<ref name="Encyclopedia-2004">{{cite book |last=Bloom |first=Ken |author-link = Ken Bloom (writer) |date=2004 |title=Broadway: Its History, People, and Places : an Encyclopedia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GBiEO8q59f0C&q=Arthur+Hammerstein+Because+of+You&pg=PA205 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=0415937043 |access-date=February 24, 2014}}</ref> Arthur's brother Willie Hammerstein died in June 1914, and Arthur took over management of the family's Victoria Theater. However, the theater was not financially viable and would be closed the next year. On its site, the first movie palace in Times Square, the Rialto Theatre, was built.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Dodge|first1=Richard Irving|last2=Rogers|first2=Will|title=The Indian Territory Journals of Colonel Richard Irving Dodge|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fV83-1F8-bkC&pg=PA157|access-date=2014-05-19|year=2000|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|isbn=978-0-8061-3267-9}}</ref>
Hammerstein was the producer of the Rudolf Friml operettas ''The Firefly'' (1912), ''Katinka'' (1915) and ''Rose-Marie'' (1924), which he collaborated on with his nephew, Oscar Hammerstein II. Arthur produced almost 30 musicals in 40 years in show business.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19551013&id=o_4ZAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CA4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=7499,888213|title=Arthur Hammerstein|date=October 13, 1955|newspaper=Toledo Blade|access-date=February 24, 2014}}</ref>
During a performance of ''Tickle Me'' in 1920, Hammerstein was arrested for possessing what was thought to be whiskey during the Prohibition era, which later turned out to be iced tea. In 1930 Hammerstein was accused by a dance director George Haskell for assault<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19300919&id=rqZQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tCEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4132,1456124|title=Arthur Hammerstein Accused of Assault|date=September 19, 1930|newspaper=The Milwaukee Journal|access-date=February 24, 2014}}</ref> but the charges were later dropped and the two reconciled.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19301010&id=ebZRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=j2gDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5398,6263852|title=Hammerstein is Acquitted|date=October 10, 1930|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|access-date=February 24, 2014}}</ref> To search for better business opportunities, Hammerstein went to Hollywood to produce his one and only film ''The Lottery Bride'', which was a failure and he returned to Broadway again. Hammerstein's last productions were ''Luana'' and ''Ballyhoo'' in 1930, which were considered failures. Hammerstein suffered bankruptcy in 1931 due to some musical failures<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2209&dat=19310327&id=wxlAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iaQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2538,272373|title=Arthur Hammerstein Relieved, Optimistic|date=March 27, 1931|newspaper=The Telegraph|access-date=February 24, 2014}}</ref> and went into retirement.
In 1925-1927 Hammerstein had built what is now known as the Ed Sullivan Theater at 1697 Broadway in Manhattan.
Hammerstein made an appearance as himself in an episode of the film series ''Popular Science'' in 1949. He was one of the writers of the song "Because of You," a major hit (#1 for 10 weeks) for Tony Bennett in 1951. Hammerstein wrote the song in 1940. It was used in the film ''I Was an American Spy'' (1951).
==Personal life == Hammerstein was married four times. He married Jean Allison in 1893. They had a daughter, actress Elaine Hammerstein, and were divorced in 1910. He remarried to Grace Weir months later; they divorced in 1915.<ref>{{cite news |title=HAMMERSTEIN'S SON WEDS MRS. HOAGLAND; Second Mrs. Arthur Hammerstein Was Divorced from John A. Hoagland Only Last Friday. WAS FORMERLY GRACE WEIR A Pupil of De Reszke -- Marriage at Greenwich, Conn. -- First Mrs. Hammerstein Got Divorce in April. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1910/09/15/archives/hammersteins-son-weds-mrs-hoagland-second-mrs-arthur-hammerstein.html |access-date=October 3, 2022 |work=New York Times |date=September 15, 1910}}</ref> His marriage to actress Claire Nagle in 1919 ended with her death in 1921.<ref>{{cite news |title=HAMMERSTEIN WEDS AGAIN; Miss Claire Nagle Is Third Bride of Musical Comedy Director. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1919/06/10/archives/hammerstein-weds-again-miss-claire-nagle-is-third-bride-of-musical.html |access-date=October 3, 2022 |work=New York Times |date=June 10, 1919}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=MRS. A. HAMMERSTEIN DEAD; Claire Nagle Dies at Reno, Where She Went to Obtain a Divorce. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1921/11/12/archives/mrs-a-hammerstein-dead-claire-nagle-dies-at-reno-where-she-went-to.html |access-date=October 3, 2022 |work=New York Times |date=November 12, 1921}}</ref> In 1924 Hammerstein was married to silent film actress and stage personality Dorothy Dalton.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1978&dat=19240422&id=8GYyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YK8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=6791,5278668|title=Dorothy Dalton, Arthur Hammerstein Will Marry|date=April 22, 1924|newspaper=Argus-Press|access-date=February 24, 2014}}</ref> Hammerstein died on October 12, 1955, from a heart attack at age 82.
He is interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York City.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wilson |first=Scott |year=2016 |title=Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FOHgDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA312 |edition=3 |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |publisher=McFarland |page=312 |isbn=9781476625997 }}</ref>
The Arthur and Dorothy Dalton Hammerstein House, the couple's former residence in Beechhurst, Queens, is a New York City designated landmark.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/1282.pdf|title=Arthur and Dorothy Dalton Hammerstein House, Wildflower|last=|first=|date=1982-07-27|website=|publisher=New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228180430/http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/1282.pdf |archive-date=2020-02-28 |access-date=2020-02-28}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|0358565}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hammerstein, Arthur}} Category:1872 births Category:1955 deaths Category:American male songwriters Arthur Category:Jewish American dramatists and playwrights Category:Jews from New York (state) Category:American people of German-Jewish descent