# Hal Hackady > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hal_Hackady > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hal_Hackady.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Hackady > Source revision: 1340080053 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) American dramatist (1922–2015) This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Hal Hackady" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Hal Hackady Born Harold Clayton MacHackady (1922-02-10)February 10, 1922 Middletown, Connecticut Died October 12, 2015(2015-10-12) (aged 93) The Bronx, New York Alma mater Wesleyan University Occupations Lyricist librettist screenwriter **Harold Clayton MacHackady** (February 10, 1922 – October 12, 2015), best known as **Hal Hackady**, and sometimes credited as Hal Hackaday, was an American [lyricist](/source/Lyricist), [librettist](/source/Librettist) and [screenwriter](/source/Screenwriter). ## Early life He was born in [Middletown, Connecticut](/source/Middletown%2C_Connecticut) in 1922.[1][2] He studied at [Wesleyan University](/source/Wesleyan_University), before starting work in New York City in the 1950s.[1] ## Career He began his career writing [teleplays](/source/Television_movie) for early [anthology series](/source/Anthology_series) *[General Electric Theater](/source/General_Electric_Theater)* and *[Alfred Hitchcock Presents](/source/Alfred_Hitchcock_Presents)*. He graduated to feature [films](/source/Film) as the screenwriter of [B-movies](/source/B-movies) capitalizing on the [rock and roll](/source/Rock_and_roll) craze, including *Let's Rock*, *Senior Prom* (both with music by Don Gohman), and *Hey, Let's Twist*, which earned him a [Writers Guild of America](/source/Writers_Guild_of_America_Awards_1962) nomination for Best Written Musical. Hackady's theatrical career began with the 1955 [Broadway](/source/Broadway_theatre) revue *Almost Crazy* starring [Kay Medford](/source/Kay_Medford), for which he wrote sketches and lyrics. Additional Broadway credits include *[Minnie's Boys](/source/Minnie's_Boys)* (1970), *[Ambassador](/source/Ambassador_(musical))* (London, 1971. Broadway, 1972), *[Goodtime Charley](/source/Goodtime_Charley)* (1975), and *[Teddy & Alice](/source/Teddy_%26_Alice)* (1987). He also wrote lyrics for *Divorce, of course!* (1987) with [Angela Paton](/source/Angela_Paton) and Robert Goldsby writing the book, and [Lee Pockriss](/source/Lee_Pockriss) writing the music, based on the French play *[Divorçons](/source/Divor%C3%A7ons)* by [Victorien Sardou](/source/Victorien_Sardou) and [Émile de Najac](/source/%C3%89mile_de_Najac).[3] Hackady wrote the lyrics for *[Snoopy!!! The Musical](/source/Snoopy!!!_The_Musical)* in 1975, a sequel to *[You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown](/source/You're_A_Good_Man%2C_Charlie_Brown)*. It premiered at the Little Fox Theatre in [San Francisco](/source/San_Francisco), but it was not until 1982 that it was staged in [New York City](/source/New_York_City), at the [off-Broadway](/source/Off-Broadway) Lamb's Theatre, with a cast that included [David Garrison](/source/David_Garrison), [Vicki Lewis](/source/Vicki_Lewis), and [Lorna Luft](/source/Lorna_Luft). It was then mounted in the [West End](/source/West_End_theatre) at the [Duchess Theatre](/source/Duchess_Theatre), where it enjoyed a successful run. Hackady was also represented off-Broadway with a musical adaptation of *[The Hunchback of Notre-Dame](/source/The_Hunchback_of_Notre-Dame)* (1993) and the revue *[Little by Little](/source/Little_by_Little_(musical))* (1999). *Alias Jimmy Valentine* and *Empty Pleasures* have received [regional theatre](/source/Regional_theatre_in_the_United_States) stagings. In addition, he wrote the lyrics for the 1984 London musical *Blockheads*, based on the lives of [Stan Laurel](/source/Stan_Laurel) and [Oliver Hardy](/source/Oliver_Hardy).[4] Hackady wrote the lyrics for [Eddie Fisher](/source/Eddie_Fisher_(singer))'s 1956 hit "Without You". With co-writer Charles Naylor, he wrote the sentimental ballad "[Shake Me I Rattle (Squeeze Me I Cry)](/source/Shake_Me_I_Rattle_(Squeeze_Me_I_Cry))", originally recorded by the [Lennon Sisters](/source/Lennon_Sisters) in 1957; it became a national chart record for [Marion Worth](/source/Marion_Worth) in 1962-63, and returned as a country music hit for [Cristy Lane](/source/Cristy_Lane) in 1977-78. It has been recorded as a Christmas song. Hackady also wrote the lyrics for the song "[Kites](/source/Kites_(song))", composed by Lee Pockriss, which was first recorded by [the Rooftop Singers](/source/The_Rooftop_Singers) and became a top ten hit in Britain in 1967 for [Simon Dupree and the Big Sound](/source/Simon_Dupree_and_the_Big_Sound).[5] Hackady and Pockriss also co-wrote a song called "The Key" that Billy Thornhill recorded for [Wand Records](/source/Wand_Records) in 1968.[6] [New York Mets](/source/New_York_Mets) fans are familiar with Hackady's lyrics for "Let's Go, Mets," the team's theme song that was commissioned by advertising executive [Jerry Della Femina](/source/Jerry_Della_Femina) in 1986. The recording earned a [gold record](/source/Music_recording_sales_certification) and its companion video was a best-seller.[7] ## Death He died in [the Bronx](/source/The_Bronx), New York City, on October 12, 2015, aged 93.[1] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-playbill_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-playbill_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-playbill_1-2) [Robert Simonson](/source/Robert_Simonson), ["Hal Hackady, Broadway Lyricist of Minnie's Boys, Goodtime Charley, Dies at 93", *Playbill*, 13 October 2015](http://www.playbill.com/news/article/hal-hackady-broadway-lyricist-of-minnies-boys-goodtime-charley-dies-at-93-366842) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Blocks. By Jonathan D. Larson, 1960-1996, Hal Hackady, 1939, I tell her lies, Save me a piece of your broken heart"](http://www.copyrightencyclopedia.com/blocks-by-jonathan-d-larson-1960-1996-hal-hackady-1939-i/). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Faqs.org](http://www.faqs.org/copyright/he-happy-from-the-musical-production-minnies-boys-w-hal-3/) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Nemy, Enid (8 June 1984). ["Broadway; A Musical About Laurel and Hardy Due Next Season"](https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/08/arts/broadway-a-musical-about-laurel-and-hardy-due-next-season.html). *The New York Times*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Songs written by Hal Hackady, *MusicVF.com*](http://www.musicvf.com/songs.php?page=artist&artist=Hal+Hackady&tab=songaswriterchartstab). Retrieved 22 October 2015 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Problem Encountered"](https://web.archive.org/web/20141009012455/http://www.musicstack.com/item/141262969). Archived from [the original](http://www.musicstack.com/item/141262969) on 2014-10-09. Retrieved 2013-04-01. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Shellypalmer.com](http://www.shellypalmer.com/Pages/mets.htm) ## External links Archives at Location Music Division, Library of Congress Source Hal Hackady collection, circa 1940-2015 How to use archival material - [Hal Hackady](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/6032) at the [Internet Broadway Database](/source/Internet_Broadway_Database) - [Lortel Archives listing](https://web.archive.org/web/20070926235734/http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=people&keyword=name&first=Hal&last=Hackady&middle=) - [Don Gohman papers, 1946-1974](http://www.nypl.org/sites/default/files/archivalcollections/pdf/musreism.pdf) Music Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. - [Hal Hackady](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0352381/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND National United States Netherlands Israel Finland Artists MusicBrainz Other Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Hal Hackady](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Hackady) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Hackady?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.