John Jefferson Rox (1907–1957) was an American composer and lyricist. He was born in 1907 in Des Moines, Iowa.
John Rox | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1907 Des Moines, Iowa, US |
| Died | 1957 |
| Occupation(s) | Composer and lyricist |
| Spouse | Alice Pearce |
He wrote music for Broadway shows and the recording industry. His song It's a Big Wide Wonderful World (1939) was used in the soundtrack of multiple films. His holiday tune I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas (1953) was a popular family entertainment song, originally sung by 10-year old Gayla Peevey. Many other artists also covered it. In 1948, he married actress Alice Pearce. Pearce was Gladys Kravitz in the 1960s television situation comedy Bewitched.[1]
Career
editThe first song that he authored and copyrighted was Weep No More, Willow in 1938.[2] The following year, he wrote and copyrighted It's a Big Wide Wonderful World (1939).[3] It has been used in the soundtrack of several different films over the span of over 50 years.[4]
The song premiered in All in Fun (1940) on Broadway, of which he was the lyricist for the show. Walter Cassel and Wynn Murray introduced the song.[5] The show had opened at the Majestic Theater on Broadway and featured Imogene Coco as a cast member.[6]
Major Motion Picture Films with
It's a Big Wide Wonderful World
in the soundtrack:[4]
| Film Title | Year |
|---|---|
| An Angel Comes to Brooklyn | 1945 |
| Rhythm Inn | 1951 |
| 3 Ring Circus | 1954 |
| Sweet Bird of Youth | 1962 |
| A Safe Place | 1971 |
| Rancho Deluxe | 1975 |
| Avalon | 1990 |
| Rover Dangerfield | 1991 |
In 1946, he wrote the song Ridin' Double for the soundtrack of the 1946 film Sioux City Sue starring Gene Autry.[7][8]
He later wrote I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas (1953) with Gayla Peevey singing the original version. It was a popular song with 39 artists singing the cover for it.[9] That same year, he was one of several songwriters and lyricists for the Broadway show John Murray Anderson's Almanac (1953).[10] The following year, he and fellow songwriter and lyricist from the show, Michael Grace, wrote the song Let a Little Time Go By (1954).[11]
In 1956, he and Dean Fuller wrote the music for New Faces of 1956, which premiered at the Ethel Barrymore Theater on Broadway with Maggie Smith and Jane Connell as a cast members.[12][13]
| Title | Year | Role |
|---|---|---|
| All in Fun | 1940 | Composer and Lyricist |
| John Murray Anderson's Almanac | 1953 | Composer and Lyricist |
| New Faces of 1956 | 1956 | Composer |
References
edit- ^ "Reading Eagle - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
- ^ "U.S. Copyright Office Public Records System". publicrecords.copyright.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ "U.S. Copyright Office Public Records System". publicrecords.copyright.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ a b "John Rox | Writer, Soundtrack". IMDb. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ "IT'S A BIG WIDE WONDERFUL WORLD - Lyrics - International Lyrics Playground". lyricsplayground.com. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ "All in Fun (Playbill)".
- ^ "Sioux City Sue", It's Showtime! Sheet Music from Stage and Screen, retrieved 2023-08-29
- ^ "Sioux City Sue (1946) - Soundtracks", IMDb, retrieved 2023-08-29
- ^ "Artist: John Rox | SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ "John Rox: Credits, Bio, News & More | Broadway World". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ "WebVoyage Record View 1". cocatalog.loc.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ "New Faces of 1956".
- ^ "New Faces of '56 – Original Cast". The Official Masterworks Broadway Site. Retrieved 2023-08-22.