Billy Rose

Full Name: William Samuel Rosenberg
Profession: Theatrical Producer

Nationality:

Biography: Billy Rose was an American impresario, theatrical show producer, and lyricist. He is best known for his work on Broadway, his lyrical contributions to popular songs, and his creation of entertainment venues such as the Billy Rose Music Hall and The Diamond Horseshoe.

Rose began his career as a stenographic clerk for Bernard Baruch of the War Industries Board during World War I. After the war, he moved into songwriting, collaborating on "Me and My Shadow" (1927) and "It's Only a Paper Moon" (1933).

His Broadway career took off when he opened The Billy Rose Music Hall in 1934, featuring Benny Goodman, and continued with productions such as Jumbo (1935) and the outdoor nightclub Casa Mañana (1936–37). Billy Rose's Aquacade (1937) was a celebrated production that showcased Olympic swimmers and entertainers.

In his personal life, Rose's marriages were often public and tumultuous. He married the entertainer Fanny Brice in 1929, but the couple divorced in 1938. Subsequently, he married Olympic swimmer Eleanor Holm in 1939 after their affair became public. They divorced in 1954. Rose married Joyce Mathews twice, once in the 1950s and again in the 1960s, both ending in divorce. His final marriage was to Doris Vidor in 1964.

Beyond the stage, Rose made a notable impact with productions like Carmen Jones (1943) and operated the Ziegfeld Theatre and the Billy Rose Theater. After his death from lobar pneumonia in 1966, Rose left his substantial fortune to the Billy Rose Foundation, cutting ties with his surviving family members. His was posthumously inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 1970.

After his death, Rose's life and work continued to be celebrated in various media. He was portrayed by James Caan in Funny Lady (1975), inspired the 1962 film Billy Rose's Jumbo, and was referenced in literary works like Saul Bellow's The Bellarosa Connection. His legacy also persists in the institutions he supported, such as the Billy Rose Sculpture Garden, which remains a cultural landmark.

Born: September 6, 1899
Birthplace: NYC, New York, USA

Generation: Lost Generation
Star Sign: Virgo

Died: February 10, 1966 (aged 66)