Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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RAINGER, Ralph

(b Ralph Reichenthal, 7 October 1901, NYC; d 23 October 1942) Pianist, songwriter. His parents moved to Newark NJ; he won a scholarship to the Institute of Music Art in New York, but caved in to family pressure and became a lawyer, working for a law firm in Newark for two years. In 1926 he left the law and became half of a two-piano team in a Broadway revue, Queen High. He played in other revues, and also played in bands including Paul Whiteman's, changing his name (suggested by his wife's maiden name, Rains). He became Clifton Webb's accompanist (the suave actor of later years was then a song-and-dance man) and wrote a song with lyricist Howard Dietz called 'Moanin' Low' for The Little Show, and torch singer Libby Holman made it Rainger's first hit.

He was hired by Paramount Pictures, and later worked for Fox, usually with Leo Robin, and wrote songs for at least 46 movies starting in 1932. Bing Crosby, then the biggest entertainer in the business, recorded 13 Rainger-Robin songs, Billie Holiday five. A Crosby hit was 'Love In Bloom' (from She Loves Me Not, 1932, and later Jack Benny's theme song); 'Thanks For The Memory' won an Oscar, sung by Bob Hope in The Big Broadcast Of 1938 (Hope made it his theme song). Others included 'Please', 'Easy Living', 'If I Should Lose You', 'Here Lies Love', 'June In January', 'I Wished On The Moon' and 'Blue Hawaii' (which Rainger disliked). Musicians have always liked Rainger's songs, but his fame faded, and most people do not know who wrote them. The Chuck Berghofer Trio, with the leader on bass, pianist Jan Lundgren, drummer Joe LaBarbera and vocalist Sue Raney, released The Film Music of Ralph Rainger on Fresh Sound in November 2008, produced by Dick Bank: a long overdue tribute.

Rainger died in a bizarre accident. He was flying to New York on business in a DC-3 which was 'buzzed' by the pilot of a B-34 bomber, who caused a collision; everyone died on the DC-3, but the U.S. Army exonerated the bomber pilot.

(Some of the info in this entry came from an article by Doug Ramsey in the Wall Street Journal.)