James Van Heusen
b. Jan. 26, 1913, Syracuse, NY, USA. d. Feb 7, 1990
né: Chester Babcock
Overview
Jimmy Van Heusen was most active from the late 1930's well into the 1960's. Many of his hit songs were written for films. He collaborated primarily with lyricists Eddie De Lange; Johnny Burke, and Sammy Cahn.

His mother, nee Ida May Foster, may have been descended from Stephen Foster. Jimmy was already writing songs while still in Syracuse's Central High School. While still in high school, he had a regular program on a small local radio station. It was during that job that Jimmy adopted the last name of Van Heusen, after the men's Collar manufacturer of the same name. After high school, Jimmy attended Cazenovia Seminary followed by Syracuse University.

It was at Syracuse University that Jimmy was set on a music career. He becames friends with another student, Jerry Arlen, Harold Arlen's brother, and Jimmy then started writing songs for the Cotton Club, with Harold Arlen's help. (One of their songs was "Harlem Hospitality" which was recorded by the Cab Calloway Orchestra.) That lasted a few months, and Van Heusen got a job as a freight elevator operator, while continuing to try for his break into music.

He became staff pianist in some Tin Pan Alley publishers, and in 1938 while working at Remick Music, he wrote "It's The Dreamer In Me", to lyrics that Tommy Dorsey had written. Remick gave him a pay raise and a 2 year contract. And, Jimmy teamed up with lyricist Eddie De Lange to write some successful tunes, among which are:

  "Oh! You Crazy Moon"
  "Heaven Can Wait"
  "So Help Me"
  "Deep in a Dream"

1939 Van Heusen and De Lange wrote all of the songs for the Broadway show 'Swingin' the Dream', a jazz version of 'A Midsummer's Night Dream'. The show flopped, but had some good songs.
  "Darn That Dream"
  "I Thought About You", lyric by Johnny Mercer.

1940 was a fairly productive year. Van Heusen wrote more than 60 songs, most of which were very successful. Included were:
  "Shake Down the Stars", lyric De Lange. From film 'All This and Heaven Too', lyric De Lange.

Van Heusen now forms a team with Johnny Burke.
  "Polka Dots and Moonbeams", lyric by Johnny Burke.
  "Imagination", lyric by Johnny Burke.

1941 "It's Always You", lyric by Johnny Burke.

In 1940 Burke and Van Heusen go to Hollywood,

1940 for film 'Love They Neighbor', they wrote three songs.
1940 for film 'On the Road To Zanzibar'. Bing Crosby invited them to write for this film. There must have been some good 'electricity' between the Burke and Van Heusen, because he went on to write for 20 Crosby productions, some of which were:

For the film 'The Road To Morocco', the songs,
  "Moonlight Becomes You"
   "Ain't Got a Dime to My Name"
  "Constantly"

For the film, 'Dixie'
  "Sunday, Monday, or Always"
  "If You Please"
For the film 'Going My Way'. Academy Award winner 1944
  "Day After Forever"
  "Swinging on a Star"
For the film 'The Road to Utopia'
  "Personality"
  "Put It There, Pal"
  "Would You?" For the film 'The Bells of St. Mary's'
  "Aren't You Glad You're You?"
For the film 'Welcome Stranger'
  "As Long As I'm Dreaming"
  "Smile Right Back at the Sun"
  "Country Style"
For the film 'The Road to Rio'
  "But Beautiful"
  "You Don't Have to Know the Language"
For the film 'A Connecticut Yankee'
  "Once and For Always"
  "When is Sometime"
  "Busy Doing Nothing"
For the film 'Top O' the Morning'
  "You're In Love With Someone"
  "Top O' the Morning"
For the film 'Riding High'
  "Sunshine Cake"
  "Sure Thing"
For the film 'Mister Music'
  "Life is So Peculiar"
  "High on the List"
For the film 'Little Boy Lost'
  "Cela M'est Egal"
  "The Magic Window"
For the film 'Anything Goes'
  "You Can Bounce Right Back"
For the film 'Say One For Me'
  "Say One For Me"
  "I Couldn't Care Less" For film 'My Favorite Spy',
  "Got the Moon In My Pocket"
For film 'Lady in the Dark',
  "Suddenly It's Spring"
For film 'And the Angels Sing'
  "It Could Happen to You"
For film 'Belle of the Yukon',
  "Like Someone in Love"
For film 'Cross My Heart'
  "That Little Dream Got Nowhere"
For film, 'My Heart Goes Crazy',
  "So Would I"
  "My Heart Goes Crazy"

1946, for the Broadway show 'Nelly Bly', they wrote
  "You May Not Love Me"
  "Just My Luck"
1953 Van Heusen and Burke scored Broadway show 'Carnival in Flanders'.

1955 Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn wrote songs for the TV production of 'Our Town', an adaptation of the Thornton Wilder play.
  "Love and Marriage", Won an EMMY Award.
  "Impatient Years"

The next lyricist with whom Van Heusen worked was Sammy Cahn, and that team also produced a long line of famous hit songs.
1957 for film, 'The Joker is Wild', they wrote
  "All The Way", an Academy Award song in 1957
1959 for film, 'A Hole in the Head', they wrote
  "High Hopes", an Academy Award song in 1959
1960 for the TV production 'Potomac Madness', starring Bob Hope.
1961 for film, 'High Time'
  "The Second Time Around"

Among the screen plays that Van Heusen and Cahn wrote for, are:
The Tender Trap
They Came to Cordura
Paris Holiday
The Earth Is Mine
The Night of the
Quarter Moon
Pardners
Career, with the song,
  "Love Is a Career"
Some Came Running, with song
  "To Love and Be Loved"
Let's Make Love, with songs
  "Incurably Romantic"
  "Specialization"
Ocean's 11, had the songs,
  "Come Fly With Me"
  "Come Dance With Me"
  "Only The Lonely"

Since 1948, Jimmy has been active in music publishing. His first firm was called BurVan Inc. Then came other publishing ventures, including: Burke-Van Heusen Publishing Company; Maraville Music Corporation and finally, Famous Music.

Van Heusen is a member of the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.

V. Valentine
Currently no information available.
1931 "She's My Secret Passion", music A. Young

Paul Vance
Currently no information available.
Among his tunes are:
"Catch A Falling Star", Words and Music by Lee Pockriss and Paul Vance
"Gone Is My Love", Words and Music by Paul Vance and Leon Carr
"Love", Words and Music by Paul Vance and Bobby London
"You Are My World", ca, 1980 Words and Music by Paul Vance and Bobby London