A Cole Porter Bibliography

Biographies | Reference Works | Other Works
Songbooks (Compilations) | Sheet Music
Scores and Selections | Librettos

 

Biographies

[Chronologically Listed]
The Cole Porter Story [David Ewen]

The Cole Porter Story

David Ewen

  • New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1965; 192 p.
  • New York: Crowell, 1966; 192 p.

    Includes an appendix of Porter's stage, film and TV productions (p. 169 - 179); Cole Porter's Greatest Songs (p. 179 - 182); Selected Recordings (p. 182 - 185); A Select Bibliography (p. 185 - 186); and an index
    		•
    The Cole Porter Story (Richard G. Hubler)

    The Cole Porter Story

    Richard G. Hubler
    Introduction by Arthur Schwartz

  • Cleveland: World Publishing Co., 1965; 140 p.

    • Includes 22 pages of photographs and a bibliography of published songs (p. 125-140)
    The Life That Late He Led (George Eells)

    The Life That Late He Led:
    A Biography of Cole Porter

    George Eells 

  • New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1967; 383 p.
  • London: W. H. Allen, 1967
  • New York: Berkley Medallion D 2191, 1972; 447 p.

    Includes 16 pages of phtographs, "Cole Porter's Works" (p. 327 - 367) and an index
    		•

    Cole Porter: Twentieth Century Composer of Popular Songs

    Paul Salsini

  • Charlotteville, N.Y.: SamHar Press, 1972; 31 p., Bibliography: p. 30-31
    		•
    Cole Porter (Charles Schwartz)

    Cole Porter: A Biography

    Charles Schwartz

  • New York: Dial Press, 1977 [ISBN: 0803714645]; 365 p.
  • London: W. H. Allen, 1978 [ISBN: 0491022921]; 365 p., 16 pages of photos
  • New York: Da Capo Press, 1979 [ISBN: 0306800977, pbk] [reprinted 1992]

    Includes 8 pages of photos; "Works by Cole Porter" (p. 271 - 293); "Alphabetical list of Cole Porter songs and other musical works" (p. 294 - 323); Discography (p. 324 - 333); Bibliography (p. 334 - 344); and an index
    		•
    Red, Hot & Rich! [Grafton]

    Red, Hot & Rich!:
    An Oral History of Cole Porter

    David Grafton

  • New York: Stein and Day, 1987
    [ISBN: 0812831128]; 242 p., 24 pages of photos
    		•
    You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story (video)

    You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story
     

    A Film Documentary
    Produced in 1990, 56 minutes
    A Co-Production of VPI-Videfilm Producers International, Ltd. and WNET New York and Channel Four Television, U.K
    Written and Directed by Allan Albert
    Produced by Kirk D'Amico
    Narration by Bobby Short 

  • VHS, 1990 [Winstar Home Entertainment WHE71070]
  • Laserdisc, 1990 [VPI / Image ID7888VP]
  • DVD, 1998
    		•
    Travels With Cole Porter (Jean Howard)

    Travels with Cole Porter

    Text and photographs by Jean Howard
    Produced and designed by John Lynch
    Introduction by George Eells
    Editor: Harriet Whelchel

  • New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1991
    [ISBN: 0810934086]; 216 p.
    		•
    Noel and Coel: The Sophisticates [Citron]

    Noel and Cole: The Sophisticates

    Stephen Citron

  • London: Sinclair-Stevenson, 1992 [ISBN: 1856190854]; 360 p.
  • New York: Oxford University Press, 1993 [ISBN: 0195083857]; 360 p.
    		•
    Genius and Lust (Morella & Mazzei)

    Genius and Lust:
    The Creative and Sexual Lives of
    Cole Porter and Noel Coward

    Joseph Morella and George Mazzei

  • New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 1995
    [ISBN: 0786702370]; 276 p., 8 pages of photos
  • London: Robson, 1996
    		•
    Cole Porter (William McBrien)

    Cole Porter: A Biography

    William McBrien

  • New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1998 [ISBN: 0394582357]; 459 p.; illustrated
    		•

     

    Reference Works

    [Chronologically Listed]

    103 Lyrics of Cole Porter

    Selected with an introduction and commentary by Fred Lounsberry

  • New York: Random House, 1954; 224 p.
    • Cole (Kimball & Gill)

    Cole

    Edited by Robert Kimball
    Biographical essay by Brendan Gill
    Designed by Bea Feitler

  • New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1971
    [ISBN: 003086710X]; 283 p.
  • London: Michael Joseph, 1972 [ISBN: 0718110218]
  • New York: Delta 30815, 1992 [ISBN: 0385308159, pbk], 283 p.

    • Includes lyrics to almost two hundred songs, hundreds of photos, a chronology of songs and productions, an alphabetical list of songs, and a discography of original cast recordings.
    American Musicals: Cole Porter

    American Musicals: Cole Porter

    Tom Prideaux

  • Alexandria VA: Time-Life Records (bklt), 1981; 49 p.; illus.

    • Booklet with the three-record set; includes a biography (p. 3-21), "The Can-Can Frenzy" (p. 22-28) and Notes and Lyrics for Kiss Me, Kate [1948 Original Cast] (p. 29-36), Anything Goes [1962 Revival] (p. 36-42), and Can-Can [1953 Original Cast] (p. 42-48)
    Completet Lyrics [Knopf, 1983]

    The Complete Lyrics of Cole Porter

    Edited by Robert Kimball
    Foreword by John Updike

  • New York: Knopf, 1983
    [ISBN: 0394532147]; 354 p.
  • London: Hamilton, 1983
    [ISBN: 0241111412]; 354 p.
  • New York: Vintage Books, 1984
    [ISBN: 0394727649, pbk]
    • Complete Lyrics of Cole Porter (Kimball)

    Second Edition

  • New York: Da Capo Press, 1992
    [ISBN: 0306804832, pbk]; 501 p.

    • Includes lyrics to more than eight hundred songs, chronologically listed, with original source production information, and an index to titles and first lines.

    [Webmaster's note: This is the one book that every Cole Porter fan should have, and is available at a very reasonable price for its invaluable contents. - MHH]
    Catalog of the American Musical

    Catalog of the American Musical:
    Musicals of Irving Berlin, George &
    Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Richard
    Rodgers & Lorenz Hart

    Tommy Krasker and Robert Kimball

  • Washington, DC: National Institute for Opera and Musical Theater, 1988; 442 p. [ISBN: 0961857501]

    • [Webmaster's note: This tremendous work of scholarship is an attempt at cataloging the original performance materials of the book musicals of the cited composers and lyricists.  It provides information on the location of the original manuscripts, published sheet music, any other printings of music and lyrics, partiturs (orchestra scores) and orchestra parts.  The extent to which a large amount of this material is missing is quite sad. - MHH]
    You're the Top: Cole Porter in the 1930s

    You're the Top:
    Cole Porter in the 1930s

    Robert Kimball and Richard M. Sudhalter

  • Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society (bklt), 1992; 108 p.; illus.

    • Along with a three-CD set of songs, it includes a biography by Robert Kimball (p. 1-15), notes on the songs (p. 17-69) and performers (p. 71-95 ) by Richard M. Sudhalter, and a discography.
    From This Moment On [Bowers]

    From This Moment On:
    The Songs of Cole Porter

    Dwight Blocker Bowers

  • Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution (bklt), 1992; 60 p.; illus.

    • Along with the four-CD set of songs, it includes a biographical sketch (p. 1-7) and notes on the songs (p. 9-55)
    A Cole Porter Discography [Rimler]

    A Cole Porter Discography

    Walter Rimler

  • San Francisco: N. Charles Sylvan, 1995
    [ISBN: 1886385254]; 381 p.

    • Recordings of songs, listed chronologically by date of song's first performance, indexed by Title, Performer, and Album.

    [Webmaster's note: This work's major drawbacks include a lack of recordings' release dates (for the most part), its inability to acknowledge different releases of a song as the same recording, and a very high list price - MHH]

    You're Sensational:
    Cole Porter in the '20s, '40s, & '50s

    Robert Kimball and Richard M. Sudhalter

  • Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society (bklt), 1999; 158 p.; illus.

    • Along with a three-CD set of songs, it includes a biographical essay by Robert Kimball (p. 1-5), notes on the songs (p. 7-88) and performers (p. 91-136 ) by Richard M. Sudhalter, a chronology by Kimball (p. 138-144) and a discography and bibliography.

     

    Other Works

    [Chronologically Listed]

    Take Them Up Tenderly, A Collection of Profiles

    Margaret Case Harriman

  • New York: A.A. Knopf, 1944; 266 p.
  • Freeport NY: Books for Libraries Press, 1972 [ISBN: 0836929918]; 266 p.

    • All except one of the Profiles appeared in the New Yorker; includes "The Wise Lived Yesterday: Cole Porter" (New Yorker, November 23, 1940)

    Men of Popular Music

    David Ewen

  • New York: Prentice-Hall, 1949; 207 p.

    • R.S.V.P.: Elsa Maxwell's Own Story

    Elsa Maxwell

  • Boston: Little, Brown, 1954; 326 p.

    • The Story Behind Popular Songs

    Elizabeth Rider Montgomery

  • New York: Dodd, Mead & Co.,1958

    • Act One: An Autobiography

    Moss Hart

  • New York: Random House, 1959; 444 p.
  • London: Secker and Warburg, 1960; 444 p.
  • New York: Signet, 1960 [pb]
  • New York: Ballantine, 1970 [pb]
  • New York: Vintage, 1976 [pb]; 383 p.
  • New York: Modern Library, 1980 (?)
  • New York: St. Martin's Press, 1987 [trade pb]

    • The World of Musical Comedy: The Story of the American Musical Stage as Told Through the Careers of Its Foremost Composers and Lyricists

    Stanley Green

  • New York: A. S. Barnes, 1960; 397 p.
  • New York: A. S. Barnes, 1968 [second edition, revised]; 541 p.
  • London: Thomas Yoseloff Ltd, 1968; 541 p.
  • New York: A. S. Barnes, 1974 [third edition, revised]; 556 p.
  • New York: A. S. Barnes, 1980 [fourth edition, revised]
  • New York: DaCapo Press, 1980 [softcover]; 480 p.

    • Revue: A Nostalgic Reprise of the Great Broadway Period

    Robert Baral

  • New York: Fleet Publishing, 1962; 296 p.
  • New York: Fleet Press, 1970 [revised as Revue: The Great Broadway Period]; 296 p.

    • Notes on a Cowardly Lion: The Biography of Bert Lahr

    John Lahr

  • New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1969; 394 p.
  • New York: Ballantine Books, 1970 [pb]
  • New York: Limelight Editions, 1984 [trade pb]
  • London: Bloomsbury, 1992 [trade pb]

    • Living Well is the Best Revenge

    Calvin Tomkins

  • New York: Viking, 1971; 148 p.

    • Biography of Gerald and Sara Murphy, friends of Cole Porter

    Ring Bells! Sing Songs!: Broadway Musicals of the 1930's

    Stanley Green

  • New Rochelle NY: Arlington House, 1971; 385 p.
  • New York: Galahad Books, 19?? [reprint]; 385 p.

    • Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance: A Pictorial History of Film Musicals

    John Kobal

  • London: Hamlyn, 1971
  • London: Hamlyn, 1983 [revised]; 320 p.
  • New York: Exeter Books, 1983 [revised]; 320 p.
  • London: Octopus, 1988 [revised]

    • American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950

    Alec Wilder

  • New York: Oxford University Press, 1972; 536 p.
  • New York: Oxford University Press, 1990 [reprint]; 536 p.

    • My Heart Belongs

    Mary Martin

  • New York: Morrow, 1976; 320 p.
  • London: W. H. Allen, 1977
  • New York: Warner Books [trade pb], 1977
  • New York: Quill [trade pb], 1984

    • Cast of Thousands

    Anita Loos

  • New York: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers, 1977; 280 p.

    • All the Years of American Popular Music: A Comprehensive History

    David Ewen

  • New York: Prentice-Hall, 1977

    • American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle

    Gerald Bordman

  • New York: Oxford University Press, 1978; 749 p.
  • New York: Oxford University Press, 1992 [reprint]

    • Merman - An Autobiography

    Ethel Merman with George Eells

  • New York: Simon & Schuster, 1978; 320 p.

    • Broadway Musicals

    Martin Gottfried

  • New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1979; 352 p.

    • Yesterdays: Popular Song in America

    Charles Hamm

  • New York: W. W. Norton, 1979; 533 p.

    • The Hollywood Musical

    Clive Hirschhorn

  • New York: Crown, 1981; 456 p.
  • London: Octopus, 1981
  • New York: Portland House, 1991 [revised and updated]

    • Song By Song: The Lives and Work of 14 Great Lyric Writers

    Caryl Brahms and Ned Sherrin

  • Egerton UK: Ross Anderson Publications, 1984 [ISBN: 0863600131; 086360014X, pbk]; 281 p.

    • The Melody Lingers On: The Great Songwriters and Their Movie Musicals

    Roy Hemming

  • New York: Newmarket Press, 1986 [ISBN: 0937858579]; 388 p.

    • Let's Face the Music: The Golden Age of Popular Song

    Benny Green

  • London: Pavilion Books, 1989 [ISBN: 1851454896]; 234 p.

    • Word Crazy: Broadway Lyricists from Cohan to Sondheim

    Thomas S. Hischak

  • New York: Praeger, 1991 [ISBN: 0275938492]; 241 p. ; [includes "Anything Goes: Cole Porter" ]

    • The Song is Ended: Songwriters and American Music 1900-1950

    William G. Hyland

  • New York: Oxford University Press, 1995 [ISBN: 0195086112]; 336 p.

    • The American Popular Ballad of the Golden Era, 1924-1950

    Allen Forte

  • Princeton, N.J : Princeton University Press, 1995 [ISBN: 069104399X]; 366 p.

    		•

    A Cole Porter Bibliography

    Biographies | Reference Works | Other Works
    Songbooks (Compilations)     | Sheet Music
    Scores and Selections     | Librettos

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