---
name: "Alan Jay Lerner"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/alan-jay-lerner"
roles: ["Writer"]
born: "31 August 1918"
died: "14 June 1986"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 76
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-20T04:13:03.597251+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Alan Jay Lerner

Writer. Born 31 August 1918 in New York City, New York, U.S.. Died 14 June 1986.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer
- **Born:** 31 August 1918, New York City, New York, U.S.
- **Died:** 14 June 1986
- **Active:** 1951–1964
- **Also known as:** Alan J. Lerner
- **Frequently works with:** [Arthur Freed](https://film.one/person/arthur-freed.md), [Leslie Caron](https://film.one/person/leslie-caron.md), [Vincente Minnelli](https://film.one/person/vincente-minnelli.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 3 Oscars (3 won · 4 nominated)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 76, as writer, over 2 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 76 (1), 1960s 76 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Jay_Lerner, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q961893, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0503585/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/27968

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*My Fair Lady*](https://film.one/film/my-fair-lady.md) (76)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Alan Jay Lerner (31 August 1918 – 14 June 1986) was an American lyricist, librettist and screenwriter. He collaborated with composer Frederick Loewe on the stage musicals *Brigadoon* (1947), *My Fair Lady* (1956) and *Camelot* (1960), and the film *Gigi* (1958). He also worked with Burton Lane on *Paint Your Wagon* (1951 stage; 1969 film) and *On a Clear Day You Can See Forever* (1965 stage; 1970 film).

Lerner wrote the screenplay and story for *An American in Paris* (1951), winning an Academy Award for Best Story and Screenplay. Other screen credits include *Royal Wedding* (1951). He was educated at Harvard University, where he contributed to Hasty Pudding shows, and earlier wrote radio scripts. Lerner received three Academy Awards and multiple Tony Awards.

*Sources: encyclopedia.com, en.wikipedia.org, britannica.com, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *My Fair Lady* (1964), Fi1m 76, Screenplay, Book, Musical, Lyricist — [page](https://film.one/film/my-fair-lady.md)
- *An American in Paris* (1951), Fi1m 76, Screenplay, Story — [page](https://film.one/film/an-american-in-paris.md)

## Complete filmography (19)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Becoming Benanti: The Role of a Lifetime* (2022), Lyricist
- *Mashup* (2021), Original Story
- *Camelot: Live from Lincoln Center* (2008), Lyricist, Writer
- *National Theatre: My Fair Lady* (2005), Writer
- *Gigi* (1996), series, Creator
- *I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Kurt Weill in America* (1992), Lyricist
- *Camelot* (1982), Lyricist, Writer
- *The Little Prince* (1974), Screenplay, Lyricist
- *On a Clear Day You Can See Forever* (1970), Screenplay, Theatre Play, Lyricist
- *Paint Your Wagon* (1969), Producer, Musical, Screenplay, Lyricist
- *Camelot* (1967), Theatre Play, Screenplay, Lyricist
- *Brigadoon* (1966), Musical, Lyricist
- *Eliza Doolittle* (1966), Screenplay
- *My Fair Lady* (1964), Screenplay, Musical, Lyricist, Book — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/my-fair-lady.md)
- *The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn* (1960), Lyricist
- *Gigi* (1958), Screenplay, Lyricist
- *Brigadoon* (1954), Screenplay, Musical, Lyricist
- *An American in Paris* (1951), Screenplay, Story — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/an-american-in-paris.md)
- *Royal Wedding* (1951), Screenplay, Story

## Gallery

- ![Alan Jay Lerner](https://film.one/media/person/1236647/gallery-9d836ac70d2a.jpg) Alan Jay Lerner — Distributed by NBC (Motown). Photographer uncredited and unknown., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Alan_Jay_Lerner_%281962%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Publicity photo, circa 1962, of American musical theater writing duo Lerner and Loewe: lyricist Alan Jay Lerner (at right) and composer Frederick Loewe (left).](https://film.one/media/person/1236647/gallery-8b1122f8516d.jpg) Publicity photo, circa 1962, of American musical theater writing duo Lerner and Loewe: lyricist Alan Jay Lerner (at right) and composer Frederick Loewe (left). — Distributed by NBC (Motown). Photographer uncredited and unknown., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Lerner_and_Loewe_%281962_publicity_portrait%29.jpg/1280px-Lerner_and_Loewe_%281962_publicity_portrait%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 3 won, 4 nominated

- 1975: Best Original Song Score (nominated), for *The Little Prince*
- 1975: Best Original Song (nominated)
- 1965: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated), for *My Fair Lady*
- 1959: Best Original Song (won), for *Gigi*
- 1959: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (won), for *Gigi*
- 1952: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (won), for *An American in Paris*
- 1952: Best Original Song (nominated), for *Too Late Now*

### Other awards — 5 won, 2 nominated

- Grammy Trustees Award 1997: Grammy Trustees Award (won)
- Johnny Mercer Award 1985: Johnny Mercer Award (won)
- Tony Award for Best Original Score 1979: Tony Award for Best Original Score (nominated), for *Carmelina*
- Tony Award for Best Original Score 1974: Tony Award for Best Original Score (won), for *Gigi*
- Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album 1966: Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album (won), for *On a Clear Day You Can See Forever – The Original Broadway Cast Recording*
- Tony Award for Best Original Score 1966: Tony Award for Best Original Score (nominated), for *On a Clear Day You Can See Forever*
- Tony Award for Best Musical 1957: Tony Award for Best Musical (won), for *My Fair Lady*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/alan-jay-lerner