---
name: "Irving Berlin"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/irving-berlin"
roles: ["Writer"]
born: "11 May 1888"
died: "29 September 1989"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 78
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-20T00:45:53.704411+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."
---

# Irving Berlin

Writer. Born 11 May 1888 in Mogilev, Belarus, Russian Empire. Died 29 September 1989.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer
- **Born:** 11 May 1888, Mogilev, Belarus, Russian Empire
- **Died:** 29 September 1989
- **Active:** 1935–1942
- **Also known as:** Israel Isidor Baline
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 3: 2 writing, 1 crew
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 7 nominated)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 78, as writer, over 2 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 78 (2), 1940s 71 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Berlin, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q128746, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000927/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/30176

## Biography

Irving Berlin, born Israel Isidor Baline, was an American songwriter and composer. He wrote the music and lyrics for the 1935 film *Top Hat*, as well as for *Holiday Inn* (1942), *Easter Parade* (1948), *Follow the Fleet* (1936) and *Carefree* (1938).

Berlin contributed songs and scores to numerous Broadway shows and films over five decades, including *The Cocoanuts* (1929) and *Annie Get Your Gun* (1950). He was a charter member of ASCAP and served in the US Army during the First World War.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, allmusic.com, nytimes.com, songhall.org.*

## On Fi1m (3)

### Wrote (2) — the average rests on these

- *Alexander's Ragtime Band* (1938), Fi1m 70, Music, Lyricist, Songs, Original Music Composer — [page](https://film.one/film/alexanders-ragtime-band.md)
- *Top Hat* (1935), Fi1m 87, Original Music Composer, Music, Lyricist — [page](https://film.one/film/top-hat.md)

### Crew (1)

- *The Pride of the Yankees* (1942), Fi1m 71, Songs — [page](https://film.one/film/the-pride-of-the-yankees.md)

## Complete filmography (38)

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

- *Top Hat - The Musical* (2026), Music
- *Irving Berlin's Top Hat* (2026), Lyricist, Music
- *Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin* (2020), Lyricist, Music
- *Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn* (2017), Original Music Composer, Lyricist
- *TOP HAT* (2015), as Compositor
- *Freek de Jonge - De Laatste Lach* (2008), Music
- *God Bless America* (2002), Music
- *Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration* (1988), as Songs · Lyricist, Music
- *That's Entertainment, Part II* (1976), Thanks
- *Annie Get Your Gun* (1967), Original Music Composer
- *Speed Crazy* (1959), Editor
- *Man with a Camera* (1958), series, Editor
- *Annie Get Your Gun* (1957), as Songs · Lyricist, Music
- *Love Me or Leave Me* (1955), as Songs
- *There's No Business Like Show Business* (1954), Music, Songs, Original Music Composer
- *White Christmas* (1954), as Songs
- *Call Me Madam* (1953), Original Music Composer, Lyricist
- *Annie Get Your Gun* (1950), Original Music Composer, Lyricist
- *Easter Parade* (1948), as Songs · Music, Lyricist, Original Music Composer
- *Blue Skies* (1946), Story
- *This Is the Army* (1943), as Irving Berlin (uncredited)
- *The Pride of the Yankees* (1942), as Songs — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/film/the-pride-of-the-yankees.md)
- *Holiday Inn* (1942), Idea, Songs, Lyricist, Story, Original Music Composer
- *Carefree* (1938), Lyricist, Original Music Composer
- *Alexander's Ragtime Band* (1938), Lyricist, Songs, Original Music Composer — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/alexanders-ragtime-band.md)
- *On the Avenue* (1937), Original Music Composer, Lyricist
- *Follow the Fleet* (1936), Lyricist, Original Music Composer
- *Top Hat* (1935), Original Music Composer, Lyricist — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/top-hat.md)
- *Kid Millions* (1934), as Songs · Lyricist
- *Alice in Wonderland* (1931), as Theme Song Performance
- *Pardon Us* (1931), Music
- *Reaching for the Moon* (1930), Story
- *Mammy* (1930), Theatre Play
- *Puttin' on the Ritz* (1930), Lyricist, Songs
- *Glorifying the American Girl* (1929), Lyricist, Songs
- *Hallelujah* (1929), as Songs
- *The Cocoanuts* (1929), Musical, Songs
- *One Week* (1920), Music

## Gallery

- ![Irving Berlin in 1923](https://film.one/media/person/1228646/gallery-a51d5981b6ba.jpg) Irving Berlin in 1923 — AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Irving_Berlin%2C_c%C3%A9lebre_compositor_de_canciones_populares.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Title: Irving Berlin, now a sergeant in the United States Army, who has written the military revue "Yip, Yip, Yaphank" at the Century Theatre, beginning Monday, (1918)](https://film.one/media/person/1228646/gallery-7945a75f63e1.jpg) Title: Irving Berlin, now a sergeant in the United States Army, who has written the military revue "Yip, Yip, Yaphank" at the Century Theatre, beginning Monday, (1918) — White Studio (New York, N.Y.), photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/Irving_Berlin%2C_now_a_sergeant_in_the_United_States_Army%2C_who_has_written_the_military_revue_%22Yip%2C_Yip%2C_Yaphank%22_at_the_Century_Theatre%2C_beginning_Monday%2C_Aug._19th_LCCN2016652339.jpg/1280px-thumbnail.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Irving Berlin](https://film.one/media/person/1228646/gallery-7ce33e31d658.jpg) Irving Berlin — Pach Brothers, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/Irving_Berlin_%281907_portrait%2C_NPG.93.388.3_-_crop%29.jpg/1280px-Irving_Berlin_%281907_portrait%2C_NPG.93.388.3_-_crop%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Press photo of Irving Berlin and the stars of the film, Alexander's Ragtime Band, L-R: Alice Faye, Tyrone Power, and Don Ameche. (1938)](https://film.one/media/person/1228646/gallery-8303740f64d7.jpg) Press photo of Irving Berlin and the stars of the film, Alexander's Ragtime Band, L-R: Alice Faye, Tyrone Power, and Don Ameche. (1938) — Boston Globe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Irving_Berlin_-_Ragtime.JPG/1280px-Irving_Berlin_-_Ragtime.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Title: Irving Berlin & wife (Ellen Mackay) Abstract/medium: 1 negative : glass ; 5 x 7 in. or smaller.](https://film.one/media/person/1228646/gallery-9f1bf934c280.jpg) Title: Irving Berlin & wife (Ellen Mackay) Abstract/medium: 1 negative : glass ; 5 x 7 in. or smaller. — Bain News Service, publisher, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/Irving_Berlin_%26_wife_%28Ellen_Mackay%29_LCCN2014719046.jpg/1280px-Irving_Berlin_%26_wife_%28Ellen_Mackay%29_LCCN2014719046.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won, 7 nominated

- 1955: Best Original Song (nominated), for *Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)*
- 1947: Best Original Song (nominated), for *You Keep Coming Back Like a Song*
- 1943: Best Original Song (won), for *White Christmas*
- 1943: Best Story (nominated), for *Holiday Inn*
- 1940: Best Original Song (nominated), for *I Poured My Heart Into a Song*
- 1939: Best Original Song (nominated), for *Change Partners*
- 1939: Best Story (nominated), for *Alexander's Ragtime Band*
- 1936: Best Original Song (nominated), for *Cheek to Cheek*

### Other awards — 3 won

- Presidential Medal of Freedom 1977: Presidential Medal of Freedom (won)
- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award 1968: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (won)
- Tony Award for Best Original Score 1951: Tony Award for Best Original Score (won), for *Call Me Madam*

*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/irving-berlin