Throughout the 1930s Al Dubin set edgy, smart-guy lyrics to jittery, rhythmic melodies by composer Harry Warren. Their collaboration created the characteristic movie-musical sound of that decade--urban, eager, and sassy--and was instrumental in establishing the style and tone of the Warner Bros. musicals. Dubin wrote his best songs during the darkest days of the Great Depression, and when the Depression ended, so, for all practical purposes, did Dubin's career.

Alexander Dubin was born on 10 June 1891 in Zurich, Switzerland, to Simon and Minna Dubin. In the face of rampant anti-Semitism, Simon Dubin had fled from czarist Russia to Switzerland to continue his medical studies in Bern, where he met and married his wife (her maiden name is unknown). A chemist, Minna Dubin consistently placed her career above her maternal responsibilities. At a time when women rarely worked, she returned to teaching six weeks after giving birth to her son...