Bert Kalmar's lyrics and his songwriting activities encompassed virtually all the musical genres of the time. He wrote popular vernacular hits for Tin Pan Alley, several of which were interpolated into existing shows (mostly revues) alongside songs by his best-known contemporaries; he wrote entire scores for musical comedies and Hollywood musicals; and he wrote scripts for both stage and screen. With composer Harry Ruby, his principal collaborator from 1919 until his death, he wrote dozens of songs and several slapstick comedy scripts, including screenplays for the Marx Brothers. Kalmar and Ruby's songs were performed and recorded by the leading singers of the day, and after becoming standards, they were later reinterpolated into motion pictures. His varied career also included performing (singing, dancing, and magic) and music publishing. Kalmar's broad familiarity with all aspects of musical theater clearly served him well, and he worked alongside many of the leading creative...