Harold Albert Levey was born into a Jewish-American family on 17 June 1894 in New York City. A child prodigy, he was trained in his youth as a clarinetist at the
National Conservatory of Music of America. He began his professional career at the age of 13 as a clarinetist in the
New York Symphony Orchestra under conductor
Walter Damrosch. At the age of 19 Levey became band leader of the Brighton Beach Band. He worked as a conductor of radio orchestras, and as a conductor and composer of music for
Warner Brothers in the early years of
sound films. Some of the films he scored included
The Girl in the Glass Cage (1929) and
The Royal Box (1929). He served as music director for ''
Armstrong's Theatre of Today; a radio program active from 1941-1954. He wrote the theme song for the 1963 television series The Dakotas''. As a composer and arranger, Levey is best known for his contributions to
Broadway musicals during the 1920s.
The Clinging Vine (1922–1923,
Knickerbocker Theatre),
The Magic Ring (1923, Liberty Theatre),
The Magnolia Lady (1924–1925,
Shubert Theatre),
The Greenwich Village Follies of 1925 (1925–1926,
Chanin's 46th Street Theatre; also lyricist),
Rainbow Rose (1926,
Forrest Theatre; also lyricist), and
Lovely Lady (1927–1928,
Sam H. Harris Theatre). Levy died of a heart attack at the age of 73 in New York City on 18 June 1967. ==References==