Curtains fall on Rodgers and Hart
As By Jupiter went into production, Hart and Rodgers frequently conflicted. Hart suffered from depression and alcoholism and would disappear for weeks. By 1943, the problems became too much for Rodgers. In 1942, Rodgers started composing a musical version of Lynn Riggs’ play Green Grow the Lilacs, which they crafted into the Broadway classic, Oklahoma! Hart’s declining condition led Rodgers to work with lyricist Oscar Hammerstein, albeit with Hart’s blessing.
Hart claimed he couldn’t connect with the rural setting for the show, but attended the opening and warmly congratulated the pair. As Rodgers and Hammerstein found wild success, Hart suffered. His beloved mother passed away in early 1943. After a night of heavy drinking, Hart was found in a New York hotel room, violently ill with the pneumonia. Lorenz Hart, Rodger’s friend and collaborator since his teens, passed away in 1943, the result of the alcohol and pneumonia.
