Allie Wrubel was educated at Wesleyan and Columbia Universities and played saxophone in the Paul Whiteman Orchestra before touring Europe with his own band. His first hit song was “Now You’re in My Arms” written with Morton Downey in 1931. He wrote both the words and music for “As You Desire Me” in 1932, which was recorded by a young Sarah Vaughan in 1949 and by Frank Sinatra in 1961.

After a stint as a theater manager Wrubel moved to Hollywood to write for films. With Abner Silver he wrote the title song for the original filming of A Farewell to Arms in 1932. The following year he began collaborating with Mort Dixon. They wrote the songs for Dames, Sweet Music, and Flirtation Walk in 1934, and “The Lady in Red” from the 1935 film In Caliente became a big hit for Xavier Cugat and others. In 1937 he and Ben Oakland wrote “Let’s Have Another Cigarette” for the comedy Life of the Party.

A collaboration with Herb Magidson produced “Music, Maestro, Please,” which went to number one on the charts with Tommy Dorsey’s 1938 recording while two other versions made it into the top five. “I’ll Buy That Dream” was introduced in the 1945 film Sing Your Way Home and was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Song. They also penned two songs that moved into the top echelons of jazz standards and have remained there over the years. “Gone with the Wind” (1937) and “The Masquerade Is Over” (1939) are favored by both vocalists and instrumentalists.

In 1948 Wrubel shared a Best Song Oscar with Ray Gilbert for “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” from Walt Disney’s Song of the South. He continued to write songs for films such as Duel in the Sun (1946), Never Steal Anything Small (1959), and Midnight Lace (1960).

Wrubel’s 1947 hit, “The Lady from 29 Palms,” for which the Andrews Sisters won a gold record, took its title from the California city in which he lived. His home there is now an upscale bed and breakfast.

- Sandra Burlingame