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–{{Short description|American composer and songwriter (1891–1964)}}
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[[File:Coleporter.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1|Porter in the 1930s]]
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'''Cole Albert Porter''' (June 9, 1891&nbsp;– October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became [[Standard (music)|standards]] noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] and in [[Hollywood films]].

Born to a wealthy family in [[Indiana]], Porter defied his grandfather's wishes for him to practice law and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn to musical theatre. After a slow start, he began to achieve success in the 1920s, and by the 1930s he was one of the major songwriters for the Broadway musical stage. Unlike many successful Broadway composers, Porter wrote the lyrics as well as the music for his songs.

After a serious horseback riding accident in 1937, Porter was left disabled and in constant pain, but he continued to work. His shows of the early 1940s did not contain the lasting hits of his best work of the 1920s and 1930s, but in 1948 he made a triumphant comeback with his most successful musical, ''[[Kiss Me, Kate]]''. It won the first [[Tony Award for Best Musical]].

Porter's other musicals include ''[[Fifty Million Frenchmen]]'', ''[[DuBarry Was a Lady]]'', ''[[Anything Goes]]'', ''[[Can-Can (musical)|Can-Can]]'' and ''[[Silk Stockings]]''. His numerous hit songs include "[[Night and Day (song)|Night and Day]]", "[[Begin the Beguine]]", "[[I Get a Kick Out of You]]", "[[Well, Did You Evah!]]", "[[I've Got You Under My Skin]]", "[[Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love]]", "[[My Heart Belongs to Daddy]]" and "[[You're the Top]]". He also composed scores for films from the 1930s to the 1950s, including ''[[Born to Dance]]'' (1936), which featured the song "[[You'd Be So Easy to Love]]"; ''[[Rosalie (1937 film)|Rosalie]]'' (1937), which featured "[[In the Still of the Night (1937 song)|In the Still of the Night]]"; ''[[High Society (1956 film)|High Society]]'' (1956), which included "[[True Love (Cole Porter song)|True Love]]"; and ''[[Les Girls]]'' (1957).

==Life and career==

===Early years===
[[File:Westleigh Farms farmhouse.jpg|thumb|left|Farmhouse at Westleigh Farms]]
Porter was born in [[Peru, Indiana]], on June 9, 1891, the only surviving child of a wealthy family.{{refn|Porter's parents had two children who died in infancy before his birth – Louis Omar (b. and d. 1885) and Rachel (1888–90).<ref>McBrien (1998), p. 11</ref>|group= n}}<ref name=ewen>Ewen (1961). [https://archive.org/details/storyofamericasm0000davi/page/134/mode/2up?q=134 pp. 134–139]</ref> His father, Samuel Fenwick Porter, was a pharmacist by trade.<ref name=shaftel>Shaftel, Matthew (Autumn, 1999). [https://www.jstor.org/stable/3090664 "From Inspiration to Archive: Cole Porter's 'Night and Day'"], ''Journal of Music Theory'', Duke University Press, vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 315–347. Retrieved March 7, 2011. {{registration required}}</ref>{{refn|Porter's father came to Peru, Indiana, from [[Vevay, Indiana]]. He eventually owned three drugstores in Peru.<ref>McBrien (1998), p. 8</ref>|group= n}} His mother, Kate, was the indulged daughter of James Omar "J. O." Cole, "the richest man in Indiana", a coal and timber speculator who dominated the family.<ref name=bell/>{{refn|Porter's great-grandfather, A. A. Cole, had come to Peru, Indiana, in 1834 from Connecticut, as a child. J. O. Cole grew up in Peru but moved west during the [[Gold Rush of 1849]]. He made his fortune in California and invested it in Indiana farmland and West Virginia timber, coal, and oil.<ref>McBrien (1998), pp. 4–5</ref>|group= n}} J. O. Cole built the couple a house on his Peru-area property, known as Westleigh Farms.<ref>Schwartz (1977), p. 11</ref> After high school, Porter returned to his childhood home only for occasional visits.<ref>Schwartz (1977), p. 18</ref>

Porter's strong-willed mother doted on him<ref name=McB10/> and began his musical training at an early age. He learned the violin at age six, the piano at eight, and wrote his first [[operetta]] (with help from his mother) at ten. She falsified his recorded birth year, changing it from 1891 to 1893 to make him appear more precocious.<ref name=bell/> His father, a shy and unassertive man, played a lesser role in Porter's upbringing, although as an amateur poet, he may have influenced his son's gifts for rhyme and meter.<ref name=shaftel/> Porter's father was also a talented singer and pianist, but the father-son relationship was not close.<ref name=McB10>McBrien (1998), p. 10</ref>

[[File:Cole Albert Porter Yale College class of 1913.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Porter as a [[Yale College]] student]]
J. O. Cole wanted his grandson to become a lawyer,<ref name=bell>Bell, J. X. [https://www.coleporter.org/bio.html "Cole Porter Biography"], ''Cole Wide Web''. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100923133945/https://coleporter.org/bio.html |date=September 23, 2010 }}. Retrieved March 7, 2011.</ref> and with that in mind, sent him to [[Worcester Academy]] in Massachusetts in 1905. Porter brought an [[upright piano]] with him to school<ref name=McB21>McBrien (1998), p. 21</ref> and found that music, and his ability to entertain, made it easy for him to make friends.<ref name=McB21/> Porter did well in school and rarely came home to visit.<ref>McBrien (1998), p. 26</ref> He became class [[valedictorian]]<ref name=bell/> and was rewarded by his grandfather with a tour of France, Switzerland and Germany.<ref name=time>[https://time.com/vault/issue/1949-01-31/page/42 "The Theater: The Professional Amateur"], ''Time'' magazine, vol. LIII, no. 5, p. 42. January 31, 1949.</ref> Entering [[Yale College]] in 1909, Porter majored in English, minored in music, and also studied French.<ref name=Sensational>Kimball (1999), p. 1</ref> He was a member of [[Scroll and Key]] and [[Delta Kappa Epsilon]] fraternity, and contributed to campus humor magazine ''[[The Yale Record]]''.<ref>Seuss (2012), p. 10</ref> He was an early member of the [[Whiffenpoofs]] ''[[a cappella]]'' singing group and participated in several other music clubs;<ref name=McB32>McBrien (1998), p. 32</ref> in his senior year, he was elected president of the [[Yale Glee Club]] and was its principal soloist.<ref name=Sensational/>

Porter wrote 300 songs while at Yale,<ref name=bell/> including student songs such as the football fight songs "Bulldog"<ref>[https://bands.yalecollege.yale.edu/yale-precision-marching-band/music/yale-fight-songs "Yale Fight Songs"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205144712/https://bands.yalecollege.yale.edu/yale-precision-marching-band/music/yale-fight-songs |date=December 5, 2020 }}, ''Yale Bands'', [[Yale University]]. Retrieved February 21, 2020.</ref> and "Bingo Eli Yale" (aka "Bingo, That's The Lingo!") that are still played at Yale.<ref>[[Schiff, David]] (July/August 2004). [https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2004/07/one-swell-party/302991 "One Swell Party"], ''[[The Atlantic]]''. Retrieved April 2, 2020.</ref><ref name=ewen/> During college, Porter became acquainted with New York City's vibrant nightlife, taking the train there for dinner, theater, and nights on the town with his classmates, before returning to [[New Haven]], Connecticut, early in the morning.<ref name=McB32/> He also wrote musical comedy scores for his fraternity, the [[Yale Dramatic Association]], and as a student at Harvard – ''Cora'' (1911), ''And the Villain Still Pursued Her'' (1912), ''The Pot of Gold'' (1912), ''The Kaleidoscope'' (1913) and ''Paranoia'' (1914) – which helped prepare him for a career as a Broadway and Hollywood composer and lyricist.<ref name=Sensational/> After graduating from Yale, Porter enrolled in [[Harvard Law School]] in 1913, where he roomed with future Secretary of State [[Dean Acheson]].<ref>Algeo (2011), p. 144</ref> He soon felt that he was not destined to be a lawyer, and, at the suggestion of the dean of the law school, switched to Harvard's music department, where he studied harmony and [[counterpoint]] with [[Pietro Yon]].<ref name=shaftel/> His mother did not object to this move, but it was kept secret from J. O. Cole.<ref name=bell/>

In 1915, Porter's first song on [[Broadway theater|Broadway]], "Esmeralda", appeared in the [[revue]] ''Hands Up''. The quick success was immediately followed by failure: his first Broadway production, in 1916, ''[[See America First]]'', a "patriotic comic opera" modeled on [[Gilbert and Sullivan]], with a book by [[T. Lawrason Riggs]], was a flop, closing after two weeks.<ref name=grove>Root, Deane L. and Gerald Bordman (January 20, 2001). [https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com:80/subscriber/article/grove/music/22147 "Porter, Cole (Albert)"], ''Grove Music Online''. Retrieved May 21, 2010. {{subscription required}}</ref> Porter spent the next year in New York City before going overseas during World War I.<ref name=Sensational/>

===WWI, Paris and marriage===
[[File:The Lady in Blue (Mrs. Edward R. Thomas) by Emil Fuchs.jpg|thumb|''Lady in Blue'', 1906 portrait of [[Linda Lee Thomas]] by [[Emil Fuchs (artist)|Emil Fuchs]]]]
In 1917, when the United States entered [[World War I]], Porter moved to Paris to work with the Duryea Relief organization.<ref name=Top1>Kimball (1992b), p. 1</ref>{{refn|He subsequently enlisted in the First Foreign Regiment, before moving to other regiments prior to his April 1919 discharge.<ref>McBrien (1998), p. 59</ref>|group= n}} Some writers have been skeptical about Porter's claim to have served in the [[French Foreign Legion]],<ref name=bell/><ref name=grove/> but the Legion lists Porter as one of its soldiers and displays his portrait at its museum in [[Aubagne]].<ref>[https://www.legion-etrangere.com/mdl/page.php?id=639&titre=Le-Musee-de-la-Legion-etrangere-a-Aubagne "Le Musée de la Légion étrangère, à Aubagne"], ''Légion étrangère''. Retrieved July 24, 2025.</ref> By some accounts, he served in North Africa and was transferred to the [[School of Applied Artillery (France)|French Officers School]] at [[Fontainebleau]], teaching gunnery to American soldiers.<ref>Salazar, Jaime (2005). [https://www.legionofthelost.com/porter ''Cole Porter''], ''Legion of the Lost''. Retrieved July 21, 2025.</ref> An obituary notice in ''[[The New York Times]]'' stated that, while in the Legion, "he had a specially constructed portable piano made for him so that he could carry it on his back and entertain the troops in their [[Bivouac shelter|bivouacs]]."<ref name=nyt/> Another account, given by Porter, is that he joined the recruiting department of the American Aviation Headquarters, but, according to his biographer [[Stephen Citron]], there is no record of his joining this or any other branch of the forces.<ref>Citron (2005), p. 48</ref>

Porter maintained a luxury apartment in Paris, where he entertained lavishly. His parties were extravagant and scandalous, with "much gay and bisexual activity, Italian nobility, [[cross-dressing]], international musicians and a large surplus of [[recreational drugs]]".<ref name=bell/> In 1918, he met [[Linda Lee Thomas]], a rich, [[Louisville, Kentucky]]-born divorcée eight years his senior.<ref name=NROReview>[[Derbyshire, John]] (July 28, 2004). [https://www.nationalreview.com/2004/07/oh-songs-john-derbyshire/ "Oh, the Songs!"] ''[[National Review Online]]''. Retrieved July 22, 2025.</ref>{{refn|She divorced newspaper mogul Edward R. Thomas in 1912, receiving more than a million dollars in the divorce settlement.<ref name=McBrien65>McBrien (1998), p. 65</ref>|group= n}} She was beautiful and well-connected socially; the couple shared interests, including a love of travel, and she became Porter's confidante and companion.<ref>McBrien (1998), p. 70</ref> The couple married the next year. She was in no doubt about Porter's homosexuality,{{refn|Porter had "frequent homosexual encounters"<ref>Citron (2005), p. 142; and Schwartz (1977), p.114</ref>|group= n}} but it was [[lavender marriage|mutually advantageous]] for them to marry. For Linda, it offered continued social status and a partner who was the antithesis of her abusive first husband.<ref name=McBrien65/> For Porter, it brought a respectable heterosexual front in an era when homosexuality was not publicly acknowledged. They were, moreover, genuinely devoted to each other and remained married from December 19, 1919, until her death in 1954.<ref name=bell/> Linda remained protective of her social position and, believing that classical music might be a more prestigious outlet than Broadway for her husband's talents, tried to use her connections to find him suitable teachers, including [[Igor Stravinsky]], but was unsuccessful. Finally, Porter enrolled at the [[Schola Cantorum]] in Paris, founded by [[Vincent d'Indy]], where he studied orchestration and [[counterpoint]].<ref name=shaftel/>{{refn|Some writers<ref>Schwartz (1977), p. 57</ref><ref name=shaftel/> state that Porter studied with D'Indy himself, but William McBrien states that he did not.<ref>McBrien (1998), pp. 74 and 141</ref>|group=n}} Meanwhile, Porter's first big hit was the song "Old-Fashioned Garden" from the revue ''[[Hitchy-Koo of 1919]]''.<ref name=NROReview/> In 1920, he contributed the music of several songs to the musical ''[[A Night Out (musical)|A Night Out]]''.<ref>Hutchins, Michael H. [https://www.sondheimguide.com/porter/miscsongs.html "Miscellaneous Songs"], ''The Cole Porter Reference Guide''. Retrieved July 22, 2025.</ref>

[[File:Ca' Rezzonico (Venice).jpg|thumb|left|[[Ca' Rezzonico]] in Venice, leased by Porter in the 1920s]]
Marriage did not diminish Porter's taste for extravagant luxury. The Porter home on the rue Monsieur near [[Les Invalides]] was a palatial house with platinum wallpaper and chairs upholstered in zebra skin.<ref name=nyt>The Associated Press (October 16, 1964). [https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0609.html "Obituary: Cole Porter is Dead; Songwriter Was 72"], ''The New York Times''.</ref> In 1923, Porter came into an inheritance from his grandfather, and the Porters began living in rented palaces in Venice. He once hired the entire [[Ballets Russes]] to entertain his guests, and for a party at [[Ca' Rezzonico]], which he rented for $4,000 a month (${{Formatnum:{{Inflation|US|4000|1923|r=-3}}}} in current value), he hired 50 gondoliers to act as footmen and had a troupe of tightrope walkers perform in a blaze of lights.<ref name=nyt/> In the midst of this extravagant lifestyle, Porter continued to write songs with his wife's encouragement.<ref name=Top2>Kimball (1992b), p. 2</ref>

[[File:Cole Porter, Linda Lee Thomas, Bernard Berenson, and Howard Sturges in gondola, 1923.jpg|thumb|right|Cole Porter, Linda Lee Thomas, Bernard Berenson, and [[Howard Sturges]] in gondola, 1923]]
Porter received few commissions for songs in the years immediately after his marriage. He had the occasional number interpolated into other writers' revues in Britain and the U.S. For a [[C. B. Cochran]] show in 1921, he had two successes with the comedy numbers "The Blue Boy Blues" and "Olga, Come Back to the Volga".<ref>Citron (2005), p. 58</ref> In 1923, in collaboration with [[Gerald Murphy]], he composed a short ballet, originally titled ''Landed'' and then ''Within the Quota'', satirically depicting the adventures of an immigrant to America who becomes a film star. The work, written for the [[Ballets suédois]], lasts about 16 minutes. It was orchestrated by [[Charles Koechlin]] and shared the same opening night as [[Milhaud]]'s ''[[La création du monde]]''. Porter's work was one of the earliest symphonic jazz-based compositions, predating [[George Gershwin]]'s ''[[Rhapsody in Blue]]'' by four months, and was well received by both French and American reviewers after its premiere at the [[Théâtre des Champs-Élysées]] in October 1923.<ref name="kimball-4-5">Kimball (1991), pp. 4–5</ref>{{refn|The British classical music journal ''[[The Musical Times]]'' commented, "There was plenty of excitement of a certain kind – at least for the more excitable spectators".<ref>Bold, A. (December 1, 1923). [https://www.jstor.org/stable/913721 "Musical Notes from Abroad: Paris"], ''The Musical Times'', vol. 64, no. 970, p. 874. {{registration required}}</ref> |group= n}}

The next month, the Ballets suédois toured the work in the U.S., performing it 69 times.<ref name=Kimball6>Kimball (1991), p. 6</ref> Reviews of the inaugural performance in New York were mixed; critics found the work to be too much like Milhaud and not American enough.<ref>Schwartz (1977), pp. 81–82</ref> A year later the company disbanded, and the score was lost until it was reconstructed from Porter's and Koechlin's manuscripts between 1966 and 1990, with help from Milhaud and others.<ref name=Kimball6/> Porter had even less success with his work on ''The [[Greenwich Village Follies]]'' (1924). He wrote most of the original score, but his songs were gradually dropped during the Broadway run, and by the time of the post-Broadway tour in 1925, all his numbers had been deleted.<ref>Kimball (1992a), p. 85</ref> Frustrated by the public response to these works, Porter nearly gave up songwriting as a career, although he continued to compose songs for friends and perform at private parties.<ref name=Top2/>

===Broadway and West End success===
[[File:Irène Bordoni 01.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Irène Bordoni]], star of Porter's ''[[Paris (1928 musical)|Paris]]'']]
At the age of 36, Porter reintroduced himself to Broadway in 1928 with the musical ''[[Paris (1928 musical)|Paris]]'', his first hit.<ref name=Sensational5>Kimball (1999), p. 5</ref> It was commissioned by [[E. Ray Goetz]] at the instigation of Goetz's wife and the show's star, [[Irène Bordoni]].<ref name=Sensational5/> She had wanted [[Rodgers and Hart]] to write the songs, but they were unavailable, and Porter's agent persuaded Goetz to hire Porter instead.<ref>Citron (2005), p. 73</ref> In August 1928, Porter's work on the show was interrupted by the death of his father. He hurried back to Indiana to comfort his mother before returning to work. The songs written for the show included "[[Let's Misbehave]]", which was dropped before the show opened in New York, and one of Porter's best-known [[list song]]s, "[[Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love]]", which replaced "Let's Misbehave" and was introduced by Bordoni and [[Arthur Margetson]].<ref>Kimball (1992a), pp. 101 and 104</ref> The show opened on Broadway on October 8, 1928. The Porters did not attend the first night because Porter was in Paris supervising another show for which he had been commissioned, ''La Revue des Ambassadeurs'' at the [[Café des Ambassadeurs|Les Ambassadeurs]] music hall.<ref>Citron (2005), pp. 74 and 79</ref><ref>McBrien (1998), [https://archive.org/details/coleporterbiogra00mcbr_0/page/119/mode/1up p. 119]</ref> This was also a success, and, in Citron's phrase, Porter was finally "accepted into the upper echelon of Broadway songwriters".<ref>Citron (2005), p. 78</ref> Cochran now wanted more from Porter than isolated extra songs; he planned a [[West End theatre|West End]] extravaganza similar to [[Ziegfeld]]'s shows, with a Porter score and a large international cast led by [[Jessie Matthews]], [[Sonnie Hale]] and [[Tilly Losch]]. The revue, ''[[Wake Up and Dream (musical)|Wake Up and Dream]]'', ran for 263 performances in London, after which Cochran transferred it to New York in 1929. On Broadway, business was badly affected by the 1929 [[Wall Street crash]],{{refn|The Porters were not greatly affected by the crash, having their assets in safe investments and held in a number of foreign banks, which remained solvent.<ref>Citron (2005), p. 85</ref>|group= n}} and the production ran for only 136 performances. From Porter's point of view, it was nonetheless a success, as his song "[[What Is This Thing Called Love?]]" became immensely popular.<ref>Citron (2005), pp 80–82</ref> Porter's new fame brought him offers from [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]], but because his score for [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]'s ''[[The Battle of Paris]]'' was undistinguished, and its star, [[Gertrude Lawrence]], was miscast, the film was not a success.<ref>Citron (2005), pp. 82–83</ref> Citron expresses the view that Porter was not interested in cinema and "noticeably wrote down for the movies."<ref>Citron (2005), p. 83</ref>

Still on a [[France|Gallic]] theme, Porter's last Broadway show of the 1920s was ''[[Fifty Million Frenchmen]]'' (1929), for which he wrote 28 numbers, including "[[You Do Something to Me (Cole Porter song)|You Do Something to Me]]", "You've Got That Thing" and "The Tale of the Oyster".<ref>Kimball (1992a), pp. 117–129</ref> The show received mixed notices. One critic wrote, "the lyrics alone are enough to drive anyone but [[P. G. Wodehouse]] into retirement", but others dismissed the songs as "pleasant" and "not an outstanding hit song in the show". As it was a lavish and expensive production, nothing less than full houses would suffice, and after only three weeks, the producers announced that they would close it. [[Irving Berlin]], who admired and championed Porter, took out a paid press advertisement calling the show "The best musical comedy I've heard in years. ... One of the best collections of song numbers I have ever listened to". This saved the show, which ran for 254 performances, considered a successful run at the time.<ref>Citron (2005), p. 84</ref>

===1930s===
Ray Goetz, producer of ''Paris'' and ''Fifty Million Frenchmen'', the success of which had kept him solvent when other producers were bankrupted by the post-crash slump in Broadway business, invited Porter to write a musical show about the other city that he knew and loved: New York. Goetz offered the team with whom Porter had last worked: [[Herbert Fields]] writing the book and Porter's old friend [[Monty Woolley]] directing.<ref>Citron (2005), p. 100</ref>{{refn|Woolley was a longstanding Yale friend of Porter's, and the two shared many adventures, pranks, foreign trips and professional connections together.<ref>Schwartz (1977), pp. [https://archive.org/details/coleporterbiogra00schw/page/38 38], 49, 111 & etc.</ref>|group= n}} ''[[The New Yorkers]]'' (1930) acquired instant notoriety for including a song about a [[streetwalker]], "[[Love for Sale (song)|Love for Sale]]". Originally performed by [[Kathryn Crawford]] in a street setting, critical disapproval led Goetz to reassign the number to [[Elisabeth Welch]] in a nightclub scene. The lyric was considered too explicit for radio at the time, though it was recorded and aired as an instrumental and rapidly became a standard.<ref>Citron (2005), p. 101</ref> Porter often referred to it as his favorite of his songs.<ref>Kimball (1992a), p. 145</ref> ''The New Yorkers'' also included the hit "[[I Happen to Like New York]]".<ref>Kimball (1992a), p. 147</ref>

[[File:Elizabeth Welch Allan Warren.jpg|thumb|left|[[Elisabeth Welch]] starred in Porter's ''[[The New Yorkers]]'' and ''[[Nymph Errant]]''.]]
Next came [[Fred Astaire]]'s last stage show, ''[[Gay Divorce]]'' (1932).<ref>Hutchins, Michael H. [https://www.sondheimguide.com/porter/gaydivorce.html "''Gay Divorce'' – Original Broadway Production"], ''The Cole Porter Reference Guide''. Retrieved July 22, 2025.</ref> It featured a hit that became Porter's best-known song, "[[Night and Day (song)|Night and Day]]".{{refn|In 1999, Matthew Shaftel wrote, "Less than two months after the show's opening ... the song was featured on two best-selling recordings and was at the top of sheet music sales. Since then, 83 artists have registered with the [ASCAP] ... to legally perform and record "Night and Day". [Even] today, more than 65 years after its composition, the song earns a stunning six figures, making it Warner Brothers' "crown jewel", and placing it on ASCAP's list of top money-earners of all time.<ref name=shaftel/>|group= n}} Despite mixed press (some critics were reluctant to accept Astaire without his previous partner, his sister [[Adele Astaire|Adele]]), the show ran for a profitable 248 performances, and the rights to the film, retitled ''[[The Gay Divorcee]]'', were sold to [[RKO Pictures]].{{refn|The film version, starring Astaire and [[Ginger Rogers]] dropped all of Porter's score except "Night and Day"<ref>Citron (2005), p. 105</ref>|group= n}} Porter followed this with a West End show for Gertrude Lawrence, ''[[Nymph Errant]]'' (1933), presented by Cochran at the [[Adelphi Theatre]], where it ran for 154 performances. Among the songs Porter composed for the show were "Experiment" and "The Physician" for Lawrence, and "Solomon" for Elisabeth Welch.<ref>Kimball (1992a), pp. 158–163</ref>

In 1934, producer [[Vinton Freedley]] came up with a new approach to producing musicals. Instead of commissioning book, music and lyrics and then casting the show, Freedley sought to create an ideal musical with stars and writers all engaged from the outset.<ref>Citron (2005), p. 108</ref> The stars he wanted were [[Ethel Merman]], [[William Gaxton]] and comedian [[Victor Moore]]. He planned a story about a shipwreck and a desert island, and for the book he turned to P. G. Wodehouse and [[Guy Bolton]]. For the songs, he decided on Porter. By telling each of these that he had already signed the others, Freedley gathered his ideal team together.{{refn|Freedley told Bolton and Wodehouse that he had secured Merman, then contacted Gaxton, Moore, and finally Merman.<ref>Citron (2005), p. 109</ref>|group= n}} A drastic last-minute rewrite was necessitated by a major shipping accident that dominated the news and made Bolton and Wodehouse's book seem tasteless.{{refn|In 1934, the [[SS Morro Castle (1930)|S.S. Morro Castle]] caught fire off the New Jersey shore, killing more than 100 people.<ref>Kimball (1992b), p. 70, and McBrien (1998), p. 164</ref> Bolton and Wodehouse were by then engaged in other work, and Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse rewrote the book almost completely.<ref name=Citron110/>|group= n}} Nevertheless, the show, ''[[Anything Goes]]'', was an immediate hit. Porter wrote what many consider his greatest score of this period.{{refn|''Anything Goes'' was orchestrated by [[Robert Russell Bennett]] and [[Hans Spialek]].<ref name="anything-goes-cd">McGlinn, John (1989), "The Original ''Anything Goes'': A Classic Restored", Notes to EMI CD CDC 7 49848 2.</ref>|group=n}} ''[[The New Yorker]]'' magazine's review said, "Mr. Porter is in a class by himself",<ref name=Citron110>Citron (2005), p. 110</ref> and Porter subsequently called it one of his two perfect shows, along with the later ''[[Kiss Me, Kate]]''.<ref name=Citron110/> Its songs include "[[I Get a Kick Out of You]]", "[[All Through the Night (Cole Porter song)|All Through the Night]]", "[[You're the Top]]" (one of his best-known list songs), and "Blow, Gabriel, Blow", as well as the [[Anything Goes (Cole Porter song)|title number]].<ref>Kimball (1992a), pp. 167–176</ref> The show ran for 420 performances in New York (a particularly long run in the 1930s) and 261 in London.<ref>Citron (2005), p. 111</ref> Now at the height of his success, Porter was able to enjoy the opening night of his musicals; he made grand entrances and sat in front, apparently relishing the show as much as any audience member. [[Russel Crouse]] commented "Cole's opening-night behaviour is as indecent as that of a bridegroom who has a good time at his own wedding."<ref name=Citron110/>

''Anything Goes'' was the first of five Porter shows featuring Merman. He loved her loud, brassy voice and wrote many numbers that displayed her strengths.<ref>Citron (2005), p. 141</ref> ''[[Jubilee (musical)|Jubilee]]'' (1935), written with [[Moss Hart]] while on a cruise around the world, was not a major hit, running for only 169 performances, but it featured two songs that have since become standards, "[[Begin the Beguine]]" and "[[Just One of Those Things (song)|Just One of Those Things]]".<ref>Kimball (1992a), pp. 183–196</ref> ''[[Red, Hot and Blue]]'' (1936), featuring Merman, [[Jimmy Durante]] and [[Bob Hope]], ran for 183 performances and introduced "[[It's De-Lovely]]", "[[Down in the Depths (on the Ninetieth Floor)]]", and "[[Ridin' High (song)|Ridin' High"]].<ref>Kimball (1992a), pp. 205–216</ref> The relative failure of these shows convinced Porter that his songs did not appeal to a broad enough audience. In an interview, he said "Sophisticated allusions are good for about six weeks ... more fun, but only for myself and about eighteen other people, all of whom are first-nighters anyway. Polished, urbane and adult playwriting in the musical field is strictly a creative luxury."<ref>Kimball (1992a), p. 205</ref>

Porter also wrote for Hollywood in the mid-1930s. His scores include those for the [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] films ''[[Born to Dance]]'' (1936), with [[James Stewart]], featuring "[[You'd Be So Easy to Love]]" and "[[I've Got You Under My Skin]]", and ''[[Rosalie (1937 film)|Rosalie]]'' (1937), featuring "[[In the Still of the Night (1937 song)|In the Still of the Night]]".<ref name=Top9>Kimball (1992b), p. 9</ref> He wrote the score of the short film ''[[Paree, Paree]]'', in 1935, using some of the songs from ''Fifty Million Frenchmen''.<ref>Hutchins, Michael H. [https://www.sondheimguide.com/porter/paree.html "Paree, Paree"], ''The Cole Porter Reference Guide''. Retrieved July 22, 2025.</ref> Porter also composed the cowboy song "[[Don't Fence Me In (song)|Don't Fence Me In]]" for ''Adios, Argentina'', an unproduced movie, in 1934, but it did not become a hit until [[Roy Rogers]] sang it in the 1944 film ''[[Hollywood Canteen (film)|Hollywood Canteen]]''.<ref>Kimball (1992b), p. 7</ref> [[Bing Crosby]], [[The Andrews Sisters]], and other artists also popularized it in the 1940s. The Porters moved to Hollywood in December 1935, but Porter's wife did not like the movie environment, and Porter's closeted homosexual acts, formerly very discreet, became less so; she retreated to their Paris house.<ref>Citron (2005), p. 143</ref><ref>McBrien (1998), pp. 189, 193, 206 and 209</ref> When his film assignment on ''Rosalie'' was finished in 1937, Porter hastened to Paris to make peace with Linda, but she remained cool. After a walking tour of Europe with his friends, Porter returned to New York in October 1937 without her.<ref>McBrien (1998), p. 209</ref> They were soon reunited by an accident Porter suffered.<ref>Citron (2005), p. 144</ref>

On October 24, 1937, Porter was riding with Countess Edith di Zoppola and [[Fulco di Verdura|Duke Fulco di Verdura]] at [[Piping Rock Club]] in [[Locust Valley, New York]], when his horse rolled on him and crushed his legs, leaving him substantially crippled and in constant pain for the rest of his life. Though doctors told Porter's wife and mother that his right leg would have to be amputated, and possibly the left one as well, he refused to have the procedure. Linda rushed from Paris to be with him, and supported him in his refusal of amputation.<ref>Citron (2005), p. 145</ref> He remained in the hospital for seven months before being allowed to go home to his apartment at the [[Waldorf Astoria New York|Waldorf Towers]].<ref name=Citron162>Citron (2005), p. 162</ref><ref>Harriman, Margaret Case (November 23, 1940). [https://web.archive.org/web/20180618025626/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1940/11/23/words-and-music-3 "Words and Music"], ''The New Yorker''. Archived from [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1940/11/23/words-and-music-3 the original] on October 13, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2018.</ref>{{refn|Linda, appraising the deteriorating political outlook in Europe, closed the Paris house in April 1939.<ref>Citron (2005), p. 168</ref>|group= n}} He resumed work as soon as he could, finding it took his mind off his perpetual pain.<ref name=Citron162/>

Porter's first show after his accident was not a success. ''[[You Never Know (musical)|You Never Know]]'' (1938), starring [[Clifton Webb]], [[Lupe Vélez]] and [[Libby Holman]], ran for only 78 performances.<ref>Kimball (1992a), p. 225</ref> The score included the songs "From Alpha to Omega" and "[[At Long Last Love (song)|At Long Last Love]]".<ref>Kimball (1992a), pp. 227–230</ref> He returned to success with ''[[Leave It to Me!]]'' (1938); the show introduced [[Mary Martin]], singing "[[My Heart Belongs to Daddy]]", and other numbers included "Most Gentlemen Don't Like Love" and "From Now On".<ref>Kimball (1992a), pp. 241–243</ref> Porter's last show of the 1930s was ''[[DuBarry Was a Lady]]'' (1939), a particularly risqué show starring Merman and [[Bert Lahr]].<ref>Citron (2005), p. 184</ref> After a pre-Broadway tour, during which it ran into trouble with Boston censors,<ref>Kimball (1992a), p. 260</ref> it achieved 408 performances, beginning at the [[46th Street Theatre]].<ref>Kimball (1992a), p. 256</ref> The score included "But in the Morning, No" (which was banned from the airwaves), "[[Do I Love You?]]", "[[Well, Did You Evah!]]", "Katie Went to Haiti" and another of Porter's up-tempo list songs, "[[Friendship (Cole Porter song)|Friendship]]".<ref>Kimball (1992a), pp. 259–267</ref> At the end of 1939, Porter contributed six songs to the film ''[[Broadway Melody of 1940]]'' for Fred Astaire, [[George Murphy]] and [[Eleanor Powell]].<ref>Kimball (1992a), pp. 252–254</ref>

Meanwhile, as war became imminent in Europe, Porter's wife closed their Paris house in 1939, and the next year bought a country home in the [[Berkshires|Berkshire mountains]], near [[Williamstown, Massachusetts]], which she decorated with elegant furnishings from their Paris home. Porter spent time in Hollywood, New York and Williamstown.<ref>McBrien (1998), p. 225</ref>

===1940s and postwar===
[[File:Astaire, Fred - Never Get Rich.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Fred Astaire]] in ''You'll Never Get Rich'']]
''[[Panama Hattie]]'' (1940) was Porter's longest-running hit so far, running in New York for 501 performances despite the absence of any enduring Porter songs.<ref>Citron (2005), p. 185</ref> It starred Merman, [[Arthur Treacher]] and [[Betty Hutton]]. ''[[Let's Face It!]]'' (1941), starring [[Danny Kaye]], had an even better run, with 547 performances in New York.<ref>Kimball (1992a), p. 299</ref> This, too, lacked any numbers that became standards, and Porter always counted it among his lesser efforts.<ref>Citron (2005), p. 189</ref> ''[[Something for the Boys]]'' (1943), starring Merman, ran for 422 performances, and ''[[Mexican Hayride (musical)|Mexican Hayride]]'' (1944), starring [[Bobby Clark (comedian)|Bobby Clark]], with [[June Havoc]], ran for 481 performances.<ref>Kimball (1992a), pp. 320 and 343</ref> These shows, too, are short of Porter standards. The critics did not pull their punches, complaining about the lack of hit tunes and the generally low standard of the scores.<ref>Citron (2005), p. 190</ref> After two flops, ''Seven Lively Arts'' (1944) (which featured the standard "[[Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye]]") and ''[[Around the World (musical)|Around the World]]'' (1946), many thought that Porter's best period was over.<ref>Citron (2005), p. 193</ref>

Between Broadway musicals, Porter continued to write for Hollywood. His film scores of this period were ''[[You'll Never Get Rich]]'' (1941) with Astaire and [[Rita Hayworth]], ''[[Something to Shout About (film)|Something to Shout About]]'' (1943) with [[Don Ameche]], [[Janet Blair]] and William Gaxton, and ''Mississippi Belle'' (1943–44), which was abandoned before filming began.<ref>Kimball (1992a), pp. 295, 313 and 335</ref> He also cooperated in the making of the film [[Night and Day (1946 film)|''Night and Day'']] (1946), a largely fictional biography of Porter, with [[Cary Grant]] implausibly cast in the lead. The critics scoffed, but the film was a huge success, chiefly because of the wealth of vintage Porter numbers in it.<ref name=Citron211>Citron (2005), pp. 211–214</ref> The biopic's success contrasted starkly with the failure of [[Vincente Minnelli]]'s film ''[[The Pirate (1948 film)|The Pirate]]'' (1948), with [[Judy Garland]] and [[Gene Kelly]],<ref>Kimball (1992b), p. 13–15</ref> in which five new Porter songs received little attention.<ref>Citron (2005), p. 215</ref>

[[File:Cole-Porter-and-Jean-Howard.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Porter and [[Jean Howard]] in early 1954]]
From this low spot, Porter made a conspicuous comeback in 1948 with ''Kiss Me, Kate''. It was by far his most successful show, running for 1,077 performances in New York and 400 in London.<ref>Citron (2005), p. 419</ref> The production won the [[Tony Award]] for [[Tony Award for Best Musical|Best Musical]] (the first Tony awarded in that category), and Porter won for best composer and lyricist. The score includes "[[Another Op'nin', Another Show]]", "Wunderbar", "[[So In Love]]", "We Open in Venice", "[[Tom, Dick or Harry (song)|Tom, Dick or Harry]]", "I've Come to Wive It Wealthily in Padua", "[[Too Darn Hot]]", "[[Always True to You in My Fashion|Always True to You (in My Fashion)]]", and "Brush Up Your Shakespeare".<ref>Kimball (1992a), pp. 387–399</ref>

Porter began the 1950s with ''[[Out of This World (musical)|Out of This World]]'' (1950), which had some good numbers but too much [[Camp (style)|camp]] and vulgarity,<ref>Citron (2005), p. 220</ref> and was not greatly successful. His next show, ''[[Can-Can (musical)|Can-Can]]'' (1952), featuring "[[C'est Magnifique]]" and "[[It's All Right with Me]]", was another hit, running for 892 performances.<ref>Kimball (1992a), p. 422</ref> The soundtrack from [[Can-Can (film)|''Can-Can'''s film adaptation]] won the 1960 [[Grammy Award for Best Sound Track Album or Recording of Original Cast From a Motion Picture or Television#1960s|Grammy Award for Best Sound Track Album]].<ref name="grammys-porter">[https://www.grammy.com/artists/cole-porter/9772 "Cole Porter"], ''Grammy Awards'', The Recording Academy. Retrieved December 30, 2021.</ref> Porter's last original Broadway production, ''[[Silk Stockings]]'' (1955), featuring "[[All of You (Cole Porter song)|All of You]]", was also successful, with a run of 477 performances.<ref>Kimball (1992a), p. 438</ref> Porter wrote two more film scores and music for a television special before ending his Hollywood career. The film ''[[High Society (1956 film)|High Society]]'' (1956), starring Bing Crosby, [[Frank Sinatra]] and [[Grace Kelly]], included Porter's last major hit song "[[True Love (Cole Porter song)|True Love]]".<ref name=NROReview/> It was adapted as a stage musical [[High Society (musical)|of the same name]]. Porter also wrote numbers for the film ''[[Les Girls]]'' (1957), which starred Gene Kelly. His final score was for the CBS television special ''[[Aladdin (TV special)|Aladdin]]'' (1958).<ref name=Aladdin>Kimball (1992a), p. 468</ref>

===Last years===
Porter's mother died in 1952, and Linda died of [[emphysema]] in 1954.<ref>Citron (2005), pp. 239 and 242</ref> By 1958, Porter's injuries caused a series of [[Ulcer (dermatology)|ulcers]] on his right leg. After 34 operations, it had to be amputated and replaced with an artificial limb.<ref name=Citron249>Citron (2005), p. 249</ref> His friend [[Noël Coward]] visited him in the hospital and wrote in his diary, "The lines of ceaseless pain have been wiped from his face...I am convinced that his whole life will cheer up and that his work will profit accordingly."<ref>Coward (1982), p. 379</ref> In fact, Porter never wrote another song after the amputation and spent the remaining six years of his life in relative seclusion, seeing only intimate friends.<ref name=Citron249/> He continued to live in the Waldorf Towers in New York in his memorabilia-filled apartment. On weekends, he often visited his estate in the Berkshires, and he stayed in California during the summers.<ref name=nyt/>

[[File:Coleportergrave.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Picture of the Porter family gravesite.|Porter family gravesite in Peru, Indiana]]
Porter died of kidney failure at age 73 on October 15, 1964, in [[Santa Monica]], California.<ref>Davis, Charles Jr. (October 16, 1964). [https://web.archive.org/web/20161013150950/https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/archives/la-me-cole-porter-19641016-snap-story.html "Songwriter Cole Porter Dies"], ''Los Angeles Times''. Archived from [https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/archives/la-me-cole-porter-19641016-snap-story.html the original] on October 13, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2025.</ref> He is interred in Mount Hope Cemetery in his native Peru, Indiana, between his wife and father.<ref>Schwartz (1977), p. 269</ref>

==Musical style==
Porter wrote both the music and lyrics of his songs.<ref>Furia & Patterson (2022), p. 312</ref> But he did not write the books of the shows, or the screenplays, in which his songs appeared. Nor, except in ''Kiss Me Kate'', did he tailor his songs to the shows in which they appeared.<ref>Furia & Patterson (2022), pp. 340–342</ref> For Porter, plot was only "a convenient clothesline on which to hang his songs", and he stated in his will that any of his songs could be used in any of his shows.<ref>Furia & Patterson (2022), pp. 321 and 327</ref> Not needing to accommodate plots or songwriting partners, his recognizable style<ref name="time"/><ref>Hischak (1991), p. 55</ref> remained much the same throughout his career.<ref>Hischak (1991), pp. 56–58</ref><ref name="schiff">Schiff, David (July 1, 2004). [https://web.archive.org/web/20130721043507/http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2004/07/one-swell-party/302991/ "One Swell Party"], ''The Atlantic''. Archived from [http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2004/07/one-swell-party/302991/ the original] on July 21, 2013.</ref>

His lyrics are often about people like himself, upper-class people in elegant or exotic settings: penthouses, cruise ships or foreign countries.<ref>Hischak (1991), pp. 55 and 58</ref><ref name="wilder-223">Wilder (1990), p. 223</ref> He was educated, sophisticated, witty, and an outstanding rhymer.<ref>Hischak (1991), pp. 58–59</ref> He was a modern master of the [[list song]], such as "Let's Do It" and "You're the Top",<ref name=sondheim>Sondheim (2012), p. 212</ref> but also wrote sentimental ballads that were intensely sincere,<ref>Hischak (1991), p. 58</ref><ref name=sondheim/> sometimes too much so for critics.<ref>Furia & Patterson (2022), pp. 311–315 and 343</ref><ref>Schwartz (1977), p. 224</ref> He was more often risqué than other mainstream songwriters of his time,<ref>Hischak (1991), p. 61</ref> even using single entendres.<ref name=sondheim/>

Though he had more formal training in composition than his peers,<ref name="wilder-223"/> Porter abandoned "serious" music after his efforts composing for ballet gained him little.<ref>Schwartz (1977), pp. 86–87</ref> Despite his studies in orchestration, he hired other composers to orchestrate his scores for his shows, films,{{refn|Orchestrators of Porter's shows included [[Robert Russell Bennett]], [[Hans Spialek]], Maurice B. DePackh, Walter Paul, [[Don Walker (orchestrator)|Don Walker]] and [[Philip J. Lang]].<ref name="anything-goes-cd"/><ref>Kimball (1991), pp. 2–3</ref>|group=n}} and even his wholly instrumental music for ''Within the Quota'',<ref name="kimball-4-5"/> but he reviewed and edited their work.<ref name=shaftel/> After he wrote a melody and lyrics, a musical secretary would help him harmonize and notate it, but he actively participated in that process and knew what he wanted.<ref>Schwartz (1977), pp. 170–171</ref>

Porter used [[chromaticism]] extensively in both melody and harmony.<ref>Wilder (1990), p. 235</ref> Early in his career, Porter told [[Richard Rodgers]] that he intended to write "Jewish tunes"; Rodgers later noted, in that connection, Porter's chromaticism and "unmistakably Mediterranean" use of minor keys.<ref>Furia & Patterson (2022), pp. 320–321</ref> Porter sometimes drew on other foreign musical traditions to match his songs' exotic settings: he often used Latin American rhythms<ref name="time"/><ref name="schiff"/> and claimed that "[[Night and Day (song)|Night and Day]]" was inspired by a chant heard in Morocco,<ref>Furia & Patterson (2022), p. 323</ref> whereas "[[Begin the Beguine]]" was inspired by a native dance in the Dutch East Indies,<ref>Furia & Patterson (2022), p. 329</ref> though these stories' details varied.<ref>Schwartz (1977), pp. 142–143</ref>

==Tributes and legacy==
[[File:Ella Fitzgerald 1940.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Ella Fitzgerald in 1940]]
Many artists have recorded Porter songs, and dozens have released entire albums of his songs.<ref name=many>Hutchins, Michael H. [https://www.sondheimguide.com/porter/collections.html "Collections"], ''The Cole Porter Reference Guide''. Retrieved July 22, 2025.</ref> The first prominent artist to do so was Crosby in ''[[Bing Crosby Sings Cole Porter Songs]]'' (1950),<ref>Hutchins, Michael H. [https://www.sondheimguide.com/porter/recordings/crosby.html "Bing Crosby Sings Cole Porter Songs"], ''The Cole Porter Reference Guide''. Retrieved August 28, 2025.</ref> followed in 1956 by [[Ella Fitzgerald]] in ''[[Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook]]''.<ref>Kimball, Robert (1984). ''Ella Fitzgerald: The Cole Porter Songbook, Volume One'' (Media notes). New York, NY: Verve 821 989-2.</ref> In 1972, she released another collection, ''[[Ella Loves Cole]]''. Others who recorded all-Porter albums include [[Oscar Peterson Plays the Cole Porter Songbook|Oscar Peterson]], [[Anita O'Day Swings Cole Porter with Billy May|Anita O'Day]], [[All Through the Night: Julie London Sings the Choicest of Cole Porter|Julie London]], [[Frank Sinatra Sings the Select Cole Porter|Frank Sinatra]], [[Rosemary Clooney Sings the Music of Cole Porter|Rosemary Clooney]], [[Anything Goes: Stephane Grappelli & Yo-Yo Ma Play (Mostly) Cole Porter|Stephane Grappelli and Yo-Yo Ma]], [[Dionne Warwick Sings Cole Porter|Dionne Warwick]] and [[Love for Sale (Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga album)|Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga]].<ref name=many/><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Wilman|first=Chris|title=Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga Reveal ''Love for Sale'', Cole Porter Tribute Album Said to Be Bennett's Last|url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/lady-gaga-tony-bennett-album-cole-porter-tribute-love-for-sale-1235033542/|access-date=August 3, 2021|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=August 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803155917/https://variety.com/2021/music/news/lady-gaga-tony-bennett-album-cole-porter-tribute-love-for-sale-1235033542/|archive-date=August 3, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1990, ''[[Red Hot + Blue]]'', released to benefit AIDS research, featured 20 Cole Porter songs recorded by artists such as [[U2]] and [[Annie Lennox]].<ref>Hutchins, Michael H. [https://www.sondheimguide.com/porter/redhotblue.html "Red Hot + Blue: A Tribute to Cole Porter"], ''The Cole Porter Reference Guide''. Retrieved August 4, 2025.</ref>

In 1965, shortly after Porter's death, Judy Garland performed a medley of Porter's songs at the [[37th Academy Awards]].<ref>[https://www.oscars.org/oscar/ceremonies/1965/memorable-moments "The 37th Academy Awards Memorable Moments"], ''Oscars.org'', Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved December 13, 2019.</ref> Porter received a [[Grammy Trustees Award]] in 1989.<ref>[https://www.grammy.com/awards/trustee-awards "Trustees Award"], ''Grammy Awards''. The Recording Academy. Retrieved August 31, 2005.</ref> Numerous ensembles have paid tribute to Porter since his death, including the [[National Symphony Orchestra]] in 2005;<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130116144302/http://www.kennedy-center.org/events/?event=ZFWTE "NSO at Wolf Trap: 'A Cole Porter Celebration'"], The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Archived from [http://www.kennedy-center.org/events/?event=ZFWTE the original] on January 16, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2025.</ref> the Yale Concert Band in 2010;<ref>The Faith Middleton Show (November 22, 2010). {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120622035938/http://www.yourpublicmedia.org/content/wnpr/faith-middleton-show-tribute-cole-porter-and-glen-miller "Faith Middleton Show: A Tribute to Cole Porter and Glen Miller"]}}, ''Your Public Media'', Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network. Archived from the original on June 22, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2012.</ref> the [[Seattle Symphony Orchestra]], with [[Marvin Hamlisch]] as conductor, in 2011;<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130116145549/http://www.seattlesymphony.org/symphony/buy/single/production.aspx?id=9119 "A Tribute to Cole Porter"], ''Seattle Symphony Orchestra''. Archived from [http://www.seattlesymphony.org/symphony/buy/single/production.aspx?id=9119 the original] on January 16, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2025.</ref> the [[Boston Pops Orchestra|Boston Pop]]s in 2011<ref>Meland, Manny (March 7, 2011). [https://web.archive.org/web/20130116145553/http://www.miamiartzine.com/latest-features/features/930-boston-pops-in-a-tribute-to-cole-porter-with-conductor-keith-lockhart "Boston Pops in A Tribute to Cole Porter with Conductor Keith Lockhart"], ''Miamiartzine''. Archived from [http://www.miamiartzine.com/latest-features/features/930-boston-pops-in-a-tribute-to-cole-porter-with-conductor-keith-lockhart the original] on January 16, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2025.</ref> and 2012;<ref>MassJazz (June 2, 2012). [https://massjazz.blogspot.com/2012/06/boston-pops-presents-tribute-to-cole.html "Boston Pops Presents Tribute to Cole Porter on June 5–6"], ''MassJazz''. Retrieved September 20, 2012.</ref> and the [[Dallas Symphony Orchestra]], with Hamlisch and [[Michael Feinstein]], in 2012.<ref>[http://www.last.fm/event/1848693+DSO+Pops+Series:+Cole+Porter+Tribute+with+Michael+Feinstein+and+Marvin+Hamlisch "DSO Pops Series: Cole Porter Tribute with Michael Feinstein and Marvin Hamlisch"], Last.fm. Retrieved September 20, 2012.</ref> In 1980, Porter's music was used for the score of the musical ''[[Happy New Year (musical)|Happy New Year]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gussow |first1=Mel |title=Stage: ''Happy New Year'', a Burt Shevelove Musical; Cole Porter Feast |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1980/04/28/archives/stage-happy-new-year-a-burt-shevelove-musical-cole-porter-feast.html |access-date=June 4, 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=April 28, 1980}}</ref> The cast of ''[[The Carol Burnett Show]]'' paid tribute to Porter in two different episodes of the series.<ref>[https://www.ultimate70s.com/actor/-/Carol_Burnett_Show/50 1970–1982 Episode Guide for 'Carol Burnett Show'], ''Ultimate70s.com''. Retrieved July 22, 2025.</ref> The Swedish pop music group [[Gyllene Tider]] recorded the song "[[Puls (album)|Flickan i en Cole Porter-sång]]" ("That Girl from the Cole Porter Song") in 1982.{{citation needed|date=August 2025}} [[David Byrne]] mentioned Porter in his 1989 song "[[Rei Momo|The Call of the Wild]]", as did [[Mercury Rev]] in its 1998 song "[[Deserter's Songs|Tonite It Shows]]".{{citation needed|date=August 2025}}<!-- WHY ARE THESE SONGS NOTEWORTHY?  Were they #1 hits or similar?  We should limit mentions in this long section to noteworthy works.  See [[WP:IPC]]. -->

Porter's life has been dramatized several times. The biographical show ''Cole'', by Alan Strachan and [[Benny Green (saxophonist)|Benny Green]], featuring Porter hits, ran in 1974 at London's [[Mermaid Theatre]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Clay |first1=Carolyn |title=Medium Cole |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_boston-phoenix_1982-09-21_11_38/page/n79/mode/1up |access-date=September 21, 2024 |work=The Boston Phoenix |date=September 21, 1982}}</ref> In contrast to the highly embellished 1946 screen biography ''[[Night and Day (1946 film)|Night and Day]]'',<ref name=Citron211/> Porter's life was chronicled more realistically in ''[[De-Lovely]]'', a 2004 [[Irwin Winkler]] film starring [[Kevin Kline]] as Porter and [[Ashley Judd]] as Linda.<ref>Johnston, Sheila (2004). [https://web.archive.org/web/20070510194736/http://www.jewish-theatre.com/visitor/article_display.aspx?articleID=901 "How Cole Porter got his kicks?"], ''All About Jewish Theatre''. Archived from [http://www.jewish-theatre.com/visitor/article_display.aspx?articleID=901 the original] on May 10, 2007. Retrieved July 23, 2025.</ref> ''De-Lovely''<nowiki/>'s soundtrack includes Porter songs sung by [[Alanis Morissette]], [[Sheryl Crow]], [[Elvis Costello]], [[Diana Krall]] and [[Natalie Cole]], among others.<ref>Phares, Heather. [http://www.allmusic.com/album/de-lovely-mw0000474795 "''De-Lovely'' (Original Soundtrack)"], ''AllMusic''. Retrieved April 30, 2014.</ref> Porter is also a character in [[Woody Allen]]'s 2011 film ''[[Midnight in Paris]]''.<ref>Denby, David (May 23, 2011). [https://web.archive.org/web/20141028173138/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/05/23/the-better-life "The Better Life"], ''[[The New Yorker]]''. Archived from [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/05/23/the-better-life the original] on October 28, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2025.</ref>

Many events commemorated the centenary of Porter's birth, including the halftime show of the 1991 [[Orange Bowl]].<ref>Kimball, Robert (November 1992). [https://web.archive.org/web/20121114163014/http://yalealumnimagazine.com/issues/92_11/coleporter.html "Cole Porter, College Man"], ''Yale Alumni Magazine''. Archived from [http://www.yalealumnimagazine.com/issues/92_11/coleporter.html the original] on November 14, 2012. Retrieved July 23, 2025.</ref><ref name=Holland>Holland, Bernard. [https://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/09/us/a-hoosier-hurrah-on-cole-porter-s-centennial.html "A Hoosier Hurrah on Cole Porter's Centennial"], ''The New York Times'', June 9, 1991. Retrieved May 17, 2012.</ref> [[Joel Grey]] and a large cast of singers, dancers and marching bands performed a tribute to Porter in Miami, Florida, during the 57th King Orange Jamboree parade, whose theme was "Anything Goes".<ref>[https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/456771/1990-king-orange-jamboree-parade#credits "1990 King Orange Jamboree Parade"], ''Turner Classic Movies''. 1990. Retrieved July 29, 2025.</ref><ref>Luisa Yanez (January 1, 1991). [https://web.archive.org/web/20130116134647/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1991-01-01/news/9101010210_1_first-parade-county-line-clowns-firefighters-clown-society "500,000 At Parade Ooh, Aah King Orange Reigns Under Miami Moon"], ''Sun-Sentinel''. Archived from [http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1991-01-01/news/9101010210_1_first-parade-county-line-clowns-firefighters-clown-society the original] on January 16, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2025.</ref> The [[Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra]] performed a program of Cole Porter music at the [[Hilbert Circle Theater|Circle Theatre]] in [[Indianapolis]].<ref name=Holland/> "A Gala Birthday Concert" was held at New York City's [[Carnegie Hall]], with more than 40 entertainers and friends paying tribute to Porter's long career in theater and film.<ref name=Reich/> The [[Indiana University]] Opera performed Porter's musical ''Jubilee'' in [[Bloomington, Indiana]].<ref>Clair McPhail (August 12, 1990), [https://archive.today/20130124201349/http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2506&dat=19900812&id=QINJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ywsNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1049,3931295 "Year-long celebration to honor Cole Porter"], ''The News Courier/The Evening Post'', Charleston, South Carolina. Archived from [http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2506&dat=19900812&id=QINJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ywsNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1049,3931295 the original] on May 29, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2012.</ref> ''You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story'', a video of archival material and interviews, and ''Red, Hot and Blue'', a video of artists performing Porter's music, were released.<ref name=Reich>Howard Reich (May 5, 1991). [https://web.archive.org/web/20240920155301/https://www.chicagotribune.com/1991/05/05/porter-tributes-a-few-highlights/ "Porter Tributes: A Few Highlights"], ''Chicago Tribune''. Archived from [https://www.chicagotribune.com/1991/05/05/porter-tributes-a-few-highlights/ the original] on September 20, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2025.</ref> In addition, the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative postage stamp honoring Porter's birth.<ref>Randolph E. Schmid (December 16, 1990). [https://web.archive.org/web/20230422225705/https://apnews.com/article/5ad9ee8186f66e2835440f1cdd519db4 "Basketball, Earl Warren and Cole Porter Set for 1991 Stamps"], ''AP News'', The Associated Press. Archived from [https://apnews.com/5ad9ee8186f66e2835440f1cdd519db4 the original] on April 22, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2025.</ref>

In May 2007, a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] was dedicated to Porter.<ref>Associated Press (May 21, 2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20151102050900/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/music/2007-05-21-1807994575_x.htm "Hollywood star for Cole Porter"], ''USA Today''. Archived from [http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/music/2007-05-21-1807994575_x.htm the original] on November 2, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2025.</ref> In December 2010, his portrait was added to the Hoosier Heritage Gallery in the office of the [[Governor of Indiana]].<ref>{{YouTube|cp9B2VfkBFU|"Daniels adds Cole Porter portrait to Hoosier Heritage Gallery"}}. Retrieved July 23, 2025.</ref> In 2014, Porter was honored with a plaque on the [[Legacy Walk]] in Chicago, which celebrates [[LGBT]] achievers.<ref>Pratt, Gregory Royal (October 11, 2014). [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-gay-plaque-wrigleyville-20141012-story.html "Legacy Walk honors LGBT 'guardian angels'"], ''Chicago Tribune''.</ref><ref>Reynolds, Daniel (October 11, 2014). [http://www.advocate.com/pride/2014/10/11/photos-7-lgbt-heroes-honored-plaques-chicagos-legacy-walk?page=full "7 LGBT Heroes Honored with Plaques in Chicago's Legacy Walk"], ''Advocate''.</ref> Porter is a member of the [[Songwriters Hall of Fame]],<ref>[https://www.songhall.org/profile/Cole_Porter Cole Porter], ''Songwriters Hall of Fame''. [[Songwriters Hall of Fame]]. Retrieved July 16, 2025.</ref> the [[American Theater Hall of Fame]]<ref>[http://www.theaterhalloffame.org/members.html#P "Members"], ''Theater Hall of Fame''. [[American Theater Hall of Fame|Theater Hall of Fame]]. Retrieved October 14, 2014.</ref> and the [[Great American Songbook Foundation#Songbook Hall of Fame|Great American Songbook Hall of Fame]], which recognized his "musically complex [songs] with witty, urbane lyrics".<ref>[https://thesongbook.org/hall-of-fame/songbook-hall-of-fame-honorees/cole-porter "Cole Porter: 2012 Legend Award"], ''[[Great American Songbook Foundation|The Great American Songbook Foundation]]''. Retrieved June 16, 2019.</ref>

The Cole Porter Festival is held every year in June in his hometown of Peru, Indiana, to foster music and art appreciation.<ref>[http://www.coleporterfestival.org ''Cole Porter Festival'']. Retrieved September 20, 2012.</ref> Porter's birthplace, restored to its 1891 appearance, is now an inn with suites named for him and his works.<ref>[https://www.coleporterinn.com/ ''Cole Porter Inn - Peru, Indiana'']. Retrieved July 13, 2025.</ref> Costumed singers in the cabaret-style Cole Porter Room at the [[Indiana Historical Society]]'s Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center in Indianapolis take requests from visitors and perform Porter's hit songs.{{refn|The setting is designed to evoke the [[Waldorf Astoria New York]],<ref>Granger, Elizabeth (January 2015). "Hoosier History", ''Home & Away'', p. 37.</ref> where Porter lived from 1934 until his death.<ref name=Atlas>Spencer, Luke. [https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cole-porter-s-piano "Cole Porter's Piano"], ''Atlas Obscura''. Retrieved July 29, 2025.</ref>|group=n}} Since Porter's death, except for a brief time at the [[New York Historical Society]], his 1908 [[Steinway]] grand piano, which he had used when composing since the mid-1930s, has been displayed and often played in the lobby of the [[Waldorf-Astoria Hotel]].<ref name=Atlas/><ref>Plass, Ellie (August 14, 2025). [https://blog.resy.com/2025/08/waldorf-astoria-nyc-restaurants/ "New York’s Iconic Waldorf Astoria Unveils Three New Dining Destinations"], ''Resy'' (New York). Retrieved August 21, 2025.</ref>

==Notable shows and songs==
{{Main|List of songs written by Cole Porter}}
Dates, shows and songs are given in Robert Kimball's ''The Complete Lyrics of Cole Porter''. Shows listed are stage musicals unless otherwise noted:
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
* (1910) "[[Yale University#Song|Bingo Eli Yale]]" (Porter's first Yale football song, still sung today)<ref>Kimball (1992a), p. 5</ref>
* (1911) "[[Yale University#Song|Bull Dog]]" (the official Yale fight song)<ref>Kimball (1992a), p. 6</ref>
* (1916) ''[[See America First]]'' (Porter's first Broadway show)<ref>Kimball (1992a), p. 42</ref>
* (1919) ''[[Hitchy-Koo of 1919]]''&nbsp;– "Old-Fashioned Garden" (Porter's first hit)<ref>Kimball (1992a), pp. 64–65</ref>
* (1927) "The Laziest Gal in Town" (made famous by [[Marlene Dietrich]] in the 1950 film ''[[Stage Fright (1950 film)|Stage Fright]]'')<ref>Kimball (1992a), p. 140</ref>
* (1927) "[[Let's Misbehave]]" (used in ''Paris'', but cut before the New York opening)<ref>Kimball (1992a), p. 104</ref>
* (1928) ''[[Paris (1928 musical)|Paris]]'' ([[Paris (1929 film)|adapted to film in 1929]])&nbsp;– "[[Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love]]"
* (1929) ''[[Wake Up and Dream (musical)|Wake Up and Dream]]''&nbsp;– "[[What Is This Thing Called Love?]]"
* (1929) ''[[Fifty Million Frenchmen]]''&nbsp;– "[[You Do Something to Me (Cole Porter song)|You Do Something to Me]]"
* (1930) ''[[The New Yorkers]]''&nbsp;– "[[Love for Sale (song)|Love for Sale]]", "[[I Happen to Like New York]]", "Where Have You Been?"<ref>Whitburn (1986), p. 89</ref>
* (1932) ''[[Gay Divorce]]'' (adapted to film as ''[[The Gay Divorcee]]'', 1934)&nbsp;– "[[After You, Who?]]", "[[Night and Day (song)|Night and Day]]"
* (1933) ''[[Nymph Errant]]''&nbsp;– "The Physician",<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/song/the-physician-mt0002442113#alsoPerformedBy The Physician - Gertrude Lawrence] ''AllMusic''. Retrieved September 29, 2025.</ref> "It's Bad for Me"<ref>Whitburn (1986), p. 337</ref>
* (1934) ''Hi Diddle Diddle'' (revue) — "[[Miss Otis Regrets]]"
* (1934) ''[[Anything Goes]]'' (adapted to film in [[Anything Goes (1936 film)|1936]] and [[Anything Goes (1956 film)|1956]])&nbsp;– "[[All Through the Night (Cole Porter song)|All Through the Night]]", "[[Anything Goes (Cole Porter song)|Anything Goes]]", "[[I Get a Kick Out of You]]", "[[You're the Top]]"
* (1934) ''Adios Argentina'' (unproduced film)&nbsp;– "[[Don't Fence Me In (song)|Don't Fence Me In]]"
* (1935) ''[[Jubilee (musical)|Jubilee]]''&nbsp;– "[[Begin the Beguine]]", "[[Just One of Those Things (song)|Just One of Those Things]]"
* (1936) ''[[Red, Hot and Blue]]''&nbsp;– "[[Down in the Depths (On the Ninetieth Floor)]]", "[[Ridin' High (song)|Ridin' High]]", "[[It's De-Lovely]]"
* (1936) ''[[Born to Dance]]'' (film)&nbsp;– "[[You'd Be So Easy to Love]]", "[[I've Got You Under My Skin]]"†<ref>[https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1937 "The 9th Academy Awards | 1937"], ''Oscars.org''. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved September 1, 2025.</ref>
* (1937) ''[[Rosalie (1937 film)|Rosalie]]'' (film) &nbsp;– "[[In the Still of the Night (Cole Porter song)|In the Still of the Night]]"
* (1938) ''[[You Never Know (musical)|You Never Know]]''&nbsp;– "[[At Long Last Love (song)|At Long Last Love]]", "[[Let's Misbehave]]"
* (1938) ''[[Leave It to Me!]]''&nbsp;– "[[Get Out of Town]]", "[[My Heart Belongs to Daddy]]"
* (1939) ''[[Broadway Melody of 1940]]'' (film)&nbsp;– "[[I Concentrate on You]]", "[[I've Got My Eyes on You (1939 song)|I've Got My Eyes on You]]"
{{col-break}}
* (1939) ''[[Du Barry Was a Lady]]'' ([[Du Barry Was a Lady (film)|adapted to film in 1943]])&nbsp;– "[[Do I Love You?]]", "[[Give Him the Ooh-La-La (song)|Give Him the Ooh-La-La]]", "[[Well, Did You Evah!]]", "[[Friendship (Cole Porter song)|Friendship]]"
* (1940) ''[[Panama Hattie]]'' ([[Panama Hattie (film)|adapted to film in 1942]])&nbsp;– "Let's Be Buddies"<ref>Whitburn (1986), p. 59</ref>
* (1941) ''[[You'll Never Get Rich]]'' (film)&nbsp;– "[[Dream Dancing (Cole Porter song)|Dream Dancing]]", "[[So Near and Yet So Far]]", "Since I Kissed My Baby Goodbye"†<ref>[https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1942 "The 14th Academy Awards | 1942"], ''Oscars.org''. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved September 1, 2025.</ref>
* (1941) ''[[Let's Face It!]]'' ([[Let's Face It (film)|adapted to film in 1943)]]&nbsp;– "[[Ace in the Hole (Cole Porter song)|Ace in the Hole]]"
* (1943) ''[[Something to Shout About (film)|Something to Shout About]]'' (film)&nbsp;– "[[You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To]]"†<ref>[https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1944 "The 16th Academy Awards | 1944"], ''Oscars.org''. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved September 1, 2025.</ref>
* (1943) ''[[Something for the Boys]]''
* (1944) ''[[Mexican Hayride (musical)|Mexican Hayride]]''&nbsp;– "[[I Love You (Cole Porter song)|I Love You]]"
* (1944) ''Seven Lively Arts''&nbsp;– "[[Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye]]"
* (1946) ''[[Around the World (musical)|Around the World]]''
* (1948) ''[[The Pirate (1948 film)|The Pirate]]'' (film)&nbsp;– "[[Be a Clown]]"
* (1948) ''[[Kiss Me, Kate]]'' ([[Kiss Me Kate (film)|adapted to film in 1953]])&nbsp;– "[[Always True to You in My Fashion]]", "[[Another Op'nin', Another Show]]", "Brush Up Your Shakespeare",<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/song/brush-up-your-shakespeare-mt0002221117#alsoPerformedBy Brush up Your Shakespeare - Harry Clark, Jack Diamond] ''AllMusic''. Retrieved September 29, 2025.</ref> "I Hate Men",<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/song/i-hate-men-mt0003227530#alsoPerformedBy I Hate Men - Kathryn Grayson] ''AllMusic''. Retrieved September 29, 2025.</ref> "[[So in Love]]", "[[Tom, Dick or Harry (song)|Tom, Dick or Harry]]", "[[Too Darn Hot]]", "[[Why Can't You Behave?]]", "Wunderbar"<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/song/wunderbar-mt0008524770#alsoPerformedBy Wunderbar - Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel] ''AllMusic''. Retrieved September 29, 2025.</ref>
* (1950) ''[[Out of This World (musical)|Out of This World]]''&nbsp;– "[[From This Moment On (Cole Porter song)|From This Moment On]]", "I Am Loved"<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/song/i-am-loved-mt0020280655#alsoPerformedBy I Am Loved - Priscilla Gillette] ''AllMusic''. Retrieved September 29, 2025.</ref>
* (1953) ''[[Can-Can (musical)|Can-Can]]'' ([[Can-Can (film)|adapted to film in 1960]])&nbsp;– "[[Allez-Vous-En]]", "[[C'est Magnifique]]", "[[I Am in Love]]", "[[I Love Paris]]", "[[It's All Right with Me]]"
* (1954) ''[[Silk Stockings]]'' ([[Silk Stockings (1957 film)|adapted to film in 1957]])&nbsp;– "[[All of You (Cole Porter song)|All of You]]"
* (1955) ''[[High Society (1956 film)|High Society]]'' (film)&nbsp;– "[[I Love You, Samantha]]", "[[Mind if I Make Love to You?]]", "[[True Love (Cole Porter song)|True Love]]",†<ref>[https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1957 "The 29th Academy Awards | 1957"], ''Oscars.org''. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved September 1, 2025.</ref> "[[Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (song)|Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?]]", "[[You're Sensational]]"
* (1956) ''[[Les Girls]]'' (film)&nbsp;– "[[Ça, C'est L'amour]]"
* (1958) ''[[Aladdin (TV special)|Aladdin]]'' (television) (Porter's last score)<ref name=Aladdin/>
{{col-end}}

† Was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Original Song]], but did not win.

== Discography ==
{{main|Cole Porter discography}}
Hundreds of recordings have been made of Porter's works. Many of these are listed in ''The Cole Porter Reference Guide''.<ref>Hutchins, Michael H. [https://www.sondheimguide.com/porter/recordings.html "Recordings"], ''The Cole Porter Reference Guide''. Retrieved August 2, 2025.</ref>

== Notes, references and sources ==

===Notes===
{{Reflist|group=n|colwidth=24em}}

===References===
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{cite book| last=Algeo| first=Matthew| year=2011| title=Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip| location=Chicago | publisher=Chicago Review Press| isbn=9781569767078 | url=https://archive.org/details/harrytrumansexce0000alge_q6s9}}
* {{cite book | last=Citron | first=Stephen | author-link1=Stephen Citron | year=2005 | title=Noel & Cole: the Sophisticates | location=Milwaukee | publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation | isbn=0634093029}} [https://archive.org/details/unset0000unse_a7u7 The 1993 edition of this book] is available on line.
* {{cite book | last=Coward | first=Noël | author-link1=Noël Coward |editor=Graham Payn |editor-link=Graham Payn |editor2=Sheridan Morley |editor2-link=Sheridan Morley | year=1982 | title=The Noël Coward Diaries (1941–1969) | location=London | publisher=Methuen | isbn=0-297-78142-1 }} [https://archive.org/search?query=noel+coward+diaries Several other editions of this book] are available on line.
* {{cite book | last=Ewen | first=David | author-link=David Ewen (writer) | year=1961 | title=The Story of America's Musical Theater | location=New York | publisher=Chilton Book Company}}
* {{cite book |last1=Furia |first1=Philip |last2=Patterson |first2=Laurie J. |author-link1=Philip Furia |title=The Poets of Tin Pan Alley |date=2022 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0190906474 |edition=2nd}}
* {{cite book |last1=Hischak |first1=Thomas S. |title=Word Crazy |date=1991 |publisher=Praeger |location=New York |isbn=978-0275938499}}
* {{cite book | last=Kimball | first=Robert | year=1991 | title=Cole Porter: Overtures and Ballet Music, ''Liner note to EMI CD CDC 7 54300 2'' | location=London | publisher=EMI Records | oclc=315563881}}
* {{cite book | last=Kimball | first=Robert | year=1992a | title=The Complete Lyrics of Cole Porter | location=New York | publisher=Da Capo Press | isbn=0-306-80483-2 | url=https://archive.org/details/completelyricsof00port/mode/2up }}
* {{cite book | last=Kimball | first=Robert | year=1992b | chapter=Cole Porter | title=You're the Top: Cole Porter in the 1930s | location=Indianapolis | publisher=Indiana Historical Society | isbn=0-871-95089-8}}
* {{cite book | last=Kimball | first=Robert | year=1999 | chapter=Cole Porter | title=You're Sensational: Cole Porter in the '20s, '40s, & '50s | location=Indianapolis | publisher=Indiana Historical Society | isbn=0-871-95129-0}}
* {{cite book | last=McBrien | first=William | year=1998 | title=Cole Porter: A Biography | location=New York | publisher=Alfred A. Knopf | isbn=0-394-58235-7 | url=https://archive.org/details/coleporterbiogra00mcbr_0 }}
* {{cite book | last=Schwartz | first=Charles | year=1977 | title=Cole Porter: A Biography | location=New York | publisher=Da Capo Press | isbn=0-306-80097-7 | url=https://archive.org/details/coleporterbiogra00schw }}
* {{cite book |last=Seuss |first=Dr. |author-link=Dr. Seuss |editor=Richard Marschall |year=2012 |title=Just What the Doctor Disordered: Early Writings and Cartoons of Dr. Seuss |location=Mineola, NY |publisher= Dover |isbn=978-0486498461 |url=https://archive.org/details/justwhatdoctordi0000seus}}
* {{cite book |last1=Sondheim |first1=Stephen |author-link1=Stephen Sondheim |title=Finishing the Hat: Collected Lyrics (1954–1981) |date=2012 |publisher=Knopf |location=New York |isbn=978-0679439073}}
* {{cite book |last1=Whitburn |first1=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |title=Pop Memories 1890-1954 |date=1986 |publisher=Record Research |location=Menomonee Falls, WI |isbn=0-89820-083-0}}
* {{cite book |last1=Wilder |first1=Alec |author-link=Alec Wilder |title=American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900–1950 |date=1990 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0195014457}}

== Further reading ==
* Bowers, Dwight Blocker. ''From This Moment On: The Songs of Cole Porter'' (Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Collection of Recordings, 1992).<!-- Yes, despite the publisher, this is a print publication (a 59-page booklet), not a sound recording. -->
* Eells, George. [https://archive.org/details/lifethatlatehele00eell/mode/2up ''The Life That Late He Led: A Biography of Cole Porter''] (New York : G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1967).
* [[David Ewen (writer)|Ewen, David]]. [https://archive.org/details/coleporterstory00ewen/mode/2up ''The Cole Porter Story''] (New York, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1965). 
* [[John Garrison (author)|Garrison, John S.]] ''Red Hot + Blue'' (London and New York: Bloomsbury, 2024). {{ISBN|9798765106648}}
* Grafton, David. [https://archive.org/details/redhotrichoralhi00graf ''Red, Hot & Rich: An Oral History of Cole Porter''] (New York: Stein and Day, 1987). {{ISBN| 0812831128}}
* [[Jean Howard|Howard, Jean]]. ''Travels With Cole Porter'' (New York: H.N. Abrams, 1991). {{ISBN| 0810934086}}
* [[Richard G. Hubler|Hubler, Richard G.]] [https://archive.org/details/coleporterstorya00port ''The Cole Porter Story''] (Cleveland: World Publishing, 1965).
* Hutchins, Michael H. [https://www.sondheimguide.com/porter/biblio2.html "A Cole Porter Bibliography"], ''The Cole Porter Reference Guide''. Retrieved September 29, 2025. Lists compilations of sheet music for Porter's songs, and scores and librettos for his shows.
* McAuliffe, Mary. [https://archive.org/details/whenparissizzled0000mcau ''When Paris Sizzled: The 1920s Paris of Hemingway, Chanel, Cocteau, Cole Porter, Josephine Baker, and Their Friends''] (Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2016). {{ISBN|1442253320}}
* Morella, Joseph and George Mazzei. [https://archive.org/details/geniuslustcreati0000more/mode/2up ''Genius and Lust: The Creativity and Sexuality of Cole Porter and Noel Coward''] (New York: Carroll & Graf, 1995). {{ISBN|0786702370}}
* Porter, Cole, Robert Kimball and [[Brendan Gill]]. ''Cole'' ([https://archive.org/details/cole00port/page/n5/mode/2up New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston (1971)] and [https://archive.org/details/colecole00port/mode/2up New York: Dell (1992)])
* Porter, Cole. ''The Letters of Cole Porter'' (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2019). {{ISBN|030021927X}}
* [[Don Michael Randel|Randel, Don M.]], Matthew Shaftel, and Susan Forscher Weiss, eds. ''A Cole Porter Companion'' (Champaign, Illinois: U. of Illinois Press, 2016). {{ISBN|0252040090}}
* Rimler, Walter. ''A Cole Porter Discography'' (San Francisco: N. Charles Sylvan, 1995). {{ISBN|1886385254}}

==External links==
{{sister project links|d=Q215120|n=no|s=no|v=no|voy=no|b=no|wikt=no|mw=no|m=no|species=no}}

===Archives===
* [https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/6/resources/10624 The Cole Porter Collection] at [[Yale University]]'s [[Sterling Memorial Library#Music Library|Gilmore Music Library]]
* [https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.music/eadmus.mu009008 Cole Porter collection, 1912–1957] at the [[Library of Congress]]
* [https://archives.stanford.edu/catalog/m0209 Cole Porter papers, 1936–1971] at the [[Stanford University Libraries]]

===Databases===
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{iobdb name|16168}}
* {{Playbill person}}
* {{IMDb name| id=0006234| name=Cole Porter}}
* [https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102688 Cole Porter recordings] at the [[Discography of American Historical Recordings]]
* {{Discogs artist|Cole Porter}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Cole Porter |sopt=t}}

{{Cole Porter|state=collapsed}}
{{TonyAward MusicalScore}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Porter, Cole}}
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