Paul Rubens (composer)

Paul Alfred Rubens (29 April 1875 – 5 February 1917) was an English songwriter and librettist who wrote some of the most popular Edwardian musical comedies of the early twentieth century. He contributed to the success of dozens of musicals.

Born in Kensington, London, he attended Winchester College before studying law at University College, Oxford. He began writing songs for shows at the age of 10 and had his first major success with "The Little Chinchilla" for the hit musical The Shop Girl when he was 19 years old. This was soon followed by songs for, among others, the hit musical San Toy. In 1899, he wrote songs for the international hit Florodora, which brought him wider fame. Producer George Edwardes hired him as an "additional material" writer for, among others, The Messenger Boy (1900), The Toreador (1901), A Country Girl (1902), The Girl from Kays (1902), The School Girl (1903), The Cingalee (1904) and The Blue Moon (1905), writing some of the most successful songs in these shows. He composed the hit musical Miss Hook of Holland (1907).

Later compositions include The Balkan Princess (1910), The Sunshine Girl (1912), The Girl from Utah (1913), Tonight's the Night (1914), Betty (1915) and The Happy Day (1916). Rubens began a relationship with the actress Phyllis Dare during this period, but they soon parted due to Rubens' severe consumptive illness, from which he suffered for the rest of his life. As a result, he retired to Cornwall and died of tuberculosis, aged 41.