Oscar Hammerstein II Romberg; but he is best known for his collaborations with Richard Rodgers, as the duo Rodgers and Hammerstein which include "Oklahoma!", "Carousel", "South Pacific", "The King and I", and "The Sound of Music". Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was born in New York City, the son of Alice Hammerstein (née Nimmo) and theatrical manager William Hammerstein. His grandfather was the German theatre impresario Oscar Hammerstein I. His father was from a Jewish family, and his mother was the daughter of Scottish and English parents. He was raised Episcopalian. Although Hammerstein's father managed the Victoria Theatre for his father and was
Pipe Dream (musical) farce "Charley's Aunt", they produced it as the musical comedy "Where's Charley?", with a score by Frank Loesser. Among the backers of "Where's Charley?" were Rodgers and Hammerstein, which helped secure additional investment. The show was a hit and helped establish Feuer and Martin on Broadway—they would go on to produce "Guys and Dolls". In the aftermath of "Guys and Dolls"'s success, Feuer and Martin were interested in adapting John Steinbeck's 1945 novel "Cannery Row" into a musical. They felt that some of the characters, such as marine biologist Doc, would work well in a musical, but that many of