Herb Magidson while under contract to Warner Bros. to write music for films. In 1934, he won the first Academy Award for Best Original Song along with Con Conrad for his lyrics to "The Continental", used in "The Gay Divorcee" (1934) starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Magidson also co-wrote the lyrics to the 1937 Allie Wrubel song "Gone with the Wind" (no connection to the novel of the same name nor used in the 1939 film). Magidson received Oscar nominations for the songs, "Say a Prayer for the Boys Over There" from the film "Hers to Hold" (1943), and "I'll Buy
Life Is Beautiful (Fred Astaire song) Life Is Beautiful (Fred Astaire song) "Life Is Beautiful" is a 1974 song with music written by Fred Astaire and lyrics by Tommy Wolf. Tony Bennett was so impressed with the tune, it became the title track of his album of the same name in 1975. Bennett also performed the song as Astaire looked on during a March 1975 episode of "The Merv Griffin Show". The song became widely known as the closing theme for "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson". In 1987, in memory of Astaire, who had died earlier that year, Carson closed out his 25th Anniversary special