Mabel Wayne(1904-1978)

Mabel Wayne was described by a newspaper as a "...red-haired lass from Brooklyn who wrote Spanish songs." Like many other composers, she spent some time in vaudeville before becoming a writer. Few native New Yorkers can boast such a catalog of Latin-influenced songs, which began in 1926 with "In A Little Spanish Town" followed by "Ramona," "Chiquita," "Little Spanish Dancer," "In A Little Town Across The Border," and "Valparaiso," in addition to songs of a different style, such as "Little Man, You've Had A Busy Day." She composed songs ("It Happened In Monterey") for the 1930 Universal Technicolor film King of Jazz (1930) and wrote for British films, including Dance Band (1935) and Hi-De-Hi (1942).