Theodore H. White
The Lerner-Loewe partnership cracked under the stress of producing the Arthurian "Camelot" in 1960, with Loewe resisting Lerner's desire to direct as well as write when original director Moss Hart suffered a heart attack in the last few months of rehearsals and died shortly after the show's premiere. Lerner was hospitalized with bleeding ulcers while Loewe continued to have heart troubles. "Camelot" was a hit nonetheless, and immediately following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, his widow told reporter Theodore H. White that JFK's administration reminded her of the "one brief shining moment" of Lerner and Loewe's "Camelot". As of the early 21st century, "Camelot" was still invoked to describe the idealism, romance, and tragedy of the Kennedy years.