"Puttin' On the Ritz" is a song written by Irving Berlin. He wrote it in May 1927 and first published it in December 2, 1929. It was registered as an unpublished song August 24, 1927 and again on July 27, 1928. It was introduced by Harry Richman and chorus in the musical film Puttin' On the Ritz (1930). According to The Complete Lyrics of Irving Berlin, this was the first song in film to be sung by an interracial ensemble. The title derives from the slang expression "putting on the Ritz," meaning to dress very fashionably. The expression was inspired by the opulent Ritz Hotel.