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Early life of Danny Kaye

Born to Jewish immigrants in Brooklyn, red-haired Danny Kaye became one of the world’s best-known comedians. (Interestingly, Danny Kaye’s hair was dyed blond for most of his movies, since it was felt that his natural red hair did not photograph well.) He learned his trade in his teen years as a tummler in the Catskills. In 1941 he appeared in the Broadway show, Lady in the Dark and performed the famous number “Tchaikovsky,” by Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin, in which he sang the names of a whole string of Russian composers at breakneck speed, seemingly without taking a breath.

Career of Danny Kaye

He was propelled to what today would be called superstardom in 1948 when he appeared at the London Palladium music hall. According to The New York Times, he “roused the Royal family to shrieks of laughter and was the first of many performers who have turned English variety into an American preserve.” Life magazine described his reception as “worshipful hysteria” and noted that the royal family, for the first time in history, left the royal box to see the show from the front row of the orchestra.

Danny Kaye made his film debut in a 1935 comedy short subject entitled Moon Over Manhattan, although his feature film debut was Up in Arms (1944). He starred in several movies with actress Virginia Mayo in the 1940’s, and is well known for his roles in films such as The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), The Inspector General (1949), On the Riviera (1951)White Christmas (1954), Knock on Wood (1954), The Court Jester (1956), and Merry Andrew (1958). Kaye starred in two pictures based on biographies, Hans Christian Andersen (1952) about the Danish story-teller, and The Five Pennies (1959) about jazz pioneer Red Nichols. His wife, Sylvia Fine, wrote many of the songs Danny Kaye became famous for. Several of Danny Kaye’s films included the theme of doubles, two people who look identical (both played by Danny Kaye) being mistaken for each other, to comic effect—examples include Wonder Man, On the Riviera, and of course The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

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Danny Kaye starred in a radio program of his own, The Danny Kaye Show, on CBS in 1945-1946. Despite its clever writing (radio legend Goodman Ace, Sylvia Fine, and respected playwright-director Abe Burrows were the writers for the show) and performing cast (including Eve Arden, Lionel Stander, and big bandleader Harry James), the show lasted only a year.

But Danny Kaye went on to work regularly in television in the 1960s and beyond. He hosted his own variety hour on CBS, The Danny Kaye Show, from 1963 to 1967. Kaye also did a stint as one of the What’s My Line? Mystery Guests on the popular Sunday Night CBS-TV program. Later, Danny Kaye also served as a guest panelist on that quiz show. Years later, Kaye also guest-starred in episodes of The Cosby Show and of the 1980’s remake of The Twilight Zone .

Kaye’s influence was felt beyond the entertainment world in the world of professional sports as well. Danny Kaye was the original owner of the Seattle Mariners along with his partner Lester Smith, from 1977-81.

During the 1950s, Kaye also acted in a pantomime production of Cinderella, in Sydney, Australia, where he played the role of “Buttons”, Cinderella’s stepfather’s servant, and also Cinderella’s friend.

In many of his movies, as well as on stage, Kaye proved to be an able actor, singer, dancer and comedian, often having his comedic talents showcased by special material written by his wife, Sylvia Fine. He showed quite a different and serious side as Ambassador for UNICEF, and in one of his few dramatic roles in the memorable TV-movie Skokie, in which he played a Holocaust survivor. Before he died in 1987, Kaye also demonstrated his ability to conduct an orchestra during a comical series of concerts organized for UNICEF fund raising. Kaye received two Academy Awards, an honorary award in 1955 and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1982. In his later years he took to entertaining at home as chef—he had a special stove installed in his patio—and host. He specialized in Chinese cooking.

Kaye died in 1987 from a heart attack, following a bout of hepatitis. He left a widow Sylvia Fine and a daughter Dena. He is interred in the Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York. His grave is adorned with a bench that contains friezes of a baseball and bat, an aircraft, a piano, a flower pot, musical notes, and a hand.

Philanthropy of Danny Kaye

Danny Kaye was also a very philanthropic person. Throughout his life he donated generously to various charities. There is a rehabilitation center for injured soldiers in the northern city of Nahariya in Israel called Bet Kaye (Kaye House) constructed with the help of a substantial donation from Kaye.