Gifted, energetic and immensely charismatic comedic entertainer who honed his skills as a rapid-fire patter singer, a comedian and a master of fractured foreign accents and mimicry on the "Borscht Belt" circuit of Catskill resorts and in vaudeville, before moving to Broadway and films in the early 1940s. With clever songs and special material tailored to showcase his comedic gifts and light sweet voice written by Sylvia Fine (whom he married in 1940) and the backing of Samuel Goldwyn with whom he signed in 1943, Kaye starred in a series of evergreen comedies with music, often playing befuddled innocents who act with surprising heroism and ultimately get the girl. Among his most beloved classic films are "Wonder Man" (1945) "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" (1947), "The Inspector General" (1949), "Hans Christian Andersen" (1952) and "The Court Jester" (1956).
By the early 1950s Kaye was actively involved with UNICEF and made a short film called "Assignment Children" (1954) for the United Nations. He also won a Special Academy Award in 1954 for "his unique talents, his service to the Academy, the motion picture industry, and the American people." His film career came to a virtual halt as he focused on his Emmy winning TV variety show, "The Danny Kaye Show" (1963-67) and his work with UNICEF in the 1960s and often performed with symphony orchestras as guest conductor.
- Also Credited As:
David Daniel Kaminsky
- Born:
January 18, 1913 in New York City, New York, USA
- Died:
March 3, 1987.
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Job Titles:
Actor, Comedian, Singer, Conductor, Dancer, Busboy, Insurance clerk, Pilot, Soda jerk
Family
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Brother: Lawrence Kaminsky. died 1969
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Brother: Mac Kaminsky.
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Daughter: Dena Kaye. born 1946
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Father: Jacob Kaminsky. worked in NY garment center
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Mother: Clara Kaminsky. died when Kaye was 14
Education
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Thomas Jefferson High School
Milestones
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1937 Short film debut, Dime a Dance (two-reel short; produced by small independent film company, Educational Pictures)
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1938 Performed in cabaret show at the Dorchester in London
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1938 Starred in Getting an Eyeful and Cupid Takes a Holiday , short subjects for Educational Pictures; three shorts were later compiled into film titled, The Danny Kaye Story/Birth of a Star (1944)
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1939 Broadway debut in The Straw Hat Revue , comprised of skit material from summer camp in Pennsylvania that he, Sylvia Fine, Max Liebman and Imogene Coca had worked in
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1939 New York stage debut, Left of Broadway
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1941 Gained first major notice for his high-speed novelty number, Tchaikovsky in the Kurt Weill-Ira Gershwin Broadway musical, Lady in the Dark
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1941 Headlined a vaudeville revue at the Palace Theater in NY
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1941 Rejected MGM contract at $3,000 per week
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1941 Starred in the Cole Porter musical Let s Face It on Broadway
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1943 Signed contract with Samuel Goldwyn who insisted he lighten his hair to blond; Sylvia Fine also signed by Goldwyn to write special material for husband
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1944 Feature film debut in Up in Arms
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1945 Premiere of The Danny Kaye Show on CBS radio
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1948 First performed at the London Palladium
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1952 Formed Dena Productions with Sylvia Fine
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1953 Signed with MGM to film a musical version of Huckleberry Finn co-starring Gene Kelly; film postponed, then project abandoned
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1963 Starred on The Danny Kaye Show on TV
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1966 Toured Vietnam war fronts with the USO
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1969 Played character part of ragpicker in final film, The Madwoman of Chaillot
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1981 TV movie debut, Skokie
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1986 Made guest appearance playing a dentist on The Bill Cosby Show
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Returned to Broadway as Noah in the Richard Rodgers-Martin Charnin musical Two By Two
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Stage debut in a vaudeville revue that toured US and Asia, La Vie Paris
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Toured with Abe Lyman s Band
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Travelled to the Orient with A.B. Marcus Show
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Worked as a performing busboy at Catskill summer camps; worked as a soda jerk between engagements