Danny Kaye

Danny Kaye ( born January 18, 1913 in Brooklyn, New York City; † March 3, 1987 in Los Angeles, California; actually David Daniel Kaminsky ) was an American actor, comedian and singer. He was for many years one of America's favorite comedian and starred in comedies such as The Jester and White Christmas

Life

Acting Career

The son of Jewish immigrants from the Ukraine (his father was a tailor ), he experienced his childhood largely in modest circumstances. He left school at age 13 and learned the basics of show business in the famous " Borscht Belt " of the Catskills. In 1933 he joined the couple Dave Harvey and Kathleen Young. In the premiere, he lost his balance, and the audience burst into laughter. Immediately built Kaye this mishap in his role.

With the " Straw Hat Revue ," the red-haired Kaye in 1939 his Broadway debut. The subsequent musical Lady in the Dark (1941 ) helped him to break through the public and the agent. In 39 seconds he rattled in a song with the name " Tchaikovsky " down more than fifty polysyllabic Russian and Polish composers name. A similar quick talk Performance graduated Kaye in The Court Jester ( The Court Jester, 1956) ("The pellet with the poison 's in the vessel with the pestle; . The chalice from the palace Has the brew did is true" ). This led to his title as "fastest flap Hollywood ".

1940 married Sylvia Fine Kaye, who from then on took over the role of a manager for him. Practically all his lyrics and many of his presentations, she wrote from then on.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Kaye continued his work in movies and got 1963 with the " Danny Kaye Show" and his own television show, which was a huge success and earned him an Emmy in its first year. On television, he also took on the role of Captain Hook in Peter Pan (1976 ) and the Master Geppetto in Pinocchio (1976).

In the film had Danny Kaye outstanding success as 1947 in " The Double Life of Walter Mitty " ( The Secret Life of Walter Mitty ) next to Virginia Mayo, who also starred in many other films, his partner, and Boris Karloff is internationally famous as Frankenstein - Monster in was the 1930- years horror films famous. Or could celebrate 1954 in White Christmas ( White Christmas ) on the side of Bing Crosby, who this time in a Technicolorfilm sang the famous Christmas song "White Christmas", one more time, and recent great success with it. As well, as mentioned above, in 1956 the Knights movie " The Court Jester " ( The Court Jester ), where there is with him excellent fencing duel scenes. Among other things, with Basil Rathbone, who was a world-class fencer in Hollywood films, said of Danny Kaye, who had never fought before, he was a natural. Kaye had been so well after only three weeks of training as himself.

In " Me and the Colonel " ( Me and the Colonel, 1958) Kaye excelled on the side of Curd Jürgens. The role earned him a second Golden Globe, which he had received previously had for " On the Riviera " ( On the Riviera, 1951).

In 1981, he appeared with the New York Philharmonic as a conductor in " An Evening with Danny Kaye " with many world famous classical pieces on. The show in favor of the Pension Fund of orchestral musicians was held at Lincoln Center, the opening number Zubin Mehta conducted. He had in 1986 in the Bill Cosby Show His last appearance. He played in the episode Who's afraid of the dentist? dentist Dr. Burns.

Kaye died of a heart attack as a result of hepatitis that occurred bypass surgery was caused by a contaminated blood transfusion during a four years earlier.

Social Commitment

As a strong advocate of the Practical flipped idea of social responsibility Kaye began in 1954 his long career as an ambassador for the Children's Fund (UNICEF ). In the same year he received an honorary Oscar for his humanitarian efforts and accomplishments made previously. The use for UNICEF, he continued to old age.

He succeeded with benefit concerts to collect ten million U.S. dollars for UNICEF, among others, the song " Flight of the Bumblebee " by Rimsky -Korsakov, which he conducted with a fly swatter. As UNICEF was awarded the 1965 Nobel Peace Prize, Danny Kaye was intended to accept him for the organization.

Honors

Danny Kaye's hand and footprints are immortalized to the left of " Grauman 's Chinese Theatre" in Hollywood. On the "Walk of Fame" are in 6563 and in 6101 and 6125 Hollywood Blvd. its stars embedded in the way. He was one of the few artists from there, even three stars were admitted.

The asteroid ( 6546 ) Kaye was named after him.

Filmography (selection)

Movies

TV