Danny Kaye
RETURN TO INDEX
Born Name:
David Daniel Kaminsky
Born Date: January 18, 1911
Born Place: New York City
Died Date: March 3, 1987
Died Place: Los Angeles, California
Occupations: Actor, comedian, singer, dancer, television presenter
Brief Biography: Danny Kaye (1911–1987) was a multitalented American entertainer celebrated for his rapid-fire novelty songs, pantomime, and physical comedy. He rose to fame in Broadway's Lady in the Dark and starred in classic films like White Christmas. He was also UNICEF's first ambassador.
Early Life and the Borscht Belt:
He dropped out of school in his early teens and found his way into show business through the "Borscht Belt," a circuit of Jewish resorts in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Working as a "tummler" (an all-around entertainer and social director), he learned how to sing, dance, and improvise routines that evolved into his signature manic, disaster-prone stage persona.
Breakthrough on Broadway and Screen:
Kaye’s entertainment career took off in the late 1930s. He made his Broadway debut in the Straw Hat Revue (1939), but his breakout moment came in the 1940 production of Lady in the Dark. He stopped the show with his rapid-fire delivery of the song "Tchaikovsky," where he rattled off the names of dozens of Russian composers at breakneck speed. In 1940, he married Sylvia Fine, a composer and lyricist who would go on to manage his career, produce his engagements, and write many of his signature patter songs and gags. His success on stage brought him to Hollywood, where he signed with Samuel Goldwyn. Over the next two decades, he starred in a string of hit musical comedies. Kaye also conquered international stages, famously performing at the London Palladium to such acclaim that the British Royal Family once left the royal box to sit in the front row of the orchestra.
Television and Humanitarian Work:
As his film career began to slow down in the 1960s, Kaye successfully transitioned to television. He hosted The Danny Kaye Show, which ran from 1963 to 1967 and earned him critical acclaim and Emmy nominations. Beyond his acting, Kaye was deeply passionate about humanitarian causes. He became the first celebrity Ambassador-at-Large for UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) in 1954. He spent decades traveling the globe to raise awareness and funds for impoverished children, and was even tapped to accept the Nobel Peace Prize on UNICEF's behalf in 1965. He was awarded a special Academy Award in 1954 and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1981 for his philanthropic efforts.
Later Years and Legacy:
In his later years, Kaye continued to perform occasionally—such as portraying an intense Holocaust survivor in the 1981 television film Skokie. Outside of entertainment, his numerous hobbies included cooking, conducting symphony orchestras, piloting aircraft, and co-owning the Seattle Mariners baseball team.
Born Date: January 18, 1911
Born Place: New York City
Died Date: March 3, 1987
Died Place: Los Angeles, California
Occupations: Actor, comedian, singer, dancer, television presenter
Brief Biography: Danny Kaye (1911–1987) was a multitalented American entertainer celebrated for his rapid-fire novelty songs, pantomime, and physical comedy. He rose to fame in Broadway's Lady in the Dark and starred in classic films like White Christmas. He was also UNICEF's first ambassador.
Early Life and the Borscht Belt:
He dropped out of school in his early teens and found his way into show business through the "Borscht Belt," a circuit of Jewish resorts in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Working as a "tummler" (an all-around entertainer and social director), he learned how to sing, dance, and improvise routines that evolved into his signature manic, disaster-prone stage persona.
Breakthrough on Broadway and Screen:
Kaye’s entertainment career took off in the late 1930s. He made his Broadway debut in the Straw Hat Revue (1939), but his breakout moment came in the 1940 production of Lady in the Dark. He stopped the show with his rapid-fire delivery of the song "Tchaikovsky," where he rattled off the names of dozens of Russian composers at breakneck speed. In 1940, he married Sylvia Fine, a composer and lyricist who would go on to manage his career, produce his engagements, and write many of his signature patter songs and gags. His success on stage brought him to Hollywood, where he signed with Samuel Goldwyn. Over the next two decades, he starred in a string of hit musical comedies. Kaye also conquered international stages, famously performing at the London Palladium to such acclaim that the British Royal Family once left the royal box to sit in the front row of the orchestra.
Television and Humanitarian Work:
As his film career began to slow down in the 1960s, Kaye successfully transitioned to television. He hosted The Danny Kaye Show, which ran from 1963 to 1967 and earned him critical acclaim and Emmy nominations. Beyond his acting, Kaye was deeply passionate about humanitarian causes. He became the first celebrity Ambassador-at-Large for UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) in 1954. He spent decades traveling the globe to raise awareness and funds for impoverished children, and was even tapped to accept the Nobel Peace Prize on UNICEF's behalf in 1965. He was awarded a special Academy Award in 1954 and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1981 for his philanthropic efforts.
Later Years and Legacy:
In his later years, Kaye continued to perform occasionally—such as portraying an intense Holocaust survivor in the 1981 television film Skokie. Outside of entertainment, his numerous hobbies included cooking, conducting symphony orchestras, piloting aircraft, and co-owning the Seattle Mariners baseball team.