She had difficulty in pronouncing the city name, often calling it "Calabash", and it became an inside joke for the Durantes. Dropped out of school in the eighth grade and a couple of years later played ragtime piano for a living, taking jobs wherever he could, including bars, cabarets and whorehouses. He became known for a time as "Ragtime Jimmy".
Famous for a number of other beloved catchphrases besides the "Mrs. Calabash" routine, including: "It's a castastrostroke! New York: Facts on File, ISBN A legal challenge to his adoption of daughter CeCe late in life, on the grounds that he was too old to care for such a young child, was dismissed by a judge, who said, "I've heard this man sing 'Young at Heart.
His voice was the inspiration for that of the dog in the Tom and Jerry cartoons. Has a street named after him on the east side of Las Vegas, Nevada. Durante often ended his television, radio and nightclub appearances with "Goodnight Mrs.
Calabash, wherever you are". On August 15, , for his charitable acts, Durante was awarded a huge three foot high brass loving cup by the Al Bahr Shriners Temple. A loving cup to you, Jimmy. It's larger than your nose, but smaller than your heart.
Happiness always, Al Bahr Temple, August 15, ". His mid-century modern-style home on Beverly Dr. During the depression years he did solo musical comedy turns in New York. After the war he had great success at New York's Copacabana which got him top billing on radio and television. I made up my mind never to hurt anybody else, no matter what. I never made jokes about anybody's big ears, crossed eyes, or their stuttering.
I'm a wholesaler! I like to make people laugh. Dey like me. What more could I want? My wife has a slight impediment in her speech. Every now and then she stops to breathe.
Be awful nice to 'em goin' up, because you're gonna meet 'em all comin' down. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. Getting Started Contributor Zone ». Edit page. Create a list ». In , he starred in Hollywood Party , where he dreams he is 'Schnarzan'—a parody of 'Tarzan', who was extremely popular at the time due to the Johnny Weissmuller films. When Cantor left the show, Durante took over as its star from April 22 to September 30, Durante's comic chemistry with the young, brushcut Moore brought Durante an even larger audience.
The duo was one of the nation's favorites for the rest of the decade. Their Armed Forces Radio Network command performance with Frank Sinatra remains a favorite of radio-show collectors today.
Durante continued the show for three more years, and featured a reunion of Clayton, Jackson and Durante on his April 21, broadcast. Durante made his television debut on November 1, although he kept a presence in radio, as a frequent guest on Tallulah Bankhead 's two-year NBC comedy-variety show The Big Show.
Durante was one of the cast on the show's premiere November 5, The rest of the cast included humorist Fred Allen , singers Mindy Carson and Frankie Laine , stage musical performer Ethel Merman , actors Jose Ferrer and Paul Lukas , and comic-singer Danny Thomas about to become a major television star in his own right.
A highlight of the show was Durante and Thomas, whose own nose rivaled Durante's, in a routine in which Durante accused Thomas of stealing his nose. Beginning in the early s, Durante teamed with sidekick Sonny King , a collaboration that would continue until Durante's death. Jimmy could be seen regularly in Las Vegas after Sunday Mass outside of the Guardian Angel Cathedral standing next to the priest and greeting the people as they left Mass. Durante's radio show V. V was bracketed with two trademarks: "Inka Dinka Doo" as his opening theme, and the invariable signoff that became another familiar national catchphrase: "Good night, Mrs.
Calabash, wherever you are. One theory was that it referred to the owner of a restaurant in Calabash, North Carolina , where Durante and his troupe had stopped to eat. He was so taken by the food, the service, and the chitchat he told the owner that he would make her famous.
Since he did not know her name, he referred to her as "Mrs. His friend and co-star, Candy Candido, in an interview with "Speaking of Radio" in , reported that he met the actual woman in Chicago when traveling with Durante, but was sworn to keep the secret.
While driving across the country, they stopped in a small town called Calabash, whose name she had loved. Calabash" became his pet name for her, and he signed off his radio program with "Good night, Mrs.
Durante's first wife was Jean "Jeanne" Olson, whom he married on June 19, She was born in Ohio on August 31, She died on Valentine's Day in , after a lingering heart ailment of about two years. She was 46 years old when she died, although different newspaper accounts of her death suggest she was 45 or perhaps Durante married his second wife, Margaret "Margie" Little, at St.
As a teenager, with her gorgeous red hair and undeniable charm, Margie had been crowned Queen of the New Jersey State Fair. She and Durante met there 16 years before their marriage, when he performed there and she was a hatcheck girl.
She was 41 and he 67 when they married. With help from their attorney, Mary G. CeCe became a champion horsewoman and then a horse trainer and horseback-riding instructor near San Diego , married a computer designer Stephen , and has two sons and a daughter Connor, Ryan and Maddie.
Margie died on June 7, , at age On August 15, , for his charitable acts, Durante was awarded a huge three-foot-high brass loving cup by the Al Bahr Shriners Temple. A loving cup to you Jimmy, it's larger than your nose, but smaller than your heart. Happiness always, Al Bahr Temple, August 15, Jimmy's love for children continued through the Fraternal Order of Eagles children, who among many causes raise money for handicapped and abused children.
Jimmy replied, "Do not even mention money judge or I'll have to mention a figure that'll make ya sorry ya brought it up" "What can we do then? Jimmy performed for many years at Eagles conventions free of charge, even refusing travel money. The Fraternal Order of Eagles changed the name of their children's fund to the Jimmy Durante Children's Fund in his honor, and in his memory have raised over 20 million dollars to help children.
A reporter once remarked of Durante after an interview: "You could warm your hands on this one. Durante was an active member of the Democratic Party. In , he appeared in an advertisement shown in theaters supporting Franklin D. Durante continued his film appearances through It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and television appearances through the early s.
He narrated the Rankin-Bass animated Christmas special Frosty the Snowman , re-run for many years since. The television work also included a series of commercial spots for Kellogg's Corn Flakes cereals in the mids, which introduced Durante's gravelly growl and narrow-eyed, large-nosed countenance to millions of children. One of his last appearances was in a memorable television commercial for the Volkswagen Beetle, where he proclaimed that the new, roomier Beetle had "plenty of breathin' room In , Durante recorded the album of pop standards September Song.
The album became a best-seller and provided Durante's re-introduction to yet another generation, almost three decades later. From the Jimmy Durante's Way of Life album came the gravelly interpretation of the song " As Time Goes By ", which accompanied the opening credits of the romantic comedy hit Sleepless in Seattle , while his version of "Make Someone Happy" launched the film's closing credits. Both are included on the film's best-selling soundtrack. Durante also recorded a cover of the well known song I'll Be Seeing You , which became a trademark song on his 60's TV show.
This song was also featured in the film The Notebook.
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