Danny Kaye Charmed His Way Into the Hearts of Americans

Danny Kaye charmed his way into the hearts of Americans.

Say the name David Daniel Kaminsky to people, and they will likely give you a confused look. But say the name Danny Kaye, and suddenly they will break into a huge grin. They might remember one of his hilarious comedic bits, his tongue- twisting songs, or his rubbery facial expressions.

David Kaminsky was born in Brooklyn, New York, on January 18th, 1911. He never really enjoyed school, preferring to keep the class laughing with jokes and songs. He never graduated from high school, choosing instead to take a number of horrible jobs from which he was fired almost immediately.

But at the age of 22, he found his calling. He and two friends formed a comedic dance troupe called “The Three Terpsichoreans.” This group toured vaudeville houses all over the U.S. and even in Asia. The young man now calling himself “Danny Kaye” was absolutely fearless onstage, and became the group’s clear standout performer.

After making a few short films, Kaye returned to the stage. One night in 1940, he was performing a cabaret show with pianist and composer (and his brand-new wife) Sylvia Fine. One audience member, playwright Moss Hart, was impressed enough to get Kaye cast in his new Broadway musical, “Lady in the Dark.” This show was a big success, especially when it came time for Danny Kaye to perform the song “Tchaikovsky.” This song was a tongue-twister of a song including the names of fifty different composers, almost all of them Russian. From then on, Danny Kaye was a star. He starred in plays and got his own popular radio show, for which his wife Sylvia Fine wrote many of his songs.

Copyright 2016 Knowledge Unlimited Danny Kaye’s considerable talents also took Hollywood by storm. He cracked up audiences in films such as “Knock on Wood” and “On the Double.” But Kaye’s full skillset was best shown in musical comedies such as “Up in Arms,” “Wonder Man,” and “The Inspector General.” In 1952, he played the title role in the movie musical “Hans Christian Anderson.” One of his biggest hits came in 1954, when he starred alongside Bing Crosby in the holiday classic “White Christmas.” Today, his 1956 movie “The Court Jester” is considered a classic — but at the time, it was a flop with audiences.

Kaye continued to work in films and onstage, but in the 1960s — like many other performers of the time, — his focus turned to television. A series of popular specials led to “The Danny Kaye Show,” a variety program that ran from 1963 to 1967. Kaye also became a celebrated amateur chef and a pilot, as well as fulfilling a lifelong dream by becoming co-owner of a professional baseball team. When he died in 1987 at the age of 76, Danny Kaye was truly an American treasure.