Jimmy Durante

James Francis "Jimmy" Durante (February 10, 1893 - January 29, 1980) was an American entertainer, one of the most popular and recognized personalities of the 1920s-1960s. Durante was a pianist, actor, comedian, as well as a singer with a distinctive hoarse voice with a strong working class New York City accent. He was noted for his large nose which he frequently made jokes about, which earned him the nickname Schnozzola.

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Jimmy Durante was born in New York City. He dropped out of school in eighth-grade to play ragtime piano.

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In his youth Durante worked as pianist and entertainer in New York city, nicknamed "Ragtime Jimmy". About 1917 he joined one of the first jazz bands in New York, The Original New Orleans Jazz Band (all other musicians were from New Orleans). Durante's outgoing personality and ability to "sell" a number to the audience started attracting greater attention, and by 1920 the band was renamed Jimmy Durante's Jazz Band.

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In the mid 1920s he became a star on Vaudeville and radio with his music & comedy trio Clayton Jackson & Durante (with Lou Clayton and Eddie Jackson); despite third billing Durante was the star of the act.

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He had big hit in 1934 with his composition Inka Dinka Do, a novelty number he sang and played piano on, and which became his signature song.

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In 1935 Durante starred in Billy Rose's stage spectacle, Jumbo. In the show, a policeman stops him while leading a live elephant and asks "What are you doing with that elephant?" Durante stopped the show by saying "Elephant? What elephant?"

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Durante enjoyed a long career in motion pictures, starting in the early 1930s with a series of comedies pairing him with Buster Keaton. Among his more memorable film appearances were The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942), Ziegfeld Follies (1946), and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963).

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Durante had a nationally broadcast radio variety show in the 1940s; in the 1950s he had a television show as well. He continued making movie appearances through 1963 and television appearances until 1970. In 1963 he found unexpected success as an interpreter of pop standards with a best-selling album, September Song.

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He married Jeanne Olsen on 19 June 1921, who remained his wife until her death on 14 February 1943. Though it did not become public knowledge until after his own death, she was the mysterious "Mrs. Calabash" to whom he always referred with what became the sign off line to all his radio and TV shows: "'Goodnight Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are." Calabash was a private name between them for Calabasas, California, where she spent the final years of her life.

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Durante courted his second wife, Marjorie Little, whom he met as a hatcheck girl at the Copacabana, for 16 years before they married in 1960, when she was 39, and he 67. On Christmas day 1961, they adopted a baby girl, Cecelia Alicia, whom they nicknamed "CeCe". Cecelia became a horseback-riding instructor near San Diego, married a computer designer, and has two sons.

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Jimmy Durante died in Santa Monica, California of pneumonia, and was interred at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City.

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Jimmy was famous for a number of catch-phrases including: "It's a castastrophe!", "I'm mortified!" "Surrounded by assassins!", "Everybody wants ta get inta da act!, and "Hotch-cha-cha-cha-cha!"

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Impressions are still done of him on such hit shows as Family guy

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http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002051/bio

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February 10: February 10 is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 324 days remaining, 325 in leap years....

1893: 1893 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar)....

January 29: January 29 is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 336 days remaining, (337 in leap years)....

Jimmy Durante related Images and Photos (experimental)

Jimmy Durante	Passionate Plumber Buster Keaton Polly Moran Jimmy Durante 1932	Little Miss Broadway Edna May Oliver Shirley Temple Jimmy Durante 1938	Hell Below Robert Montgomery Madge Evans Walter Huston Jimmy Durante 1933
The Man Who Came to Dinner Bette Davis Ann Sheridan Jimmy Durante 1942	Jimmy Page	Jimmy Conrad	Jimmy Rollins
Jimmy Connors	Jimmy Hollywood	Jimmy Eat World	Jimmy Stewart Print