Jimmy Durante
Biography
Comedian, composer, actor, singer and songwriter ("Inka Dinka Doo") Jimmy Durante was educated in New York public schools. He began his career as a Coney Island pianist, and organized a five-piece band in 1916. He opened the Club Durant with Eddie Jackson and Lou Clayton, with whom he later formed a comedy trio for vaudeville and on television. He appeared in the Broadway musicals "Show Girl", "The New Yorkers", "Strike Me Pink", "Jumbo", "Red Hot and Blue", and "Stars in Your Eyes". By 1936, he had appeared at the Palladium in London. Later he had his own radio and television shows, and was a featured headliner in night clubs. Biographer Gene Fowler wrote his biography, "Schnozzola". Joining ASCAP in 1941, he collaborated musically with Jackie Barnett and Ben Ryan, and his other popular song compositions include "I'm Jimmy That Well-Dressed Man", "I Know Darn Well I Can Do Without Broadway", "I Ups to Him and He Ups to Me", "Daddy Your Mamma Is Lonesome For You", "Umbriago", "Any State In the Forty-Eight", "Chidabee Chidabee Chidabee", and "I'm Jimmy's Girl".
Personal Details
Also Known As
Movies (32)
Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast
as Self - Comedian (archive footage)
2019
JFK: The Lost Inaugural Gala
as Self
2017
Don Knotts: Tied Up with Laughter
as Himself
2011
Checking Out: Grand Hotel
as (archive footage)
2004
Marlene Dietrich: Her Own Song
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2002
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1
as Self (archive footage)
2001
Hollywood Musicals of the 40's
as Self (archive footage)
2000
Hidden Hollywood: Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Film Vaults
as Self (Archival Footage)
1997
That's Entertainment! III
as (archive footage)
1994
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
1988
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
as Self (archive footage)
1988
Going Hollywood: The '30s
as (archive footage)
1984
Showbiz Goes to War
as (archive footage)
1982
That's Entertainment, Part II
as (archive footage)
1976
It's Showtime
as Self (archive footage)
1976
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
as Self (archive footage)
1975
That's Entertainment!
as (archive footage)
1974
Frosty the Snowman
as Narrator (voice)
1969
Monte Carlo or Bust!
Theme Song Performance (Sound)
1969
The Movie Orgy
as Self (archive footage)
1968
Alice Through the Looking Glass
as Humpty Dumpty
1966
Murder at N.B.C.
1966
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
as Smiler Grogan
1963
Billy Rose's Jumbo
as Anthony ('Pop') Wonder
1962
The New March of Dimes Presents: The Scene Stealers
as Self - Host
1962
The Last Judgment
as The man with the large nose
1961
Pepe
as Jimmy Durante
1960
The Frank Sinatra Timex Show
as Self
1959
The All-Star Christmas Show
as Self
1958
Beau James
as Jimmy Durante
1957
The Milkman
as Breezy Albright
1950
The Great Rupert
as Mr. Louie Amendola
1950
TV Shows (18)
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
1971
The Pearl Bailey Show
as Self
1971
The Don Knotts Show
as Self
1970
Jimmy Durante Presents the Lennon Sisters
as Self
1969
The Mothers-in-Law
as Jimmy Durante
1967
The Hollywood Palace
as Self
1964
The Jerry Lewis Show
as Self
1963
The Lucy Show
as Jimmy Durante
1962
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
as Self
1956
The Steve Allen Show
as Self
1956
The Jimmy Durante Show
as Self - Host
1954
Summer Playhouse
1954
The Oscars
as Self
1953
Four Star Revue
as Host
1950
The Colgate Comedy Hour
as Self
1950
The Bob Hope Show
as Self
1950
What's My Line?
as Self - Mystery Guest
1950
The Ed Sullivan Show
as Self
1948