Jimmy Durante
Born
February 9, 1893
Died
January 29, 1980 (86 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA
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".
Known For
Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast
Self - Comedian (archive footage)
2019
JFK: The Lost Inaugural Gala
Self
2017
And the Oscar Goes To...
Self (archive footage)
2014
Don Knotts: Tied Up with Laughter
Himself
2011
Checking Out: Grand Hotel
(archive footage)
2004
Marlene Dietrich: Her Own Song
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2002
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1
Self (archive footage)
2001
Hollywood Musicals of the 40's
Self (archive footage)
2000
Hidden Hollywood: Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Film Vaults
Self (Archival Footage)
1997
That's Entertainment! III
(archive footage)
1994
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
Self (archive footage)
1988
Going Hollywood: The '30s
(archive footage)
1984
Showbiz Goes to War
(archive footage)
1982
That's Entertainment, Part II
(archive footage)
1976
It's Showtime
Self (archive footage)
1976
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Self (archive footage)
1975
That's Entertainment!
(archive footage)
1974
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
(1 episode)
1971
The Pearl Bailey Show
Self · (1 episode)
1971
The Don Knotts Show
Self · (1 episode)
1970
Frosty the Snowman
Narrator (voice)
1969
Jimmy Durante Presents the Lennon Sisters
Self · (3 episodes)
1969
The Movie Orgy
Self (archive footage)
1968
The Mothers-in-Law
Jimmy Durante · (1 episode)
1967
Alice Through the Looking Glass
Humpty Dumpty
1966
Murder at N.B.C.
1966
The Hollywood Palace
Self - Singer · (1 episode)
1964
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Smiler Grogan
1963
The Jerry Lewis Show
Self · (1 episode)
1963
Billy Rose's Jumbo
Anthony ('Pop') Wonder
1962
The Lucy Show
Jimmy Durante · (1 episode)
1962
The New March of Dimes Presents: The Scene Stealers
Self - Host
1962
The Last Judgment
The man with the large nose
1961
Pepe
Jimmy Durante
1960
The Frank Sinatra Timex Show
Self
1959
Beau James
Jimmy Durante
1957
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Self · (2 episodes)
1956
The Steve Allen Show
Self · (1 episode)
1956
The Jimmy Durante Show
Self - Host · (48 episodes)
1954
Summer Playhouse
(1 episode)
1954
The Oscars
Self · (1 episode)
1953
The Milkman
Breezy Albright
1950
Four Star Revue
Host · (1 episode)
1950
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Self · (14 episodes)
1950
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Self - Cameo · (1 episode)
1950
The Bob Hope Show
Self · (2 episodes)
1950
The Bob Hope Show
Self (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1950
The Great Rupert
Mr. Louie Amendola
1950
What's My Line?
Self - Mystery Guest · (2 episodes)
1950
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self · (5 episodes)
1948
On an Island with You
Buckley
1948
This Time for Keeps
Ferdi Farro
1947
It Happened in Brooklyn
Nick Lombardi
1947
Two Sisters from Boston
'Spike'
1946
Music for Millions
Andrews
1944
Two Girls and a Sailor
Billy Kipp / Julian Kipp
1944
Breakdowns of 1942
Self
1942
You're in the Army Now
Homer "Jeeper" Smith
1941
The Man Who Came to Dinner
Banjo
1941
Melody Ranch
Cornelius J. Courtney
1940
Little Miss Broadway
Jimmy Clayton
1938
Sally, Irene and Mary
Jefferson Twitchel
1938
Start Cheering
Willie Gumbatz
1938
Land Without Music
Jonah J. Whistler
1936
Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)
Self
1936
Carnival
Fingers
1935
Student Tour
Hank Merman
1934
Hollywood Party
Jimmy Durante
1934
Strictly Dynamite
Moxie
1934
Hollywood on Parade No. B-9
Self
1934
George White's Scandals
Happy McGillicuddy
1934
Palooka
Knobby Walsh
1934
Meet the Baron
Joe McGoo
1933
Broadway to Hollywood
Jimmy
1933
Hell Below
Ptomaine' - Ships Cook
1933
What! No Beer?
Jimmy Potts
1933
Give a Man a Job
1933
Prohibition Newsreel No. 7
Self
1933
Hollywood on Parade No. A-3
Self
1932
The Phantom President
Curly
1932
Blondie of the Follies
Jimmy
1932
Speak Easily
James
1932
Hollywood on Parade
Self
1932
The Wet Parade
Abe Shilling
1932
The Passionate Plumber
Julius J. McCracken
1932
The Christmas Party
Santa Claus (uncredited)
1931
The Cuban Love Song
O.O. Jones
1931
New Adventures of Get Rich Quick Wallingford
Schnozzle
1931
The March of Time
Self
1930
Roadhouse Nights
Daffy (as Durante)
1930