Wednesday, October 9, 2013

THE PERSONAL SIDE OF JIMMY DURANTE

I want to admit something right now...I love Jimmy Durante. He was one of the nicest people in Hollywood. He wasn't the funniest comedian. He wasn't the best actor. He did not have the best voice. However, his sunny personality and great outlook on life came out in everything he did, and he delighted audiences for well over fifty years.

Jimmy Durante's successful radio show was bracketed with two trademarks: "Inka Dinka Doo" as his opening theme, and the invariable sign off that became another familiar national catchphrase: "Good night, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are." For years Durante preferred to keep the mystery alive. 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. Calabash." Another idea was that it was a personal salute to his deceased first wife, Jeanne (Olsen) Durante, who died in 1943. "Calabash" might be a mangle of Calabasas, the California city where they made their home during the last years of her life.

At a National Press Club meeting in 1966 (broadcast on NBC's Monitor program), Durante finally revealed that it was indeed a tribute to his wife. While driving across the country, they stopped in a small town called Calabash, whose name she had loved. "Mrs. Calabash" became his pet name for her, and he signed off his radio program with "Good night, Mrs. Calabash." He added "wherever you are" after the first year.

Durante's first wife was the former Jean (Jeanne) Olson, whom he married on June 19, 1921. She was born in Ohio on August 31, 1896. She died on Valentine's Day in 1943, 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 52. Her death was not immediately expected, as Jimmy was touring in New York at the time and returned to Los Angeles right away to complete funeral arrangements.

Durante married his second wife, Margaret "Margie" Little, at St. Malachy's Catholic Church in New York City on December 14, 1960. As a teenager, with her gorgeous red hair and undeniable charm, Margie had been crowned Queen of the New Jersey State Fair. She attended New York University before being hired by the legendary Copacabana, in New York City. They met 16 years before their marriage when he was performing there and where she worked as a hatcheck girl. She was 41, he 67, when they married. With help from their attorney Mary G. Rogan, the couple was able to adopt a baby, Cecilia Alicia (nicknamed CeCe and now known as CeCe Durante-Bloum) on Christmas Day, 1961. 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). Margaret died on June 7, 2009, at age 90.


Regarding his personal side, Durante also was very charitable. For the most part none of his selfless acts for those less fortunate made the presses. On August 15, 1958, for his charitable acts, Durante was awarded a huge three-foot-high brass loving cup by the Al Bahr Shriners Temple. The inscription read: "JIMMY DURANTE THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS COMEDIAN. A loving cup to you Jimmy, it's larger than your nose, but smaller than your heart. Happiness always, Al Bahr Temple, August 15, 1958."

Jimmy's love for children continued through the Fraternal Order of Eagles children, who among many causes raise money for handicapped and abused. At Jimmy's first appearance at the Eagles International Convention in 1961, judge Bob Hansen inquired about his fee for performing. 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?" asked Hansen. "Help da kids," was Durante's reply. 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." One of the projects built using money from the Durante Fund was a heated therapy swimming pool at the Hughen School in Port Arthur, Texas. Completed in 1968, Durante named the pool the "Inka Dinka Doo Pool."

Jimmy Durante was so much more than "Inka Dinka Doo", and he was one of the most beloved men in show business. Unfortunately, he was plagued with ill health for the last nine years of his life, and he died largely forgotten in 1980. However, he has left a lasting legacy. For that I say goodnight Mr. Durante - wherever you are...


34 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. I always knew him to be very kind and I remember when he adopted CeCe. He and Red Skelton were very kind to children.

      Delete
  2. I always liked him too, and had heard that he was a very nice man. I did not think that he was largely forgotten at the time of his death in 1980. I was still aware of him, but I suppose he had not been as much in the public eye for a few years at that point.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I recall a late 70s appearance on the Merv Griffin show -- he was nearly immobile but still had that twinkle. In the 1990s, I think, Vancouver hosted a theatre production of his biography -- they handed out Durante dollars as part of the publicity. I went to it but was underwhelmed. i don't think it got much closer to broadway, but Durante was one of the brightest and likeable stars who wowed audiences any number of ways. With the upcoming It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World dvd release from Criterion, he'll have his chance to 'kick the bucket' in style one more time.

    ReplyDelete
  4. If you want to hear music to which Americans, who built our country, listened for entertainment, listen to Jimmy Durante. Ornate background mated with his somewhat coarse style worked like magic.

    ReplyDelete
  5. JIMMY...WOULD THAT THE WORLD HAD MORE LIKE YOU! A PRINCE OF A GUY!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. jimmy Durante is hard one
      to replace especially in our day!

      Delete
  6. jimmy durante. a prince of a guy!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Well, I'm 65 now, so I grew up and watching and listening to Jimmy Durante. It seems light years ago...But someone like him is still present in modern day entertainment. I always love to watch Sleepless in Seattle. Love it every time I see it. And truly one of the best parts of the movie are the absolute ending credits when Jimmy Durante sings "Make Someone Happy." Brings tears to my eyes everytime.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly! Happened to me the other night when I watched it....also watch his filmed cameo in My Stepmother is an Alien (I think) with Kim Basinger.(Did you ever have the feeling that you wanted to go?...my son used to do that when he was about 5)

      Delete
  8. He was a great comedian; who, apparently, had more than just a song in his heart. Just watched him in "The Man Who Came to Dinner" with Monty Wooley, Betty Davis, etc., at Christmas. Love watching the old movies, the actors always made it all look so easy. I have Jimmy's love songs on my MP3 player so I can hear him whenever I want. Good night Mr. Calabash, wherever you are.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Make Someone Happy is a classic for him. Just a silly aside, but I think I remember him doing a Kellogg's Corn Flakes commercial when I was a kid in the 60s, about the same time Bing Crosby was doing the Minute Maid orange juice commercials. Jimmy did the Corn Flakes commercial in his signature way. Also, If you look at some of the old Merrie Melodies Cartoons (especially some Bosko) you will see funny excerpt of him, especially where he says his signature words, "Am I mortified, am I mortified!" Funny, very funny--must check these. You will find them on a collection of WW2 combination Bugs, Daffy, Porky Pig, and the dvd of Bosko, etc. See this last one. That disc is the best collection of early 30s Merrie Melodies available

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don't forget "One of those Songs," an underrated single he made in the 1960's.

      Delete
  10. I'm watching an episode of the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour dated August 1971 and Jimmy Durante is a guest on the show. He was 78 at that time.

    ReplyDelete
  11. He is still a legend of Hollywood. The world would be a much nicer place if people were more like he was. INKA DINKA DOO...

    ReplyDelete
  12. To not love Da Schnozz is is an impossibility. He still is one of the greatest remembered joys of my life, as an entertainer and a humanitarian. No abrasiveness, no sentimentality, just a delight in making people laugh and helping children in need. Good night and thank you for you, Mr. Durante, wherever you are!

    ReplyDelete
  13. A prince of a man. Must find that movie to watch.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Jimmy Durante’s personal best friend was Sylvester Siverd, a Middle Weight Boxer. Siverd died of a heart attack at 49 in 1956. Is there any record of the two of them together? Siverd was also buried at Forest Lawn.
    Thank, Fran

    ReplyDelete
  15. Nothing about Frosty the Snowman? That definitely brought him back into the public eye after his death in 1980. I remember as a kid watching that and wondering who he was and then finding out.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Even as kids, we all loved him! There never will be, and I doubt there ever could be....another one like him! It’s impossible not to smile at his memory! How nice being able to write these words.

    😘🙋🏻

    ReplyDelete
  17. A different time and people. Always looked forward to hear or watch him on Radio/TV. Jimmy and many others who are gone now, were some of the very best actor/actress/comedian and singers that this country had to offer.

    ReplyDelete
  18. There was nobody in the business who had a bad thing to say about him. Nobody.
    Talking with some old timers in Las Vegas, they all said that you had to see him in person on stage. Tore the place up.
    Groucho Marx, not one to throw compliments around, said simply "Jesus, he was great!"

    ReplyDelete
  19. God bless you Jimmy where ever you are.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I saw Jimmy Durante at least three times in Las Vegas when he played with Sonny King as his side-kick. He had just adopted CeCe and had a slide show during one of his shows showing the little girl at play. I think he sang "Young at Heart" during the slide show.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Really enjoyed reading this and that the Mrs. Calabash mystery is solved! I loved Jimmy Durante and what he represented, a more innocent and decent age.

    ReplyDelete
  22. How could you not love this man. I was thrilled as a young AAL ticket agent, Midway Airport, 1952, as he arrived in Chicago with Candy Candido and crew. Jimmy sprightly danced across the length of the baggage counter, with song and remarks I don't remember but the joy of being in his presence still warms my heart and brings a smile. My father-in-law held him as one of the greats. We had dinner table side to the stage during early '70s glued to Jimmy's Las Vegas performance. Truly such a great entertainer ... he lives on for those who's lives he touched, and with the reruns of movies and songs, Jimmy is not about to be forgotten.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm from Illinois, that's a great story, as Midway was not a big airport back then. A great place in time back then.

      Delete
  23. I always heard Jimmy Durante grew up in Ridgewood, NY. On Putnam Avenue. Anyone know if this is true?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kind of heard the same, where he would visit his “ family “ the Chimentos, which was my mom’s maiden name

      Delete
  24. Jimmy Durante, was a ray of sunshine.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Yes, yes, as a kid growing up in the L.A. ghetto during the mid 60's, I used to see Mr.Durante on a lot of the variety & talk shows. He always seemed like a nice, down to earth, happy guy. I was in the military in 1980 when i heard he had died.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I was 11 years old in 1950. I performed "record impersonations" in and around Chicago. A friend wrote Jimmy who was appearing at the Chez Paree, and told him I did a terrific impersonation of him. Astonishingly, he replied and wrote he'd be glad to see my "act." I performed in his dressing room as he was seated in his underwear preparing to go onstage. I pantomimed to his recording of "I'm The Guy Who Found The Lost Chord." He clapped, told me how great I was, signed his autograph on my 78rpm MGM record, and was about to leave when he whispered in my ear, "I loved your act, but the nose was too big." It was an evening I'll ALWAYS remember and now I'm 85-years old. To think that a man of his stature would take time to pay attention to a little kid like me back then, blows me away even today. What a man! What a great human being! R. Pratz, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada.

    ReplyDelete