The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 30, 1980, Page Page 11, Image 11
Durar
(AF)Famous comedian Jimmy
Durante, 86, died of pneumonia
early Tuesday morning at St.
John's Hospital, Santa Monica,
California.
Durante's fractured song-pianojoke
routines, including his
trademark "Inka Dinka Doo,"
were a show business staple for 64
years. A stroke in November 1972
left him partially paralyzed and he
was forced to Say good night to
Mrs. Calabash for the last time.
Two years later, he was honored at
a tearful appearance before the
Banshees in New York.
Durante artfully combined wild
clowning, outrageous characterizations
and pathos. He was a
leading star on radio and in early
television. He made nearly 30
movies, but he was most successful
in those involving his old
routines. He ended his radio and
irit'vioiuu iui iiiaiiLca wiiii j
"Good night. Mrs. Calabash,
wherever you are." He once i
confided that he was referring to j
his first wife, who had died.
He remained active in show
business, playing regular
engagements in Las Vegas and j
making guest appearances on
television until his stroke in 1972.
He was left partially paralyzed in
the left arm and left leg and was j
confined to a wheelchair.
/\ i iui u<* years in snow ousiness, _
the comedian found retirement
hard to accept, lie remained at
home with his wife, Marjorie, and
their adopted daughter, Cece,
rarely going out.
In April 1974, Durante went to
New York for a Banshee luncheon
attended by newspaper editors and
publishers. He received an award
from the Banshees and responded
with a faltering rendition of "Inka
ta ? ??
JLMIllVa JL/UU.
The audience gave him a long
standing ovation, and Durante
then sang a song associated with
his later career, "Young - at
Heart." As the applause continued,
Durante, with glistening eyes,
muttered, "Thank you, folks."
In one of his last interviews
before his illness, Durante
remarked after a Las Vegas
performance, "I love it out there.
It ain't work. To hear those people
out there laugh and enjoy themselves
... When you're out there,
you pray to God that it'll never
end."
He was hospitalized for several
weeks in May 1978 with an upper
respiratory infection and complications
of the earlier stroke.
Although paralyzed, Durante
continued to receive guests
regularly at his Beverly Hills
home. His wife called him a "night
m'jn " Qho cotrl 4'T'm phoHm (n rfA
" Mil. Ullv OU1U, * AAA A V/UUJ IV ^V/
to sleep and he's ready to watch
'The Tonight Show.' He'll analyze
the show and if Ed McMahon isn't
on he'll say 'Where's the "Here's
Johnny" guy ' Jimmy was always
indestructible. I could never keep
up with him, which is why I
married him."
Fans continued to write Durante
and send him gifts. They send
' 4 MloKnoVi " r\? 11 r\\arc* Ki l
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ones he liked best were copies of
his trademark fedora.
Durante starred in virtually
every branch of show business,
including vaudeville, Broadway,
nightclubs, radio, television and
movies.
He became a headliner in the
1928 Ziegfeld show in which he had
the line, 44Be nice to people on the
way up. They're the same you'll ,
pass on the way down." That, he 1
said later, "is a nice line to live
by."
Durante was raised on
Manhattan's East Side, the son of
an Italian barber. His first
professional job was as a pianist in
a saloon called Diamond Tony s on
Coney Island. His piano style was
strictly razzmatazz, although his
parents had aimed him at more
serious music.
At Terry Walsh's, Durante met a
pop-eyed dancing waiter named
Eddie Cantor. Cantor advised him,
"There's no future in just playing
ite dies
tho niann Ppnnln lilfo vnn Ii?r?r?-?w
you ought to be telling jokes while
you're playing, and maybe sing
once in a while."
Durante replied, "Gee, Eddie, I
couldn't do that. I'd be afraid
people would laugh at me.'
His first wife, Maude Jeanne
Olson, whom he married in 1921,
died in 1943.
He married Marjorie Little on
Dec. 14, I960, after a courtship of 16
years. In 1962, when he was 69, the
couple adopted a 6 month-old
ATTENTION A
JUSTICE ASSOCI
The Criminal Justice As
trip to Washington, D.C.
bers who sign up for the
deposit.
SIGN UP: CUI
Rr
TRIP DATE: Apri
SIGN UP DEADL
[33
1 1 I
-
rvnseS house 9
Gi
art
Thui
Febru
Shows at 8p.i
RHUU i
Only 75
I to be sold f
One Ticket
$5.50
$6.5C
Avail
Travel Cei
Activ
I School Kids
? Budget T
at 86
I
daughter, Cecelia, whom he called
Cece.
Durante's losing battle with the
English laneuat?e w;is not nhonv
His love of big words, a la Mrs.
Malaprop, was born of his
Brooklyn background.
His sandpaper voice and staccato
speech fooled no one. He was
as tough as wet spaghetti. The
millions he earned went mostly to
friends, relatives and causes.
^LL CRIMINAL
ATION MEMBERS
sociation is sponsoring a
All interested CJA memtrip
must include a $20
RRELL COLLEGE
ti. 1 00 (Main Office)
I 1 7 April 20
INE: January 31
s I
Contempor
in associa
Pre?
forge Tl
dTKeD
sday (~
nrv 7th i
-w m
m.and 1 1 p.m
3a 11 room
0 Tickets
or each show s
*
per USC ID
USC ID
) Public
able at 1
iter In RHUU fe
ities Office
Records & Tapes
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C
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