Durante, (James Francis) Jimmy

Durante, [James Francis] Jimmy (1893–1980), comedian. Famed for his prominent nose which he called his “schnozzola,” his raspy voice, his fractured English, and his stiff‐kneed strut, the comic began his career in 1910 as a honky‐tonk pianist at Diamond Tony's Saloon in Coney Island. Sometime between 1919 and 1923 he formed a trio with Lou Clayton and Eddie Jackson. Their “nut” act won instant popularity, and they were invited to play Loew's State in 1926. A year later they played the Palace. From the start Durante was the center of attraction, so when the team appeared in Show Girl (1929) and The New Yorkers (1930) he was assigned important roles while his partners played bit parts. The act was disbanded in 1931, although it was frequently reunited for special appearances. Durante then appeared in Strike Me Pink (1933), Jumbo (1935), Red, Hot and Blue! (1936), Stars in Your Eyes (1939), and Keep Off the Grass (1940). At a time when much humor was increasingly biting, his humor remained sunny and he himself the butt of his sharpest digs: “There are a million good lookin' guys, but I'm a novelty.” In a typical rough and tumble antic, he sang “Wood” in The New Yorkers while cluttering the stage with every conceivable wooden object. Another favorite routine was his wild dismantling of a piano. In later years he was popular in nightclubs and films, as well as on radio and television.