“Danny Kaye Loves Crazy Words”

Herald-Journal – May 1, 1953

By: Mark Barron

The Ogden Standard Examiner featured this article in its entirety -- "Danny Kaye Admits His Songs Haven't Any Words But They Make Him Money," April 30, 1953. Those paragraphs in blue are those which were featured in the Ogden paper, but not the Herald-Journal.

NEW YORK, April 30 (AP) – Danny Kaye, winding up an epochal one-man stand on Broadway, loves those crazy words he sings.

“In fact,” he readily admits, “my songs don’t have words at all.” But whether noise or sound effect, it’s indisputable the Kaye product sweep symphony that adds up to more money than has ever before been banked by a single person in the entertainment field.

Danny and his git-gat-gittle chatter opened at Broadway’s famous vaudeville capital, the Palace, Jan. 28 and he closes tomorrow night after 14 weeks. With all seats sold out in advance, Kaye will have played to 234, 250 persons and the cash register has rung up $893, 630 (the box office top was $4.80 for evening performances), an all-time record in a vaude house.

Kaye received 60 per cent of the gross (just about $535,000), paying out of that the costs of the several supporting acts on the program, musicians and other incidentals, but leaving a mighty comfortable nest egg.

Taking time out to look back over the record run, restless Danny occupied a divan, two chairs and several other pieces of furniture in his hotel suite for an interview.

“I have cashed in on gloopty-gloop,” Kaye said. “Eddie Cantor, Al Jolson, Jack Benny and others had to rely strictly on pure English. I scramble up the alphabet and hit the jackpot.”

Kaye is the top scat singer of our time. He mangles such musical phrases as fiddle de roop, then goes to make another cash deposit at the bank. His wife, Sylvia Fine, is one of Broadway’s best song writers. She has a particular aptitude for the crazy kind of songs that fit Kaye’s zany singing style.

"I'm a skinny guy," Kaye said referring to the 135 Palace performances. "But I had to eat five meals a day when I was on that schedule. I had a full meal every time I did a performance."

"I always went out the stage door. Those kids waiting out there included kids that don't have money to get in the show. I used to wait outside stage doors myself because I couldn't get in the front door."

His restless thoughts took a bound.

“I’ve stopped counting money,” he said. “It gives me nausea. I’m going to take a good, long rest. Something like going out to Hollywood to make a picture immediately. Boy, will that be relaxing.”

“The picture is a three-dimensional project called ‘Knock on Wood.’ It should be a pushover. All I have to worry about is how to get into three dimensions, but that should be easy because I just bought a new suit with two pair of pants.”

Kaye, who has had in his audience at the Palace such folk as Ethel Barrymore, Marlene Dietrich, Richard Rodgers and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, is financially acute.

The week he opened at the Palace there was a gross of $62,000 considerably above what the theater can gross on its normal seating capacity. Questioned about that, Kaye quickly had the answer from a bundle of notes he carries in his pockets. The first week included opening night when seats sold for $7.20.

With Kaye leaving, the historic Palace is returning to its normal summer theater presentations, eight acts of vaudeville. It was fun and profit while Kaye lasted.

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