About the Site

“I found a bow and arrow, and I learned to shoot
I found a little horn, and I learned to toot
Now I can shoot and toot, ain’t I cute?”
         –from the song “The Maladjusted Jester” in The Court Jester

It was these lyrics that first captured the heart of a little eight-year-old girl. The words and Danny's delivery of them, the expressions on his face, helped me to fall in love with The Court Jester. Now, years later, when I think of Danny Kaye and his movies, memories of childhood flood back. I remember the joy that I felt as a little girl, the uncontrollable laughter that would well up inside me. I remember the awe that I experienced, wondering who this talented man was. As a result, my parents found more of Danny's movies for me to watch.

When Danny Kaye passed away on March 3, 1987, I was nearing my fifth birthday. At that time, I hadn't yet seen The Court Jester, and I was too young to be aware of what was occurring outside of my small world. Not long after seeing some of Danny's movies, I remember asking my parents if he was still alive. It was then that they told me that he had already passed away. A year later, in 1991, I remember hearing about the passing of Danny's wife, Sylvia Fine.

Why do I mention his death and my age? Simply to make the point that for people my age, Danny was not a present-day celebrity. Most people my age did not grow up watching Danny's movies unless someone (such as a parent) showed them one or they happened to catch one of the movies on cable. They did not grow up hearing his name in the news, hearing about some new project he was working on. And today his name is, unfortunately, not well-remembered. Young people today might recognize such names as Jerry Lewis, The Three Stooges, perhaps even Abbott and Costello. Mention Danny Kaye and most young people are clueless.

Why This Site?

One of the first reasons for this site is to continue to let Danny's name be known, to let others learn about this talented entertainer. It is also a site created especially for my young boys. My oldest is only two, but already he loves watching Danny's movies. When he sees Danny come on screen, he gets excited. He points and says, "Danny!" When they're old enough to browse the Internet, I hope this site will still be there for my boys to learn more about this entertainer that they loved so much as young toddlers.

There are other excellent Danny Kaye websites out there. So why create another one? Obviously everyone desires to add their own special touch to a website, but I also wanted to explore a different avenue. I wanted to focus as much as I could on who Danny was as a person. What did like or not like? What were his other interests and talents? He made many movies and live appearances, had his own television show, and made many television appearances. However, there was so much more that he did, so many other talents he had, that some may not be aware of. I also wanted to explore his personality as best I could. What was he like off-screen? Some people have made mention of a darker side. What must be remembered is that we are all human; we all have our faults. Danny himself said as much: “Heaven knows I have faults. Lots of them." (May 1954) Yet none of that dismisses the fact that he was still an incredibly talented entertainer who brought joy to many!

My goal is to have an honest site that explores a variety of areas, to explore all aspects of who Danny was, not just his performing side.

The one thing you will not find on this site is anything relating to his sexual life. Rumors will always pop up in a celebrity's life. Danny is no exception. While I am willing and eager to explore his personality, I will not break the bond of privacy by delving into rumors or theories about a person's sex life or sexual orientation. So if that's what you're seeking...sorry. You will not find information on those rumors here! Aside from that, this site is meant to be as family-friendly as possible.

Thank you for taking the time to read this page and visit this site. I hope your stay is an enjoyable one. And I hope that you remember to pass on the name of Danny Kaye!

Your Webmistress - J. Leigh Nolan
2011 - 12