Whats my line? - Jimmy Durante

[DrakeGrad]

Great Ovation from the panel as well

[MGG75]

He somewhat looks like Spencer Tracy, from his role in "Gues Who's Coming to Dinner", w/o the hat, of course! LOL!!!!

[ThomasDeLello]

Jimmy Durante and his perboscis...

[blacsouljah]

He was one of my mom's favorite entertainers.

[Eds7570]

The Schnozz

[trolleycoach]

Was this around the time of Miss Killgallen's "accidental" death?

[bdicat]

Munaggia America, thats freakin funny

[MrSaxman77]

at 72, look at that energy he's got at the end of the video... what a handshake! Awesome!

[RexRowland]

This had to have been 1965, not mid-50's. Durante turned 72 in 1965.

[MrMZaccone]

What happened to the sound?

[Blackjesus3]

@ptevlin ohh okay

[Blackjesus3]

@ptevlin is the video on youtube?

[giacgara]

January 31, 1965

[librarybob1958]

My dad's family knew him. My great aunts lived in Brooklyn, and Jimmy was an old family friend and frequent guest at their home. Dad was there for some of those meetings, and described Jimmy as one of the nicest guys in the world. Jimmy's long-time partner, Eddie Jackson, even tought my dad to tap dance!

He really must've been someone to know. And today, when a lot of entertainers treat the public like they have some sort of communicable disease, he was so approachable that it's a revelation.

[Blackjesus3]

@librarybob1958 is ur dad still alive?

[librarybob1958]

@librarybob1958 Alas, no. He died at the age of 82, of a combination of ailments, two years ago. A better man I'll never know.

[Blackjesus3]

@librarybob1958 ohh sorry2 hear

[jewgirl952]

@librarybob1958 Wow, that's amazing!

[wnesbitt1]

Just goes to show. You can be a big successful star and family person without being a complete a**e, like so many of today's 'stars' who think the world should revolve around them and sacrifice their families and relationships all over the place.

[seajayaway]

"Well, Cici is a very yucky, er, lucky young lady..." HAHAHAHA!

[uofjim]

Class.

[hajune]

He mentioned his 72 birthday. Show was in 1965 when he was 72.

[ultraman8914]

This can't be 1953-54, they reference President Johnson in the first few seconds, has to be the mid 1960s

[travis7310]

@ultraman8914 Also, Bobby Darin is on the panel, and he didn't become famous until the late '50s.

[MELLSBAD]

Ha Cha Cha!

[Blackjesus3]

damm the crowd went crazyyyyyyy

[vince065us]

What an ovation! Was that the longest ovation in the show's history?

[Corridoamor]

What did Jimmy Durante say at 1:49-1:51? This is classic. I admire Mr. Durante and I know that in the cartoon "Augie Doggie and Doggy Daddy", that Doggie Daddy's voice was an impersonation of Jimmy Durante.

[jimaroo100]

1965 - LBJ was president Mr Durante was born in 1893.... and was about to turn 72,,, so it is in early 1965.

[sbutler0727]

Ah yes, the one and only Jimmy Durante. Could Jimmy sing?? No. Could Jimmy play the piano?? No. Could Jimmy entertain audiences by singing and playing the piano?? Absoultely. We love you Jimmy. There will never be anyone like you again.

[clydetwopointoh]

Good night Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are!

[ClassicsWEREandARE]

who's voice is soooo easy to guess

[storrs19]

Awesome! I love WML, IGAS and TTTT especially the 1950's B&W ones. I have many on VHS tape but not all of them. Great panel show when people were civilized and everybody had a good time.

[Lennon4life1968]

yep..still the loudest ovation I've heard by far.

[PappyCaligula]

@Lennon4life1968 I loved Jimmy Durante as a kid (as kids would). My Dad and Mom hated him and WHY, I don't know. My Dad would make this Spew sound and YELL He STINKS and turn him off. Maybe politics. Maybe if they thought Durante drank. Did he?. They'd not tolerate NBC news on either. Huntley and Brinkely were to Mom and Pop, flunkies for the JFK admin. AND how they hated an Irish Catholic/son of a bootlegger in the Whitehouse. Sad, cynical times the early to mid 60's.

[keca1430]

Got to see him in person do a show at the old Melodyland Theater across from Disneyland, in anaheim, CA around 1965 or '66. What an entertainer, simply marvelous!

[tucsonia]

You had to guess from the get go that Durante would have a really hard time disguising that voice!

[hajune]

What the audience did not know is that all guests got $500. Mystery guests got $750. The panel received much more then that. As Bennett Cerf said ," It was scandoulous how much we made."

The show ran for 18 years in this format. Originally it was on Tues/Weds but in October of 1952 it changed to Sunday at 10:30 and stayed there for the whole run. They always had 3 regulars and a fill in for the 4th. This changed when Dorothy Killgallen died.

[PappyCaligula]

@hajune My cynical parents felt like it was all rigged.

[Danimal77]

This is 1965, NOT 1953... He's born in 1893 and he's turning 72.

[Georgie1954]

This clip is from 1965, not 1955, as mr. durante was born in 1893 and mr. daly said jimmy has a birthday and turning 72--(I knew the dresses and hairstyles on the ladies couldn't be from the 50's)

[742ouq]

...and Dorothy refers to President Johnson.

[shanghaibenny2]

Ink-a-dinka-doo!

[peace2baby]

Ha-cha-cha!

[Lennon4life1968]

So few entertainers get a welcome like Jimmy got from that audience. It's as if each member was cheering for a friend.

[Robert4770]

In the late 70's when Jimmy was very ill a newspaper printed a story and asked anyone who loved him to send him a get well card to cheer him up and he actually got over a million cards. There will never be entertainers like him again sadly.

[JEMCO2008]

thanks for the post

[KaptKan1]

I miss da old schnozzola!

[jackric54]

The year was after 1964, when Lyndon Johnson was president.

[celticmoon7]

quit calling people dumbass....sheesh have some class

[broadwayFan28]

I miss Jimmy and his humor so very much. Thanks for posting this.

[dagodino]

now that's CLASS!!!

[funkeekatt]

He's 72 and has a 3-year-old?! That's gross.

[puck30]

The couple adopted a baby, Cecilia Alicia (nicknamed CeCe and now known as CeCe Durante-Bloum), who became a horseback-riding instructor near San Diego, married a computer designer, and has two sons and a daughter.

[funkeekatt]

Interesting. In that case I retract my statement. For a minute I thought Durante was one of those old codgers like Charlie Chaplin, Anthony Quinn and Tony Randall who were still planting seeds in their old age.

[Filmore87458]

It's his grand daughter, dumb ass.

[ShananagansOnYou]

funkeekatt

it's called sex and family get used to it

[messiahbrain]

She was adopted

[eheaven3]

A man of the people. Loved by many. Applauded by all.

[eheaven3]

A man of the people. Loved by all.

[redflare100]

the good old days...

[xander7ful]

I've been watching these WMLs for a while now and I have not heard such warm, affectionate applause/shouts from the audience for any other performer. People really loved this man.

[wtfthisisabsurd]

Liberace's ovation was retahded

[lecagot2]

He was the Mick Jagger of his time.

[rentatrip1]

Jimmy was born in 1893, if he was 72 ...this clip was filmed in 1965 not 1954

[djhazelcubano0]

And President Johnson is mentioned too. (November 22, 1963 January 20, 1969)

[myboylollipop09]

The very best rendition of september song you will ever hear..

[huskyjerk]

Who was Mrs Calabash?

[rentatrip1]

Every Performance of his entire career , Jimmy would close with Goodnight Mrs Calabash Where ever you are...From my research ...Mrs Calabash operated a small - room for rent to Vaudevillians- after Jimmy left that town , he would pause in his close to send her a "good-night" she was kind enough to him and I beleive she let him slide on his rent for the room to which Jimmy was thankful forever-----

[MisterEvasion]

He was a living nostalgia for many listeners of early radio. Cool clip.

[RagingGeekazoid]

Ha ha, Daly started to call Jimmy's daughter a "yucky lady" at 4:45.

[LazlosPlane]

President Johnson??? 1955???

[brewcrew01984]

Yea i dont get that either

[OldTimerGoGetter]

Inka Dinka Doo! Gosh, I loved (and still love it) when my dad would sing that!

"Good night, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are."

Good night, Schnozzola, sleep tight in peace.

Kind of sad that you weren't around when I was born. One of the many times I thank heaven for motion pictures and recordings.

[a07002]

You simply cannot disguise that voice!. I had the rare opportunity of singing with Jimmy many years ago.

[batfink777]

Your kidding? That would be a fantasy come true! It happened to you? =)

[bicannon7]

I saw him at the San Diego Fair when i was in my early teens. His daughter was in the Horse Show.

[audubon5425]

This is from early 1965.

[44032]

1/31/65 per the IMDB.

[lrpv1688]

when you hear his voice you would certainly recognize him

[sigclu]

There was only one Schnozoloa, The absolutely fabulous Inka dinka doo man, James Francis Durante. The best there ever was. Truely loved by all. I miss you Jimmy. ...Love Sig

[erzbet07]

What an ovation! And Jimmy deserved it! I only know what I've read about him..but he sounded like a humble, wonderful human being who sought to make the world a little better place. His kindness to the less fortunate still resonates to this day. He'll always be YOUNG AT HEART to those who admire him. Thanks for posting this wonderful clip!

[beachguyjim]

I have always loved and admired this man. His song, "Young at Heart", is a joy to listen to.

[gottamatch]

Such a sweet, lovely man that gave millions laughter and happiness. Thanks for posting Mr Durante's WML appearance! Simply timeless.

[sorrypapawxz]

he is soooo cute. respect to him!!!!

// Greetings from Iran

[kimmymarie24]

Jimmy Durante's birthday was Feb 10th and that fell on a wednesday in 1965 so the sunday night this aired was either jan 31st or feb 7th 1965

[hdwell]

I believe that is true-and the ladies hairdos and dresses date around 65 as well.

[HowardOfOz]

CLASS>>>>>>PURE CLASS!!! Goodnight Mrs Calabash...whereever you are

[swishersweetz]

The best story I have ever heard was from a relative of his. During the depression when people were dieing of hunger. Jimmy was known to pass out 100 dollar bills to poor people. He felt he was blessed and wanted to help people. A hundred dollars was a lot of money back then. Everyone loved Jimmy.....He truly had a heart of gold.

[Muffy2314]

what a nice man-great story and i'm glad you shared it.

[FarleyFerndock]

People were hungry, and some were sick from malnutrition, but Americans were not dying of hunger.

[bfyau]

What has that to do with anything?

[tomrdee]

Americans are charitable but people were dying of hunger because the government ordered that crops be distroyed to keep the prices from falling.

[spagandtuna]

@swishersweetz Not a surprise. His loveliness as a human being shines through here and in any appearance you'll ever see. An Italian-American for the ages.

[mavivirgie]

@swishersweetz THANKS FOR YOUR GREAT COMMENT ABOUT JIMMY

[jhr459]

@swishersweetz - 'a lot of money?' $100 was a FORTUNE back then.

[DaveScott69]

@jhr459 Roughly $2500.

[jewgirl952]

@jhr459 Well, let's see. Paychecks were generally around $50 a week. That was considered pretty good.

[mca1218]

I'm crying over here with a big grin on my face.

[Muffy2314]

brought tears to my eyes too

[JTPolo101]

How great to see the love that that audience and the panelists had for him.

By all the accounts I have ever read or heard , he was adored by everyone.

I have heard when he passed in 1980, although he was very old and had been sick for many years, his funeral was packed with celebrities who openly mourned for this man.

[rjvonbokern]

I totally agree, no other entertainer will be

as beloved as Jimmy Durante. Of course, there

will never be another show like What's My Line? either. It always nice to see a show that plays up to it's audience. Also the set

is from the 64-65 season, plus it cannot be

any later than 1965 because Dorothy Kilgallen

passed away in Nov. 1965.

[wmshaw123]

There will never be anyone quite so loved as Jimmy Durante

[Jsd8675]

if he was 72 this should be '65

[brithgob]

And Johnson was president.

[SIMPFANN]

It always makes me smile to see Mr. Durante- he was truly one of the greats. God bless him.

[cjd2171]

According to all the Hollywood biographies I've read in my lifetime he was considered the nicest, or as Errol FLynn, of all persons, referred to him , the "sweetest" person in Hollywood at that time

[rogs49]

jimmy is well missed

[sonjaxfactor]

YOU ARE THE BEST...TOO FUNNY!