Good Night Jimmy Durante 1955

[Bijoushow]

Goodnight, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are! 

[ledzeppelin4892000]

Goodnight Mrs. Bouvier...wherever you are.

[number2thesnake]

@ledzeppelin4892000 Not only was I about to write the same thing, but the fact that your name is ledzeppelin...thank you for reaffirming my faith in mankind...

[Tentacleed]

"Well, would it be alright with you if I just laid down in the street and died?"

[buddydamncharles]

I live in calabash..

[CoolDisneyFan]

"It's buried there, under... under a big W!"

[awalkingecho]

Good Night Mr. Durante, wherever you are!

[sinatradeandavisrule]

Good Night Mr.Duranter....where ever you are....miss you

[riffmagos]

I'm almost 40 now, but I'm SO glad I was raised on all these wonderful old movies. To this day, my favourite actors and actresses are all mostly dead. You can keep all these modern young punks, give me Jimmy Durante, Gene Kelly and Gary Cooper anyday.

[Bijoushow]

@riffmagos I agree %1000 ! Today's entertainment choices are simply awful. I love living in the past. . .

[number2thesnake]

@riffmagos you're gay.

[riffmagos]

@number2thesnake And you are seriously f*cked in the head. Savvy?

[number2thesnake]

@riffmagos naw, I was just hammered.

[number2thesnake]

@number2thesnake also, who uses the word savy?  What're you, Jack fucking Sparrow?

[riffmagos]

@number2thesnake Yes I am. Shhhh. this is a fake pic.

[Solipx]

At the close of the Larry Glick Show, which ran all night on WBZ radio in Boston, for decades, and which lulled me to sleep many a late night durng my high school years. MrGlick would conclude with this number by Jimmy Durante. For me it meant that last silence of early dawn was about to end, shattered by the coming of the day, and then the Carl DeSuze show, later the Dave Maynard show would serve fresh hot coffee in the form of stimulatimg am radio. "Good Night Mrs Calabash wherever you are,"

[krowally]

@Solipx wow the LARRY Glick show I listeh to that sho all night many of nights I WONDER WHAT EVER HAPPEND TO HIM im FROM THE MIDWEST

[BlueMoonMacaw]

GOOD NIGHT MR. DURANTE...WHERE EVER YOU ARE!!!!

[livefreeordie45]

Yes, we probably all have out Mrs or Mr Calabash. Thanks for all the memories Mr Durante.....

[krowally]

I remember watching this show when i was young .....Brings back a lot of memories.

[maryfran814]

My grandmother told us she was Mrs. Calabash. We believed it for so many years! What a beautiful memory!

[49jubilee]

I wonder who Mrs. calabash was--was she his old girlfriend who married someone else--since he always signed out his songs to her.

[Blackjesus3]

@49jubilee it was a women who owned a restaurant

[krowally]

@49jubilee I was always told it was his wife who had died when i watched this show with my dad

[mkworkman]

3:14 YouTube video: Jimmy Durante singing Inka Dinka Do.

February 10, 1893: birth of Jimmy Durante, American actor and comedian (d. 1980). Durante's radio and television show was bracketed with two trademarks: "Inka Dinka Doo" as his opening theme and the invariable signoff that became another familiar national catchphrase: "Good nigh...t, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are!"

[aellarex]

A possible clue to who Mrs. Calabash was. Apparently Mr. D and his group stopped at a restaurant in Calabash, N.C. They have a special way of preparing sea food on the nc-sc coasts called "calabash style." For what ever reason Mr. D was served at that restaurant and he told the lady that he would make her famous. Mrs. Calabash. I read this sometime ago told by the lady's daughter. Also Mr. D. owned a speakeasy in NYC and worked hard to protect his place from the mob.

[lana1939]

@aellarex

Thanks for the back story. I always wondered who she was.

[nogoodbastid]

@aellarex At a National Press Club meeting in 1966 (broadcast on NBC's Monitor program), Durante finally revealed that it was indeed a tribute to his wife. While driving across the country, they stopped in a small town called Calabash, which name she had loved. "Mrs. Calabash" became his pet name for her, and he signed off his radio program with "Good night, Mrs. Calabash." He added "wherever you are" after the first year.

[MrBillcale]

stole your line jimmy

[MrGarhard]

To everyone out there comparrying the previous generation and times to the new generation and times. Know that just becouse the majority of this new generation have lost all values and morals , it does not meen everyone has. I love jimmy, sanatra,lewis,sammy, the rat pack and more. Iv grown up with them and with the values of respect, intigrity, hard work and perserverence. And heres the kicker. Im only 20. I guess im lucky and thankful to my parents for this upbringing.

[bethevaadamskadosh]

@MrGarhard

Yes! And my generation could SPELL as well ! I know , It's amazing!! lol

[atomicaleb]

This reminds me of Mr. Rogers for some reason.

[skopskald]

My parents loved this man

[monkeyslayer101]

I'd switch this classy man with any of today's douche bags in a heartbeat, he was a great man truly...

[dawggydaddy]

@monkeyslayer101 amen

[utopiatex]

And good night Mr. Calabash where ever you are

[JORDANWASAGEM]

When I see entertainment like this on You tube, I am so sad because that world and the culture of that time was so uplifting compared to the garbage we are exposed to day. Today's societ is plastic, porn, greed and selfishness.

[TheLegendfamily]

@radishassasin: "& good night, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are..."

[qvetch]

I remember Durante on early tv when I was a kid. He was like everybody's favorite uncle. Beyond his talents, he radiated trustfulness and affection. Inexplicable and unique.

[amusia111]

@qvetch Look for "Schnozzola", his biography - he was a wonderful man, a great human being. Check it out.

[MusicalTalent1234]

Good ol' Schnozz.

[vince065us]

Goodnight,Jimmy.God bless you.

[Terryfan]

Classic enough said

[Blackjesus3]

@Terryfan hellllll yea :D

[Terryfan]

@Blackjesus3 You got that right that is what one calls a classic

[Blackjesus3]

@Terryfan yupp :D

[Terryfan]

@Blackjesus3 No doubt

[NindeElensar]

This brings back some fond memories of watching Jimmy Durante with my grandparents. Good night, Jimmy!  Hope you and Mrs. Calabash are having a grand time wherever you are.

[bayfishingsecrets]

Even the great Tony Bennett stated that Jimmy Durante was the "greatest" entertainer he ever saw! Now THAT is saying something!

[1276epr]

all the comments are right on target about him being a superb entertainer and also it's so nice to hear a full orchestra for background music.

[defygravity1223]

How can anyone dislike this?! Four people must not have their heads screwed on.

[LosAngeleno1959]

I hear this beautiful theme and It actually seems like it's saying goodnight to the America I grew up in. Oh how we have devolved down the ladder into a Third world country. There will never be a time like the 50's and 60's again. Goodnight America wherever you went!

[Joeshere651]

Now I just heard that Mrs. Calabash was a woman that helped Jimmy when he was just beginning and she told him that I'm helping you cause I know one day you'll make it in show business. And when he did make it he went back to find her and looked more and couldn't find her anywhere so at the end every show he'd say "And good night Mrs.Calabash where ever you are."

[CrossCreekRecords]

@Joeshere651 It was a tribute to the first Mrs. Durante. One time while driving across the country, they stopped in a small town called Calabash, which Mrs. Durante loved. He recalled the town as being near Chicago. "Mrs. Calabash" became his private pet name for her, so years later he came to sign off his radio program with "Good night, Mrs. Calabash." He added "...wherever you are" after the first year

[TheSusiyp]

Remembered with lots of love and goosebumps.

You were #1

[JimHolland8]

It is always about the audience.

[Cool2BCeltic]

My mother, knowing I'm a bit of an expert on cartoon voices, once asked me if he did the voice of Spike in the Tom and Jerry cartoons. I'm pretty sure he didn't but whoever did the voice definitely used Jimmy Durante's voice as the basis for Spike's voice.

[rehobothwell]

What a treasure this man was

"you could warm your hands on this man"

[rehobothwell]

There was only one Jimmy Durante. As some one once said, "you could warm yourself on this man"

What a treasure this beloved man was

[MegaJustlookin]

My grandpa used to sing this all of the time ... :) sweet memories. Goodnite Grandpa, wherever you are. HUGS

[mrapostropho]

This was a time when you could still read the credits. :)

[spudnutsncoffee]

How can you not see something like this and wish that you could just leave this shallow, superficial, self-important era we live in today, and go back to the day when the entertainer was in service to the audience, when actors and actresses were solely focuses on making the audience laugh or cry - when the audience was what it was all about. Now, we, the audience, are nothing more than stage props for self-important megalomaniacs who just want to be the center of attention. It's all about them.

[denniss265]

Amen.

[CinemaDave]

Ah...the lights....I always wanted to see the show with the lights at the end of the show. Thanks for posting this fond memory.

[Vaga365]

Love his cameo in Mad, Mad world. Nobody kicked the bucket better.

[Juliaflo]

Gone just over 30 years.

[guitarcapo]

How can you not love this guy?

[Bently100]

Good night Mr. Durante, you are remembered with love and respect. After all these modern day fools are long forgotten, the name Jimmy Durante will be remembered and admired.

[number2thesnake]

@Bently100 really? The only reason I and I'm sure most people under 50 even know who this no namer is, is 100% because of The Simpsons.

[Bently100]

@number2thesnake I know from asking, that 25 y/o's don't know who Janis Joplin was. I know kids in Paris who don't know the name, Piaf. It does not surprise me that the vast majority of the people of today would not know all kinds of things, beginning with where their own ass is. The world knew this "no name" as you so stupidly put it. Those who do not got to the trouble to learn about men like him, well, its their loss.

[sealman546]

I remember watching the Jimmy Durante Show when I was a kid in the mid-50's. There was always something poignant about his walking from spotlight to spotlight at the end.

[larryglass61]

@sealman546 me too..

[jolcom]

@sealman546 Amen.

[sealman546]

I still remember one night as he was walking off my mother's shaking her head and sighing "Boy, it'll be a sad world when he goes." Seeing these old clips reminds me that she was so right.

[Dawn1959]

Burl Ives did the narration and some of the songs in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Jimmy did the narration and sang the theme song for Frosty the Snowman..,geez people its not that difficult to look up instead of arguing about it..,

You are dearly missed Jimmy..,good nite Mr and Mrs Calabash..,where ever you are!

[Jeiwolf]

He looks like he was a sweet person. :(

[jimlnds]

Yes... he was a very sweet man and he was born on the same day as my grandfather :)

[pre76dator]

oh yea narrator of frosty the snowman to bad he died 29 years ago of pneumonia

[ChaliQ1]

That was Burl Ives, Not Jimmy Durante.

[dannyaudio]

it was jimmy durante trust me he sang the song

[JMK1998]

You are 100% wrong ChaliQ1, Burl Ives was the Narrator of Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer and the snowman was Sam the Snowman.

Frosty the Snowman, the Narrator was Jimmy Durante and Frosty's voice was none other than Jackie Vernon.

[nolongereatsshit]

You're right, but Jimmy sang the song.

[japanisefishmarket]

beem me down mr.durante!:)

[JRHockney]

Goodnight Mr. Durante!

[jolsonstories]

Jimmy was the most beloved guy in show business...and it remains that way even today. Great seeing him delivering his trademark walk-off.

[MultiDKenny]

Jimmy's walkoff is one of the truly

great and heartwarming moments

in the history of tv!!

[wolfservant5]

Good night.

[BushMass]

A classic is Jimmy with Phil Silvers in "You're In The Army Now"...outstanding!

[captainclayman]

lol, this guy is awesome.

[MrUnidyne]

According to his sometime stage partner Sonny King, 'Mrs. Calabash" was Jimmy's wife. She was hospitalized in Calabasas, California, and had difficulty pronouncing the city name. It became an inside joke with the Durantes, and when she died, it was truly devastating to him. His "Mrs. Calabash" speech was his way of saying "I love you" to his late wife.

[thejerseyrocket]

In the 70's, I took a bus tour of the celebrities' houses in Hollywood. We parked in front of Jimmy Durante's house. He was still living there. The tour guide told us that when he was able to, he would come out of his house, get on the bus, go up and down the aisle shaking hands and being his usual charming self. No other celebrity did that. He was one of a kind!!

[DammitDrag]

Ha Cha Cha Cha I got a million of e'm.

[naxxxion]

Does anyone remember or have the Good Night Song Mr Durante did where he says good night in several different languages in the song??? Please?

[LosAngeleno1959]

I wonder where that hat is today?

[Firstluv1999]

I wonder the same thing. lol

[ChrisBryon]

ABE !!!

[duggy056]

I was 5 years old and my mom would let me stay up to watch the show with her. I thought those street lites were magical. I wish my mom was alive today to have seen this clip. Thanks for the memories.

[BushMass]

Same here...I was around the same age...

[TwistofFateHardyBoyz]

the greatest entertainer who ever lived: Jimmy Durante. he was hit by a bus or something wasn't he? :( :(

[Firstluv1999]

Durante's increasing frail condition worsened through the rest of the '60s. In 1970, he had a stroke which confined him to a wheelchair and relegated his performing days to old film clips and scrapbook clippings. His circle of friends and old cronies stayed with him to the end regardless until his heart ceased on January 20, 1980. He was 86 years old. He had a great life!:)

[uncleswilly]

Jimmy the schnoz...classic!!

[wallflower419]

Awesome! Thanks for posting this video.

[Rollin558]

A true giant of an entertainer. That was Jimmy Durante. Thanks for this post.

[customkey]

Probably the greatest, most memorable, show close in the history of tv.

[bobandrayfan1]

Ernie Kovacs had a brief sight gag on one of his shows where you see a guy dressed like Durante, but you only see him from behind. He starts to walk toward the receding spotlights and when he reaches the last one, he falls through!

[fromthesidelines]

The dog was known as "Spike" in the "Tom & Jerry" cartoons, 'carrot' {the pup was "Tyke"}, and he did usually had a Durante-ish voice. When Hanna-Barbera created "Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy" for TV's "QUICK DRAW McGRAW" in 1959, they wanted another "Durante" impressionist for "Daddy"'s voice, using Doug Young.

[smellmyface2]

I hear Jimmy Durante was the nicest guy and very giving. I havent seen this in many years. Thanks.

[Bizarronumber4]

I always thought Jimmy said 'Goodnight Mrs.Calabash,whoever you are.' Thanks for clearing that up,also to who Mrs.Calabash was.

[howiekim25]

The man was all heart.....loved him more as he grew older....we used to go to bed, on Saipan, with his recording of "Inka Dinka Do"lulling us to sleep......

[iesyout]

I'm from Mexico and the first time I heard the song "young at heart" by Jimmy Durante was in a boomerangs spot and I liked so much but I didnt know the singer's name. I asked alot of people and after a long search finally I know it.

[beriflor]

my dad was one of the best friend's jimmy ever had....dad was very close to eddie jacobs and when eddie and a guy named clayton was forming a trio with jimmy because of anti semitism eddie asked dad what he should do about his name and my dad suggested he change his last name to jackson, as in eddie jackson, jimmy's partner for over half a century

[yankeeman1950]

I love jimmy Its great that your dad knew him. I got a million of them. Thanks

[hlwrites]

Anti-Semitism??? Broadway, Hollywood, the Shubert Circuit, Jack Benny, Sophie Tucker, Al Jolson, the Minskys, Marx Brothers, Ritz Brothers, Zigfeld, The Theatrical Syndicate, Eddie Cantor, and thousands of others!!!

[CarolJWright]

I always wanted to cry when he sang the goodnight show...when I was a young girl. Whoever thought of those receding circle of lights was a genius. His work should be resurrected for a modern audience. He's one of a kind.

[rnv09]

Good Night.

Before you go to bed, click on to Yvonne Monique Bonne nuit les petits and tell me what you think ?

[kfreedman]

Actually, Mrs. Calabash was his roaming cat

[judy77777]

thanks so much for info. I have always wondered.

[momkarenof5]

I never had the chance to meet Jimmy Durante,but My dad did. My dad was born May 24th 1910 in Hoboken New Jersey. Lived for many years as well in New York.I wish I had the chance to have met him.

Ok don't laugh at this one(I was born in1968) my oldest brother is 79 and my youngest brother is 35,anyways I too liked Jimmy Durante and for my age,I always thought he was a great man!I can still remember his fav saying "Ha cha cha I got a million of em" and his singing version of "Wonderful World"

[fromthesidelines]

Jimmy filmed a number of his half-hour "TEXACO STAR THEATER" shows during 1955-'56 at Desilu, whenever he wanted to take time off from appearing live on NBC every week, to play Las Vegas or whatever else he wanted to do. Most of these filmed episodes were repeated on CBS in the summer of 1957...

[Bethfromwigan]

what was the name of the cartoon character that was based on Jimmy durante, and what was the name of the cartoon ?This character had the same voice, i dont know if jimmy did the voice or not, and used the same catchphrases as jimmy .

[FritziRitz]

wasnt it Auggie Doggie and Doggie Daddy...been a long time since ive seen it...

[carrot1960]

was it the dog called pop in the tom and jerry cartoons

[Leanne60]

The wonderful lil ol Jimmy Durante. Thx.

[2885701]

the great entertainers

[musicom67]

I thought this was shot by Desilu. Those stupid Ballerina pictures were once in the early I Love Lucy episodes in the bedroom. Ugh I hated those pictures...

[lucidmusician]

so cool

[dmariomc]

...classic

[luisalubell]

WHO WAS MRS. CALABASH?

[jax1961]

Mrs. Calabash owned a restaurant in Calabash North Carolina where Jimmy lived I believe. For More Info on that story and the origin of her you may Google " Mrs. Calabash" ...There are many good stories there...

[donnaoday]

Thanks for this info. I always wondered who she was. I like how Jimmy seems sad when he tells us he'll see us next week, almost as if he's telling us good-bye forever. Wonderful entertainer.

[kathie1213]

I read one time that Mrs. Calabash was a euphomism for his wife's name. Seems they met in Calabash (wherever that is) and it was a place they both loved. So he calls her by that name. Don't know if that is a true story but that's what I read somewhere.

[guitar3rock]

actually they lived in calabasas. but characteristic of jimmy, he supposedly messed the word up. but i also heard it was a reference to a girl that he was really taken with at a diner caled Calabash. whatever the story, it made for one hell of a line.

[hudy23]

Simpson's reference this in the episode where grandpa falls in love with marges mom, they talk about it in the commentary

[gareof]

the young folks don't know what they missed...whereveryouare

[geniepiper]

Yup! Definitely the best sign off in TV history.

[Featureman]

The best sign off in TV history.