Shirley MacLaine claims she had romance with Danny Kaye in her 2011 memoir, "I'm Over That And Other Confessions.".
Herbert Bonis was his manager for 35 years.
According to daughter Dena Kaye, for the rest of his life, whenever someone would recognize him in public, they would run up to him and recite the "pellet with the poison . . . " speech from The Court Jester (1956).
Biography in "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives," Volume Two, 1986-1990, pp. 472-475. New York: Scribner, 1999.
Conducted the Philharmonic Orchestra at New York's Carnegie Hall (10th March 1958) with his feet! This being a benefit concert, of course.
Died of hepatitis and internal bleeding, the result of a transfusion of contaminated blood during bypass heart surgery four years earlier.
He awarded 3 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6125 Hollywood Boulevard; for Motion Pictures at 6563 Hollywood Boulevard; and for Radio at 6101 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
He had a passion for Chinese cooking and built a kitchen in his house. For years, he invited people (some of them great celebrities like Shirley MacLaine, Michael Caine, Cary Grant, John Denver, and Itzhak Perlman) and he would show them what his cooking genius was about. Qualified guests, like French chef Paul Bocuse, said they were really amazed by Kaye's cooking ability.
He was Bob Hope's favorite comedian.
He was a liberal Democrat who opposed the Hollywood blacklist.
He was a very talented storyteller, although he had trouble mimicking a woman's voice.
He was an excellent pilot.
His father, Jacob Kaminski; his mother, Clar; and his two older brothers, Mack and Larry, emigrated from Ukraine to the United States in 1910. Jacob had to work two years before he could pay off those steamer tickets. Three years after this journey, their third and last child was born, and the only one born in America: David Daniel, or as his parents called him: Duvidelleh.
His first pilot's license reportedly was for "multi-engine aircraft". He did not get his license for single-engine aircraft until years later. Eventually he was even rated and licensed to fly the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet.
In 1953, received a Special Tony Award for heading a variety bill at the Palace Theater.
In an article in Look magazine he related that once while flying over Kansas he correctly diagnosed a pain in his right side as appendicitis. He landed at the nearest airfield and was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. He said he was told that a delay of even a half hour might have resulted in the appendix rupturing.
Interred at Kensico Cemetery, Valhalla, New York, USA.
On April 21,1954, he was appointed UNICEF's Ambassador at Large, and made a 40,000 mile good-will trip, which resulted in the short, Assignment Children.
One of the original owners of the Seattle Mariners professional baseball team.
Originally considered for the leading role in "It Should Happen to You" (1954).