It has been said that everyone loves a clown. Those crazy characters do the silliest of things to make you laugh, often making themselves the butt of the joke to succeed in their quest. Clowns are always upbeat and spreading boundless cheer wherever they are which, in their own way, make the world a better place. They kick off the fun by livening up parties and other events, better than any DJ or celebrity host. In more serious situations, they regularly visit with ill and terminally sick children in hospitals to encourage youngsters who may have lost all hope. Their permanent smiles bring us joy as well as empathy; emotions that are universally felt and understood.
Hollywood always had a soft spot for clown-like performers. In the days of Silent Film, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton treated audiences to spectacular gags and stunts. When talkies came into fashion, entertainers like The Marx Brothers and Abbott & Costello made sarcasm an art with endless, side-splitting one-liners. They paved the way for Bob Hope, Mickey Rooney, Red Skelton, Jerry Lewis, and many other physical/slapstick comedians to make names for themselves in Tinseltown. The majority of these men had backgrounds in Vaudeville and were able to easily transfer their acts from the stage to the screen.


Such was the case with a certain fella named David Daniel Kaminsky. Born in New York City on 18 January 1911, Kaminsky was the son of Jewish immigrants who moved to the United States from the Russian Empire. He had an itch for entertaining from a very young age, which included dancing, singing, and telling jokes. When he left home before even finishing high school, these talents became the assets that would eventually make him a household name. In 1933, Kaminsky decided to adopt a stage name: Danny Kaye.

Mainstream success did not come immediately to the young Danny Kaye although he worked ardently throughout his 20s to make a name for himself. It was not until 1943, when he was 32 years old, that Danny was signed to a film contract with Samuel Goldwyn Productions. His first film was 1944’s Up In Arms opposite fellow Goldwyn player Dana Andrews. From the very beginning, it was clear to the public that Danny was not only hilariously funny but also a genuine all-around talent. Their reception of him was a far cry from Samuel Goldwyn’s initial feelings about his newfound protégé, as spoken by Danny himself:
The first three things Sam Goldwyn said about me in a group of people was: “We have to be very careful how we handle this boy because he’s not good-looking, he can’t act, and he has no sex appeal.”
Reading such a statement is hard to believe but Goldwyn, a known stickler, did not easily take chances. Luckily for him, “Goldfish” had a pretty fair sense of judgement when it came to spotting talent. I am forever grateful to him for introducing the world to one of the most lovable, endearing clowns to ever grace the silver screen.

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The purpose of this blogathon is to celebrate the life and legacy of Danny Kaye. It is scheduled to take place from 3 – 5 March 2023, which will mark the 36th anniversary of Danny’s death on 3 March 1987.
You are invited to write about any number of things in Danny’s life:
- His feature films
- His television programme “The Danny Kaye Show”
- His guest appearances on other television shows
- His humanitarian work as UNICEF’s very first Goodwill Ambassador to children
- His impact on Hollywood, comedy … or even in your own life
- His partnership with wife Sylvia Fine
The possibilities are endless! 😊
Here are the rules of the blogathon:
- If you wish to participate, let me know the topic of your choice either on this page or by contacting me on Twitter.
- Duplicates are allowed but are limited to only 2 of the same film/topic.
- Previously published articles are more than welcome, as long as it is noted in the title or text or your work. (Example: “Revisiting White Christmas”, “Rewind Review: The Court Jester”, etc.)
- Submit your contribution any time you wish before, during, or even after the event, as it is most convenient for you.
- Have fun!
You are invited to take a banner and to spread the word about The Danny Kaye Blogathon!




Thank you in advance for your participation and support!
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Film(s) already claimed twice:
Up In Arms (1944)
The Court Jester (1956)
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Participants
Poppity Talks Classic Film: Wonder Man (1945)
Realweegiemidget Reviews: Peter Pan (TV, 1976)
Taking Up Room: Up in Arms (1944)
Classic Film and TV Corner: Three Key Danny Kaye Films
The Stop Button: On the Riviera (1951)
Hamlette’s Soliloquy: A Song is Born (1948)
Whimsically Classic: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947)
Musings of an Introvert: The Kid from Brooklyn (1946)
Thoughts All Sorts: Up in Arms (1944)
The Maidens of Green Gables: Favourite Danny Kaye Moments
Silver Screenings: The Five Pennies (1959)
Dwelling in the Past: The Court Jester (1956)
Crítica Retrô: The Court Jester (1956)
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Guest posts by my 17-year-old twins:
Léonce: Hans Christian Andersen (1952)
Honorine: Danny in White Christmas (1954), my favourite Paramount film.
Hi lovely, can you add me with Peter Pan, a TV movie from 1976, from Gill at Realweegiemidget Reviews
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Absolutely, Gill! I will add it right away. I’m already looking forward to your review! 🙂
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Thanks, good to see you going solo with a blogathon, adored our Shelley Winters one… then and since then discovered so many great movies with her,
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You are very sweet, thank you! I’m trying to make my blog more of a priority and also show my youngest that mommy needs to do other things sometimes. 😉 I have such good memories from our Shelley blogathon. What a character she was! The more I see her films, the more of a fan I become.
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Likewise, she was a great choice! Hope all going well with you – we will have to catch up by DMs one day.
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This is so cool! I’d like to review “Up In Arms,” if that’s OK.
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Thanks, Rebecca! I, too, am very excited to see Danny in the spotlight. I’ve added you and really appreciate you joining!
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That’s great–thanks so much, Erica! 🙂
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Wonderful to see you hosting a blogathon. Hope things as good as they can be. Could I please do a tribute to Danny? Lovely you’re honoring him with this.
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Thanks so much, Maddy! 😀 I’ve had so many ideas in my head over the past few years but never enough time, so I’m really glad I pushed myself to organise this blogathon. You doing a tribute to Danny sounds just wonderful! I’ve long admired him and he definitely deserves this time in the spotlight.
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LOVE the banners!
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Aww! I had a lot of fun making them!
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Can I do “On the Riviera” for The Stop Button? “Merry Andrew” seemed too on the nose.
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LOL Lovely choice, Andrew! How fascinating to see that it was written by Nora Ephron’s parents. I will put you down for it right away. 🙂
As a matter of fact, TCM France programmed Merry Andrew this last cycle and I really enjoyed it. That monkey upstaged everyone!
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Oooh! I want to review A Song is Born (1948)!
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Very nice, Rachel! You’ve got it! Virginia was my favourite of Danny’s leading ladies. 😀
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Can I write about “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” ?
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Perfect, Kayla, I’ll put you down for it. Thanks so much for participating! 😀
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This is lovely! I would love to write for The Kid from Brooklyn, if possible. Hamlette pointed me in your direction. ♥
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Hi Carissa! Welcome and many thanks to Hamlette (Rachel) for leading you here. 🙂
I will gladly put you down for this film, which is one of my very favourites with Danny. It has such a stellar ensemble cast!
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I see Up in Arms is already on the list…but you are allowing duplicates…is it ok if I do it too? It is the only Danny Kaye movie I know and can barely remember it as I last saw it when I was very young.
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Hi there! Oh that’s prefectly fine if you would like to talk about UP IN ARMS. It will be a pleasure to add you to the roster of participants! 🙂 That was quite a grand introduction to Danny!
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Great! Thanks…looking forward to watching it again after so many years….I vaguely remember bits and pieces.
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Hello! Can I sign up for a Favorite Danny Kaye Moments post? Thanks so much!
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Hi there! That sounds like a lovely idea. Before I add you to the roster, would you mind giving me a valid URL for your blog? That way I can also follow you through WP. 🙂
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Sure thing, here ya go!
https://maidensofgreengables.wordpress.com/
Thanks so much!
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Excellent, you have now been added to the roster. Thank you so much for participating!
Also, I am now happily following your site. For some reason, the link did not work a couple of days ago. Do you happen to know/follow the Tinseltown Twins on Twitter? It is an uncommon treat to find blogs with two authors. 😀
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Oh thank you for following us! I actually don’t have a Twitter account, so no, but their name sounds awesome! Do they have a blog?
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😀 Yes they do, in fact! Here is the address — https://thetinseltowntwins.wordpress.com/ . They are very nice and so knowledgable. I’ve really enjoyed meeting people through the Classic Film Community there. I’m not on Twitter all the time myself these days but sometimes seeing pictures and little clips really does make me smile.
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Oh awesome thanks so much! I’ll check out their blog! I love classic film too!
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Hey, Erica. Is it okay if I change mine to Three Key Danny Kaye Films instead? Hope all good with you and family. Maddy
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Hi Maddy! Sure thing, I will make the change right away. I’m sorry it took me a few days to get back to you. Francis has been ill for the past two weeks with a mystery virus and is very, very slowly on the mend. Hope you are doing well on your side, my dear. 🙂
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Cheers. So sorry to hear about Francis. Hope he gets better real soon.
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Hi Erica, I’d love to do The Five Pennies (1959) if not already taken. Thanks!
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Hi Ruth! Ooh, what a wonderful film choice. It was one of Paddy’s favourites. 🙂 I’ll add you right away!
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Hello! I’ll do The Court Jester (1955) if it’s still available!!
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Hi Juliette! It is all yours! I’m very happy that you chose that particular film. 😀 Thanks for joining!
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Hi! Can I write about The Court Jester? It’d be my first time watching the movie, and I’m excited about this!
Thanks,
Le from Crítica Retrô (www.criticaretro.blogspot.com)
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Hi Le! I’m sorry I didn’t see your comment before now. WordPress did not notify me for some reaosn. I will add you right away and think you made a terrific film choice! 😀
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Hi there Erica, here’s my review of Peter Pan for Day 1 of the blogathon… https://weegiemidget.wordpress.com/2023/03/01/peterpan/
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You are all ready to go, Gill! No worries about your comments going through. 😉
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Good to know.
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Hello! I just came across this blogathon and since it is the 5th, thought I would join in at the last minute. It’s a rewind review of one of my favorite Kaye films: Me and the Colonel ( 1958 ). I hope you can squeeze me in!
https://silverscenesblog.blogspot.com/2023/03/rewind-review-me-and-colonel-1958.html
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Hello Constance! How good of you to join in! I love revisiting old favourites and am very happy to have you contribute. Thank you! 🙂
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