Jimmie Durante

Born on Feb 10, 1893

Died on January 29, 1980

He was an American entertainer and well recognized for him personalites of the 1920s - 1960s.

As a pianist in New York where he was born. He had a very large nose which got a lot of jokes and a nickname Schnozzola. He got another nickname from his amazing paino playing and his entertainment he was known as Ragtime Jimmy. Then he joined one of the first jazz bands in 1917, The Orginal New Orleans Jazz Bands. Later he in 1920 they changed the name to Jimmy Durante's Jazz Band. Also in 1920 he became a star on Vaudeville and the Radio with his music and comedy trio Clayton Jackson and Durante. In his band his hit was Inka Dinka Do. In 1935 Jimmy starred as Billy Rose's spectacle, "Jumbo". Jimmy also appeared in a series of comdey shows motion pictures with Buster Keaton. In 1980 he died in Santa Monica, California of pneumonia.

Quotes

Until They Bring Street Cars Back

"Yes, I dreamed you killed my father."(west 115)

"He was my baby, my little boy."(west 234)

If i could change one thing in my life what would it be?

That my father hadn't killed my baby. I loved that little boy and he made me drown my baby in the bath tube. Even worse he killed him and put him in the freezer. Everyday I think that it was my fault that I wasn't strong enough to save him.

Second, I wished that I had the courage to tell the police that my father kill my baby. That he was abusing me hurting me and that my mother lied so she won't get hurt by my father. I wish Helga hadn't gone crazy so I could talk to her. Thank god for Calvin Gant.