THE MUSICAL JIMMY DURANTE

Jimmy is his own species of musical comedy. He had a way of incorporating such a genre into a heart-felt melody. Beside his talent as a comedian and singer, he would often write his own songs. Among them are "Inka Dinka Do," "I Ups to Him and He Ups to Me" & "You Ever Have the Feeling that you Wanted to Go" to name a few.
AS AN ACTOR:
Jimmy had an eye for taking a dramatic scene and throwing in something to mellow it out. In "It Happened In Brooklyn" (1947) he discusses the troubles of his new roommate, Frank Sinatra, in his small kitchen and keeps running into his cabinet doors. At first I thought that this was a blooper that they kept in the film. It wasn't until he kept doing it over and over that I realized it was a humorous distraction. Below is a genuine look at his honest performances.

AS A SINGER:
His voice had a certain raspy texture to it, and has become one of the most well known voices of yester-year. Not only did he grace us with "Frosty the Snowman" but even found a place in our day in "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993). I guess it was that tilted head, shaking chin and ear to ear smile that just made his singing look so effortless and tender. It feels like listening to a man off the street tell his story with music.

AS A COMEDIAN:
It's been said that no one that ugly should have been that successful. Jimmy did just that, but by talking about the elephant in the room... his nose. While other actors and actresses went through hours and hours of preparation for a film, Jimmy just walked on as himself, and everyone loved it. What's interesting about his comedy is that it did not involve a lot of slapstick or movement. All he did was smile, sing and add in a funny store every now and then. That was his formula, and everyone loved it.  Below is a clip from "Two Girls and a Sailor" (1944) with the real-life band leader, Harry James.

Another thing you may be wondering about Jimmy. Is that him playing the piano or just a back up? Well, the answer is, that is Jimmy tickling away at the ivory keys. In his youth he made a living playing the piano for money, and he used this talent to write his own music. Name me another actor that can do that.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE OF HIS?