Jimmy Durante
Who Jimmy Durante is
Jimmy Durante was an American vaudeville, film and radio comedian and piano player from New York City. He played ragtime and jazz piano, among other places at the Alamo club in Harlem, and as the 1920s went on he moved into vaudeville with the comedy music team Clayton, Jackson and Durante. His films run from Roadhouse Nights (1930) to It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963); in 1934 he recorded "Inka Dinka Doo", which became his signature tune, and the stage show Jumbo made him a star.
In the Radio Hall of Fame's words he was already a huge star in vaudeville and film when he made his radio debut on 10 September 1933, filling in for Eddie Cantor on The Chase and Sanborn Hour, and Garry Moore was his on-air partner on The Jimmy Durante Show from 1943 to 1947. He won the Emmy for Best Comedian for 1953, and he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2007.
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At a glance
- Born
- 1893
- Died
- 1980
- Albums
- Inka Dinka Doo
- On screen
- Roadhouse Nights, The Chase and Sanborn Hour, The Jimmy Durante Show and 3 more
Specials, shows and podcasts
Albums
- Inka Dinka Doo 78 rpm record, Brunswick 6774, 1934
On screen
- Roadhouse Nights film, 1930
- The Chase and Sanborn Hour radio, filling in for Eddie Cantor, 1933
- The Jimmy Durante Show radio, with Garry Moore, 1943–1947
- Jumbo stage
- Billy Rose's Jumbo film, 1962
- It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World film, 1963
Comedians like Jimmy Durante
Each linked to them by something on the record — a stage they both came through, a bill, a show, a style or a home town.
- Buddy Hackett also in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
- Dick Shawn also in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
- Eddie Cantor also in The Chase and Sanborn Hour
- Jack Benny also in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
- Milton Berle also in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
- W. C. Fields also in The Chase and Sanborn Hour
Career timeline
- 1893Born
- 1930Roadhouse Nights (film, 1930) On screen
- 1933The Chase and Sanborn Hour (radio, filling in for Eddie Cantor, 1933) On screen
- 1934Inka Dinka Doo (78 rpm record, Brunswick 6774, 1934) Album
- 1943The Jimmy Durante Show (radio, with Garry Moore, 1943–1947) On screen
- 1962Billy Rose's Jumbo (film, 1962) On screen
- 1963It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (film, 1963) On screen
- 1980Died
Questions and answers
What TV shows and films is Jimmy Durante in?
Roadhouse Nights (film, 1930), The Chase and Sanborn Hour (radio, filling in for Eddie Cantor, 1933), The Jimmy Durante Show (radio, with Garry Moore, 1943–1947), Jumbo (stage), Billy Rose's Jumbo (film, 1962) and It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (film, 1963).
How old was Jimmy Durante?
Jimmy Durante was born in 1893 and died in 1980.
Who are some comedians like them?
Buddy Hackett (also in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World), Dick Shawn (also in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World), Eddie Cantor (also in The Chase and Sanborn Hour), Jack Benny (also in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World) and Milton Berle (also in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World).
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The full SUCDb record
The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with a button to vote them into My D.O.C. Legends.
Sources
- Radio Hall of Fame (Museum of Broadcast Communications) — Jimmy Durante inductee profile ↗ Born in New York City on 10 February 1893; a star in vaudeville and film before his radio debut on 10 September 1933, filling in for Eddie Cantor on The Chase and Sanborn Hour; The Jimmy Durante Show with Garry Moore as his on-air sidekick from 1943 to 1947; inducted 2007; died 29 January 1980 (as of 10 November 2026)
- The Syncopated Times — Red Hot Jazz Archive biography, Jimmy Durante (1893–1980) ↗ Ragtime and jazz piano; the Alamo club in Harlem; vaudeville as the 1920s wore on; the team Clayton, Jackson and Durante; Jumbo made him a star; recorded Inka Dinka Do (so spelled there) on 13 February 1934 in New York, Brunswick 6774, his signature tune; films Roadhouse Nights (1930), Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962),…
- Television Academy — Jimmy Durante Emmy history ↗ Emmy winner, Best Comedian, 1953 (NBC); nominee, Best Comedian or Comedienne, 1952, and Most Outstanding Personality, 1953 (as of 10 November 2026)
- Wikipedia ↗ died 29 January 1980
Updated · the record checked 10 November 2026