“Danny Kaye Does Show in Wheelchair”
Gettysburg Times – Apr. 18, 1964
By: Cynthia Lowry
AP Television-
NEW YORK (AP) – Danny Kaye, who made an off-
Kaye was making spaghetti for a party of 15 at his home 10 days ago when a pot of boiling water spilled over his right leg and foot. Foot and leg swelled into an enormous, intensely painful blister that put him in bed for five days.
CBS executives urged Danny to rerun an earlier program this week but the comedian was determined not to skip a show. He devised and rehearsed Wednesday’s entire show around a specially constructed wheelchair. His injured leg was propped up and surrounded by a protective cage.
Closeup only
Danny, throughout the program, was seen only in closeup—never below the waist and never moving around. And it was still a swell show.
“If it goes well,” he cracked earlier, “maybe we should do them all sitting down.”
It will be, in fact, at least another six weeks before Kaye can do a show on his foot, and he is still in considerable pain. But the show is going on.