Transcript:
Flo Sanders Interviews Danny Kaye
October 21, 1949
Click Here to head over to the Library of Congress' page to access the audio version
This audio interview has been transcribed to the best of my ability. As with any conversation, a lot of the dialogue overlapped. So I did my best to copy everything down accurately.
FLO SANDERS: Danny Kaye, inimitable comedy star of stage, screen and radio, is in Pittsburgh to star in the stage show which opened at the Stanley Theater in downtown Pittsburgh today.
DANNY KAYE: How come you have such a low voice?
FLO: How come you have such a high one?
DANNY: Well, that’s what I mean. We better explain to these people that the girl reading this now is Florence, you see; and I’m the fella who’s called Danny. Now, now you go on.
FLO: You’ve just heard from Danny Kaye.
DANNY: (using a low voice) Yes, the inimitable comedy star of stage, screen— (back to his normal voice) Where do you get such a low voice?
FLO: Where do I get it?
DANNY: It’s wonderful, you know.
FLO: I’ve been using it for years.
DANNY: Yeah. (pause) I would like to ask you something.
FLO: Hm?
DANNY: Do you—Are you conscious of the fact that you have a deep voice, or do you just talk that way naturally?
FLO: Not particularly, that’s just it.
DANNY: Really?
FLO: I wound up bass; my mother wanted a boy. You think that’s it?
DANNY: And your father wanted a girl?
FLO: (laughs) Who won?
DANNY: (amused) Gosh, shall I tell?
FLO: Danny, suppose I tell the people about some of the films they’ve seen you in? Up in Arms, Wonder Man, The Kid From Brooklyn, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
DANNY: Hm-
FLO: And they’ve probably heard about the way you took London by storm in your recent engagement at the Palladium Theatre there.
DANNY: Hm-
FLO: So needless to say I am pleased as punch to have Danny Kaye as my guest today. Now I should give you one of those big network announcer intros, you know.
DANNY: Well, let me read it.
FLO: All right.
DANNY: It says here: “Let me present to you now one of the—” (pause…embarrassed tone) Oh, I don’t like this…
FLO: Can’t you say that?
DANNY: “One of the...”
FLO: “Greatest comedy stars."
DANNY: I’m…oh, that’s embarrassing. Let—let me present to you now Danny Kaye. Isn’t that better?
FLO: Just as simple as all that?
DANNY: I think so. Yeah.
FLO: All right. Well, I was going to give it one of those fancier openings, you know?
DANNY: Da-
FLO: Danny Kaye!
DANNY: Well…
FLO: Well…
DANNY: I think we’re all friendly kind of people. We’ll just talk to the folks. We’ll make it sound like a small network, you know, like we’re coming right into the homes of the people.
FLO: That’s what we’re doing. The ladies are having lunch and getting the kids off to school and—
DANNY: You know, you’re pretty, too, you know, with that low voice.
FLO: Isn’t he sweet? Thank you.
DANNY: Well, you are.
FLO: Why don’t you tell us what you’re going to do down at the Stanley during your engagement here.
DANNY: (laughs) I wish I knew.
FLO: What sort of routines?
DANNY: I don’t know really. We rehearse a great many things, Florence. And then on the afternoon of the show we usually decide, while we’re on the stage, what we’re going to do. It’s—it’s silly to plan—
FLO: Who else is in the review with you?
DANNY: Say that again.
FLO: Who else is in the review with you?
DANNY: Isn’t that a nice reading? Georgia Gibbs, you’ve heard of Georgia Gibbs. She’s a wonderful singer. And we have three dancing boys called the Three Rockets. And they’re quite good in their field, too. I think it should be an entertaining show, at least we hope so anyway.
FLO: And then on Sunday I understand that you’re going to do a special benefit. Four performances to benefit the Hill City Youth Administration.
DANNY: Yeah, you know what I just heard today?
FLO: What?
DANNY: I heard that there’s never been a show done in Pennsylvania on Sunday before.
FLO: Did we get special dispensation from all concerned for you?
DANNY: Well I didn’t know about that. That’s what they said. They said they’re getting special privilege or something to do this particular charitable show, you know. And I’m quite pleased about it because from what I’ve of this Hill City, I hear it’s quite a worthwhile place. And, um, if I can do anything in the world to alleviate any conditions that exist today for the youngsters that might not have had as good an opportunity in life as some of us have had. I think it’s only fair that most of us in this position should be able to do something for them.
FLO: What a good boy this is. So—
DANNY: No. Not a good boy. I think everybody should have this kind of attitude.
FLO: Suppose I’ll remind our listeners than that if they’re interested in coming down to the Stanley on Sunday there are going to be four shows…
DANNY: …four shows Sunday…
FLO: Uh-
DANNY: …doors open at 2 o’clock. Well maybe we could have them open a little early, I don’t know. Do you think we can… (his voice trails off)
FLO: Well anyhow the first complete show goes on at 3:20 this Sunday.
DANNY: Hm-
FLO: Hm-
DANNY: Uh…
FLO: Tell us about it.
DANNY: Well, there’s nothing to tell. It’s just… (pause) You know I’ve heard all my life—as I’m sure you have—about the English being cold and reserved and unemotional, you know. And I expected rather a frosty welcome.
FLO: Hm-
DANNY: But I’ve never encountered such enthusiasm and generosity and warmth in my life. They were just the most wonderful audiences to play to just like they are back here. There’s really no difference at all.
FLO: According to the reports in the trade papers, this was really one of the most terrific engagements that an American star has ever enjoyed in London.
DANNY: Well they were very easy to play to, you know. A performer usually is as good as his audience.
FLO: And they were great.
DANNY: And they were wonderful. Last night, for instance, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, you know, we went to do a show for the University of Michigan and there again they were a wonderful audience and you kind of want to kill yourself when they’re that good.
FLO: And you’re just the guy who does kill himself in a performance.
DANNY: Yeah, I’m just the fellow to do it. I’m liable to wind up in an institution in about a year if I keep going the way I am.
FLO: I doubt that. Well, tell me about the headlines you made from London about—didn’t you have a hand in Princess Margaret’s—
DANNY: Eh-
FLO: (laughs) Guess I can’t mention that.
DANNY: No. Oh, you can mention it all right, but I didn’t want to embarrass her.
FLO: She learned the can-
DANNY: The doors open at 2 o’clock on Sunday and it’s for the benefit of the Hill Youth Recreation Center.
FLO: All right. Would you like to sing your way through Churchill or will you remark on him? I understand that he came backstage to see you.
DANNY: Yes, he did. And an incredible man he is, too.
FLO: Yeah?
DANNY: Oh yeah. You know he said to me, “Young man, it’s a very good thing you weren’t a politician.” (Flo chuckles) Wonderful man. We met a lot of very interesting people.
FLO: G.B. Shaw, did you meet him?
DANNY: Yes.
FLO: Did you?
DANNY: Yeah.
FLO: What was he like? Do tell.
DANNY: Well, he’s 93 years old and he scared the daylights out of me. I never encountered a mind quite so agile in my entire life. I felt like I was hundreds of years old. He’s so alive and vibrant and young, you know. Oh, he’s really a remarkable man.
FLO: Keep up with him? I dare say.
DANNY: No, as a matter of fact, I was quite terrified about the whole thing. I was rather quiet, and he did most of the talking anyway. After awhile I kind of loosened up a little bit and we had a little argument about a couple of things. But, uh…
FLO: Oh, great. Good.
DANNY: He’s just… Well, he’s probably the greatest figure in our modern day literature today.
FLO: That’s right. And you must feel so good that you met him because at his age you feel that you want to get there before anything should happen to him, though at the rate he’s going…
DANNY: I don’t think anything is… He’s going to live to be 3,000, I think.
FLO: I think so. He seems definitely indestructible.
DANNY: Then I met another wonderful man, too, a man called Sir Harry Lauder.
FLO: Oh, well of course…
DANNY: One of the greatest entertainers that ever lived, you know. And I got a wonderful present from him.
FLO: What was that?
DANNY: When I left his house one day, he gave me a cane, you know, that he had used for 44 years.
FLO: Yes, yes, yes.
DANNY: I’ll probably use that in the show at the Stanley Theater.
FLO: Isn’t that great? That is nice. Well, that was his real identification in his act.
DANNY: Yeah, all those crooked little canes.
FLO: Yes, so cute. Well will you work out a routine especially for the cane or just work it into your own routine?
DANNY: No, it’s just something I talk about and bring out. He taught me a song, which I sometimes do with it. If people like to hear it, I usually do it.
FLO: You know, I think I’m going to be down at the Stanley more tonight.
DANNY: Why don’t you do that?
FLO: I’ll bring my lunch, do you mind?
DANNY: No, you can come back and have a sandwich with me.
FLO: How nice. Believe me, I’ve been a great Danny Kaye fan for awhile now.
DANNY: You have?
FLO: Yep. Yep.
DANNY: Really?
FLO: Absolutely.
DANNY: Aren’t you nice?
FLO: And I’m so delighted to meet you. Tell me this. You said a moment ago that you said were scared to death when you met G.B. Shaw. I was wondering if you ever lose your wonderful poise and bright buoyant manner. I was thinking of the stories of your difficulty in the flight. Was that coming or going across the Atlantic?
DANNY: That was coming home.
FLO: Yeah. The reports were that you were great and maintained everybody else’s equilibrium, too.
DANNY: This is after we found out we weren’t going to go into the Atlantic Ocean.
FLO: Oh, you mean that—
DANNY: I can quite honestly tell you that I was never so terrified in my life.
FLO: Is that right?
DANNY: Oh, it was just shocking. I never thought we’d come out of it alive.
FLO: Well, how do people behave under such circumstances? What happened?
DANNY: That is what—That is what is simply unbelievable. There was 62 people on the plane. Not one of them got hysterical. Not one got panicky. They were all terrified as I was, but everybody did exactly what they were told. There was complete coordination on the plane. Nobody lost their head. And I think that was a great, great determining factor in our arriving safely.
FLO: You know, you always sit around playing the game of “This is what I would do in a certain set of circumstances.” You never know.
DANNY: Not true.
FLO: Not true at all?
DANNY: Not true. I always imagine what I would do; I didn’t do anything like it at the time. Just sat there and was petrified, that’s all.
FLO: (laughs) Who can move, huh? Well I understand you did very well. Tell me this, Danny…
DANNY: Yes, Florence.
FLO: What new picture have you got that we’ll be seeing?
DANNY: Well, (clears his throat) we have just completed a picture for Warner Bros. called The Inspector General which will open around Christmas and New Year’s. And we hope that it will be an entertaining picture because this is the first picture I’ve done for Warner Bros, and it’s call The Inspector General, you see. And, uh, it’s a story taken from an old play—
FLO: A stage play? Stage play by a Russian, I think?
DANNY: Yes, a Russian named Gogol. That’s right. There isn’t much left of the original story but it’s called The Inspector General. We made it for Warner Bros, you see, and it opens around Christmas and New Years. Uh, no, it may open New Years and run back to Christmas.
FLO: Oh, well that would be an interesting—
DANNY: But it’s called The Inspector General.
FLO: Since you brought up the holiday season, how about your wonderful new Decca release, a swell record that ought to go like crazy for the Christmas season.
DANNY: You mean the one with the Andrew Sisters?
FLO: Yes, yes.
DANNY: It’s called The Inspector General. That will be… Oh, no…
FLO: (laughs) That you did for Warner Bros.
DANNY: Yes, that’s right.
FLO: No, that’s the wrong thing. That’s the wrong commercial. No, this is a Decca record, and it’s called “Merry Christmas at Grandmother’s House.”
DANNY: (singing) Merry merry merry Christmas. Merry merry merry Christmas, how the bells are ringing…. (talking again) You know they’re very cute girls to work with.
FLO: I’ll bet they are. They certainly have a lot lilt to them. Well the record is great and on the other side Danny Kaye does “All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth.”
DANNY: With Patty.
FLO: With Patty.
DANNY: Yeah. And I had to take my teeth out when I did, too. (laughs)
FLO: Don’t believe it. Don’t believe it at this close range, they’re his own. You know people believe those things.
DANNY: Well I’m only joking, honestly.
FLO: And his pretty blonde hair is his own, too, bless his little heart.
DANNY: Bless your little heart, too.
FLO: (laughs) Well, Danny, reluctant as I am, I’m afraid I’ve got to…
DANNY: We’ve got to go now, huh?
FLO: …wind up this great conversation.
DANNY: Can I just say good-
FLO: You certainly may.
DANNY: Ladies and gentlemen, it’s been a great privilege to talk to this young lady because she’s bright, alert, and very pretty too, and she’s got a deep voice, and the picture’s called Inspector General
FLO: And he made it for Warner Bros.
DANNY: And it’s released around Christmas. And come to the Stanley Theater and see us very soon.
FLO: I will be down.
DANNY: I’m talking to the people now.
FLO: Yes, they’ll be down, too.
DANNY: Will you come down everybody? Come down to the Stanley, and we’ll have a nice little chat, and we’ll sing a couple songs, we’ll have some fun.
FLO: Well it’s going to be a great show. Danny Kaye opens today at the Stanley Theater.
He’s going to be here in Pittsburgh for a week. Meanwhile, if you want to attend
his show on Sunday, Danny’s going to do an all-