February 10

This Day in Humor with Mike Durrett

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Born 1893: Jimmy Durante - Critic Leonard Maltin assesses the comedian: "The old 'schnozzola' was the living embodiment of the term 'beloved entertainer': Everyone adored him, but no one could ever really figure out just what it was he did. He sang, he danced, he played the piano and, of course, he clowned -- but he wasn't really great at any of these tasks. Mostly, it was the sheer force of his overbearing personality that won viewers over." In movies, MGM teamed him with Buster Keaton in several disastrous talking comedies (1932: "The Passionate Plumber," "Speak Easily;" 1933: "What! No Beer?") which are largely blamed for destroying Keaton's superlative career. Other films: "The Man Who Came to Dinner" (1942), "Billy Rose's Jumbo" (1962), and "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World" (1963). On television, Durante was in the guest host rotation of the historic "Colgate Comedy Hour" (1950-55) and the narrator of "Frosty the Snowman" (1969). Died 1980.

Born 1930: Robert Wagner, actor, possessing a flair for light comedy, he appeared in "The Pink Panther" (1964) and as Dr. Evil's lieutenant in the Austin Powers movies.

1951: Opening in theatres, "Cock-a-Doodle Dog,"  Tex Avery's cartoon pitting a sleepy bulldog against a noisy rooster.

Copyright ©2003 Mike Durrett. All rights reserved.