Stubby Kaye

Stubby Kaye was the rotund comic actor and singer who portrayed Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the Broadway and movie versions of Men and Dolls. Given birth to in NEW YORK, Kaye performed in vaudeville and in 1939 received a significant Bowes Novice Hour radio competition. During World Battle II, he performed in USO displays. In 1950, he produced his Broadway debut in the musical Men and Dolls, that was predicated on a likeable lowlife produced by article writer Damon Runyon and presented tunes by Frank Loesser. As gambler Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Kaye sang “SIT BACK, You’re Rocking the Vessel.” Kaye reprised the part in the 1955 film, which starred Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, and Jean Simmons. He also was Marryin’ Sam in the stage and film variations of Li’l Abner (1959). In 1965, he was combined with Nat “Ruler” Cole as the wandering minstrels whose tunes linked the moments in the comic traditional western Kitty Ballou starring Lee Marvin. He also made an appearance in the films 40 Pounds of Problems (1963), Sex as well as the Solitary Girl (1964), JUST HOW West (1967), Nice Charity (1969), as well as the Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico Region (1970). Kaye was among the voices in the 1988 live actions/animated film Who Framed Roger Rabbit. His stage functions include MANY PEOPLE REALLY LIKE Opal, The Ritz, and VERY GOOD NEWS. He was a normal on the tv screen series Like and Relationship (1959) and My Sister Eileen (1960). In Dec 14, 1997, Stubby Kaye passed away at age group 79 of lung malignancy at his house in Rancho Mirage, CA.