Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Danny Kaye & Beverly Sills - Just Two Jewish Kids From Brooklyn

Danny Kaye (David Daniel Kaminsky) and Beverly Sills (Belle Miriam Silverman) were two of the greatest entertainers of their time. Danny Kaye as the great comedian and actor in many films, and Beverly Sills as a great opera star.

Kaye was born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, on January 18, 1911 to Ukrainian Jewish immigrants Jacob and Clara Nemerovsky Kaminsky. He was the youngest of three sons. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and rapid-fire novelty songs.

His films were popular, especially his performances of patter songs and favorites such as "Inchworm" and "The Ugly Duckling." He was the first ambassador-at-large of UNICEF in 1954 and received the French Legion of Honour in 1986 for his years of work with the organization.

Sills' parents were Jewish immigrants from Odessa, Ukraine (then part of Russia) and Bucharest, Romania. She was raised in Brooklyn, where she was known, among friends, as "Bubbles" Silverman. As a child, she spoke Yiddish, Russian, Romanian, French and English. 

Although she sang a repertoire from Handel and Mozart to Puccini, Massenet and Verdi, she was known for her performances in coloratura soprano roles in live opera and recordings. 

Kaye and Sills never hid their origins and were proud of where they came from. In this duet, they identify themselves as two kids from Brooklyn who could speak Brooklynese. 

This video shows them at their funniest in a hilarious opera parody.

Enjoy!

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#Throwback Thursday    #TBT