Fact #15235
When:
Short story:
When Peggy Lee plays at Basin Street East, New York City, USA, she is unexpectedly joined on stage by Jimmy Durante.
Full article:
Arthur Gelb (reviewer, New York Times) : Mr. Durante walked to a ringside table shortly before Miss Lee appeared on stage for the 1a.m. supper show. He was in a party that included Mrs. Durante, Rocky Marciano, Zsa Zsa Gabor and two of Mr. Durante's partners, Eddie Jackson and Sonny King.
Miss Lee, supported by a twelve-piece band, interspersed her opening songs with phrases of affection directed to the top of Mr. Durante's nearly bald head, shining in the spill of a spotlight from the raised stage. Addressing him as Mr. Love and recalling the days they had worked together in nightclubs, she crooned My Romance from Jumbo, in which Mr. Durante starred with an elephant twenty-six years ago. With such wiles as these she eventually got him up onto the stage.
Mr. Durante, growling cheerfully that Miss Lee's pianist played "too maudlin" for him, dispossessed him, sprawled at the keyboard himself and gave an informal preview of his show that opened at 9 o'clock last night at the Copa. He tore into Inka-Dinka-Do. ("Even though I'm not getting paid, let me hear those tom-toms!" and "I put a slug in the slot machine at Vegas and what do you think came out? The manager!")
Before long Mr. Durante had his old partner, Eddie Jackson, clambering onto the stage. The two grizzled youngsters went through an eye-rolling, hip-swiveling, finger-snapping, vaudeville song-and-dance routine to the tune of Won't You Please Come Home, Bill Bailey? that brought the cheering patrons to their feet. Mr. Durante's younger partner, Sonny King, also participated, while Miss Lee stood modestly aside, her back turned to the audience.
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Miss Lee, supported by a twelve-piece band, interspersed her opening songs with phrases of affection directed to the top of Mr. Durante's nearly bald head, shining in the spill of a spotlight from the raised stage. Addressing him as Mr. Love and recalling the days they had worked together in nightclubs, she crooned My Romance from Jumbo, in which Mr. Durante starred with an elephant twenty-six years ago. With such wiles as these she eventually got him up onto the stage.
Mr. Durante, growling cheerfully that Miss Lee's pianist played "too maudlin" for him, dispossessed him, sprawled at the keyboard himself and gave an informal preview of his show that opened at 9 o'clock last night at the Copa. He tore into Inka-Dinka-Do. ("Even though I'm not getting paid, let me hear those tom-toms!" and "I put a slug in the slot machine at Vegas and what do you think came out? The manager!")
Before long Mr. Durante had his old partner, Eddie Jackson, clambering onto the stage. The two grizzled youngsters went through an eye-rolling, hip-swiveling, finger-snapping, vaudeville song-and-dance routine to the tune of Won't You Please Come Home, Bill Bailey? that brought the cheering patrons to their feet. Mr. Durante's younger partner, Sonny King, also participated, while Miss Lee stood modestly aside, her back turned to the audience.