Stubby Kaye

Biography

Stubby Kaye was an American actor, comedian, singer, and vaudevillian known for Broadway and film musicals. Born in Manhattan and raised in Queens and the Bronx, he won a Major Bowes Amateur Hour contest in 1939 and toured in vaudeville before joining the USO in the Second World War. He created Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls and Marryin' Sam in Li'l Abner on Broadway, repeating both parts in the movie versions. The Outer Critics Circle named him best actor in a musical in 1957. Kaye played a banjo-playing minstrel in Cat Ballou (1965) and later appeared as Herman in Sweet Charity (1969). His final feature film role was Marvin Acme in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). He hosted Stubby's Silver Star Show and the game show Shenanigans, and appeared in Doctor Who. He later appeared in the Broadway revival of Good News and in The Ritz, with his final Broadway show being Grind.

79years old at death

Born November 11, 1918Morningside Heights
Died December 14, 1997Rancho Mirage
Star sign: ScorpioThe sign runs October 23 to November 21
Also credited as Bernard Solomon Kotzin and Bernard S. Kotzin

Movie Career

Films: 7
Career span: 33 years1955 to 1988

Genres

Comedy86%, 6 films
Romance43%, 3 films
Western29%, 2 films
Adventure14%, 1 film
Animation14%, 1 film

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

First role
Kaye originated the part of Marryin' Sam in the Broadway production of Li'l Abner in 1956, and he introduced the song "Jubilation T. Cornpone" in that show.
First role
Kaye originated Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls on Broadway in 1950, introducing "Fugue for Tinhorns" and "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat," then played the role in the 1955 film.
A change of course
From 1964 to 1965, Kaye was the host of Shenanigans, a Saturday-morning ABC children's game show. He earned the nickname "the Mayor of Shenanigans" and performed its theme song.

Stubby Kaye movies on Netflix

Who Framed Roger Rabbit1988IMDb rating 7.7as Marvin Acme
Sweet Charity1969IMDb rating 7.0as Herman
The Way West1967IMDb rating 6.2as Sam Fairman
Cat Ballou1965IMDb rating 6.7as Shouter - Sam the Shade
Sex and the Single Girl1964IMDb rating 6.4as Helen's Cabbie
40 Pounds of Trouble1962IMDb rating 6.3as Cranston
Guys and Dolls1955IMDb rating 7.1as Nicely-Nicely Johnson

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Who Framed Roger Rabbit1988 Animation, Comedy, Crimeas Marvin Acme
IMDb rating 7.7235K votes
Guys and Dolls1955 Comedy, Musical, Romanceas Nicely-Nicely Johnson
IMDb rating 7.121K votes
Cat Ballou1965as Shouter - Sam the Shade
IMDb rating 6.718K votes
Sweet Charity1969as Herman
IMDb rating 7.07.9K votes
The Way West1967as Sam Fairman
IMDb rating 6.24.4K votes
Sex and the Single Girl1964as Helen's Cabbie
IMDb rating 6.45.2K votes
40 Pounds of Trouble1962as Cranston
IMDb rating 6.31.3K votes

Worked with

Stubby Kaye shares two films with Tony Curtis, and one with each of the others. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Tony Curtis

Larry Storch

Christopher Lloyd

Robert Mitchum

Henry Fonda

Kirk Douglas

Robert ZemeckisDirector, 1 film

Joseph L. MankiewiczDirector, 1 film Elliot SilversteinDirector, 1 film

Films together

Tony Curtis2 films together, 1962 to 1964
Tony Curtis's page
- Sex and the Single Girl1964IMDb rating 6.4Kaye as Helen's CabbieCurtis as Bob Weston
- 40 Pounds of Trouble1962IMDb rating 6.3Kaye as CranstonCurtis as Steve McCluskey
Larry Storch2 films together, 1962 to 1964
Larry Storch's page
- Sex and the Single Girl1964IMDb rating 6.4Kaye as Helen's CabbieStorch as Motorcycle Cop
- 40 Pounds of Trouble1962IMDb rating 6.3Kaye as CranstonStorch as Floyd
Christopher Lloyd1 film together, 1988
Christopher Lloyd's page
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit1988IMDb rating 7.7Kaye as Marvin AcmeLloyd as Judge Doom
Robert Mitchum1 film together, 1967
Robert Mitchum's page
- The Way West1967IMDb rating 6.2Kaye as Sam FairmanMitchum as Dick Summers
Henry Fonda1 film together, 1964
Henry Fonda's page
- Sex and the Single Girl1964IMDb rating 6.4Kaye as Helen's CabbieFonda as Frank Broderick
Kirk Douglas1 film together, 1967
Kirk Douglas's page
- The Way West1967IMDb rating 6.2Kaye as Sam FairmanDouglas as Sen. William J. Tadlock
Robert ZemeckisDirector, 1 film, 1988
All films by Robert Zemeckis
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit1988IMDb rating 7.7Kaye as Marvin Acme
Joseph L. MankiewiczDirector, 1 film, 1955
All films by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
- Guys and Dolls1955IMDb rating 7.1Kaye as Nicely-Nicely Johnson
Elliot SilversteinDirector, 1 film, 1965
All films by Elliot Silverstein
- Cat Ballou1965IMDb rating 6.7Kaye as Shouter - Sam the Shade

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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