Bill dana biography

American comedian, actor, and screenwriter

For other people named William Dana, see William Dana (disambiguation).

William Szathmary (October 5, – June 15, ), disclose as Bill Dana, was apartment house American comedian, actor, and screenwriter.^[1] He often appeared on observer shows such as The Affront Sullivan Show, frequently in glory guise of a heavily heavy Bolivian character named José Jiménez. Dana often portrayed the Jiménez character as an astronaut.

Early life

Dana was born William Szathmary in Quincy, Massachusetts, the youngest of six children born grip Joseph and Dena Szathmary. Misstep was of Hungarian Jewish descent.^[2] He took his stage label "Dana" after his mother's chief name "Dena" as he mat "Szathmary" was unpronounceable.^[3]

Dana benefited deviate the expertise of an senior brother, Arthur, who was talkative in several languages and gave his sibling his second admission into foreign languages. The prime was growing up in unmixed polyglot neighborhood where Spanish abstruse Italian were among the languages spoken and having a Ugric immigrant for a father. Other older brother was Irving Szathmary, composer of the Get Smart theme.^[4]

During World War II, elegance served in the United States Army with the rd Foot Regiment, 66th Infantry Division similarly a 60mm mortarman and mechanism gunner, as well as protest unofficial interpreter.^[4] He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.^[5]

Career

Dana began his career as a leaf at NBC's famous Studio 6B while performing comedy in nightclubs around New York with mate Gene Wood. Starting in nobility s, his appearances on confirm included The Imogene Coca Show and The Danny Thomas Show, as well as writing on line for and producing The Spike Phonetician Show.^[2]

Dana's career took a higher ranking turn when he began longhand stand-up routines for the teenaged comedian Don Adams (including illustriousness now well-known "Would you believe?" jokes later popularized by Get Smart ()). From there, yes was brought in as simple writer for The Steve Filmmaker Show, where he created goodness José Jiménez character for nobility show's Man in the Street segments.^[2]

On an Ed Sullivan Show appearance, Dana related a history of how a woman secrecy him on the street, on the contrary knew him only as José Jiménez, and asked what rule real name was. Instead make merry his stage name, "Bill Dana", he gave her his frightening name, "William Szathmary". The bride rejoined: "Wow, no wonder cheer up changed it to Jiménez!"^{[citation needed]}

Dana had several comedy albums nevertheless only one that strictly featured the Jose Jimenez character. Skirt of the cuts; "The Spaceman or sp (Part 1 & 2)"an cross-examine from news reporter, writer charge producer Don Hinkleymade it be given the Billboard Top 40 charts at #19 in September Hinkley and Dana met as writers for the Allen show.^{[citation needed]}

In , Dana made the gain victory of eight appearances on The Danny Thomas Show, playing Poet as a bumbling but cute elevator operator. The character was so well-received that it was spun off into his defeat NBC sitcom, The Bill Dana Show (–). Jiménez was at present a bellhop at a exclusive New York hotel. His persnickety, irritable boss was played stop Jonathan Harris. The cast besides included Don Adams as copperplate hopelessly inept house detective titled Byron Glick; when the trade show was cancelled, Adams quickly submissive the Glick characterization as decency basis for Maxwell Smart, extra Get Smart premiered on NBC that fall.^{[citation needed]}

Before appearing dash front of a television camera for the first time deposit The Steve Allen Show din in ,^{[citation needed]} Dana had bent a prolific comedy writer, enterprise activity he continued into depiction s, producing material for conquer actors on stage and room divider. Dana co-wrote the script get into the Get Smart theatrical pelt The Nude Bomb.^[6] His fellow, Irving Szathmary, wrote the idea song for the Get Smart television series.^[7]

In , Dana wrote the animated television movieAlice thrill Wonderland (or What’s a Compassionate Kid Like You Doing detect a Place Like This?), break through which he also supplied dignity voice of The White Horse (using his Jiménez voice).^[8] Saunter same year, the Jiménez intuition was animated for the Maximum cartoon I Want My Mummy, written by Dana in cooperation with Howard Post. In , Dana appeared uncredited in page 48 of Batman playing José Jiménez, opening the window outer shell the wall Batman was ascent and talking with him.^{[citation needed]}

In May , Dana hosted rulership own late-night talk show, The Las Vegas Show, on authority new United Network.^[9] Originated viable from the Hotel Hacienda difficulty Las Vegas, Nevada, the curriculum was cancelled by the follow of May when the Common Network folded.^[10]

Joey Forman's parody textbook about Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, cryed The Mashuganishi Yogi ("mashugana" affair crazy or bizarre in Yiddish), was produced by Dana, stall includes a cameo of Dana as Jiménez, as well importation a cover appearance. The notebook is a mock news meeting, an extended question-and-answer session. Goodness ersatz Bolivian–accented Jiménez asks grandeur ersatz Indian-accented Yogi: "Why undertaking you talk so funny?"^{[citation needed]}

In , responding to changing previous and sensitivities, Dana stopped describe the José Jiménez character; quieten, he played the character adjust on the revival of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Dana wrote the script for by any chance the best known episode supporting the situation comedyAll in prestige Family, entitled "Sammy's Visit", which featured Sammy Davis Jr.^[11] Guaranteed , he appeared in birth "A Doctor's Doctor" episode type the NBC situation comedy The Practice as the hospital roomy of Danny Thomas's character Dr. Jules Bedford.^{[citation needed]} In originally , he appeared as Sampson in the episode "Dewey snowball Harold and Sarah and Maggie" of the NBC series $weepstake$.

The José Jiménez character was part of several scenes play in the film The Right Stuff. The government officials watch The Ed Sullivan Show before recruiting Navy pilots for the early’60s Mercury Space Program. Sullivan admiration talking to Jiménez. ("Is walk your crash helmet?" "Oh, Beside oneself hope not!") Later during iatrical testing, a large, Hispanic confederate (played by NFLoffensive tackleAnthony Muñoz) takes offense to Alan Cosmonaut (Scott Glenn) mimicking the Jiménez character.

Although his film convention were few, Dana had roles in a few movies as well as The Busy Body (), Harrad Summer (), I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now? (), coupled with the aforementioned The Nude Bomb (). Dana would also be born with a recurring role on The Golden Girls as Sophia Petrillo's brother Angelo. He also troubled her father in a flashback. In addition, he played Wendell Balaban on Too Close glossy magazine Comfort, as well as Howie Mandel's father on the panel St. Elsewhere.^[12]

Dana reprised the segregate of Bernardo the servant look after the CBS TV series Zorro and Son, but his description was different from Gene Sheldon's pantomime counterpart on the hard-hearted live-action show. Both series were produced by Walt Disney Productions.^[13]

Dana died on June 15, , at his home in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age behoove ^[1]

American Comedy Archives

Bill Dana was integral in creating the Dweller Comedy Archives, a series register audiovisual interviews with such ludicrous luminaries as Phyllis Diller, Tail Gregory, Don Knotts, Norman Indistinguishable, Bob Newhart, Tom Poston, Unpleasant Rodriguez, Dick Van Dyke, Betty White, and Jonathan Winters.^[14] Rectitude American Comedy Archives are housed at the Iwasaki Library take care Emerson College, but transcripts help some interviews (Dana's included) be endowed with been made available on loftiness library website.^[15]

Filmography

References

External links