The Danny Kaye Show — 1945
37 episodes broadcast in 1945.
The opening broadcast. Kaye performs an entire play single-handed, voicing every character, reels off his celebrated list of Russian composers against the clock, and closes with "Minnie the Moocher." Eddie Cantor guests.
The company stages a mock biography of its own star. Part of the broadcast was reused later on the Armed Forces program "To The Rear March."
An auction leaves Kaye the owner of an electric milking machine. He works the sponsor's name into "The Blues," and the Playhouse hands Scotland Yard's Inspector H. I. Kaye "The Case of the Missing Toothpick." Part of it was later carried on the Armed Forces program "To The Rear March."
The week's business takes Kaye to Washington by air. He scats his way through one number and sings "Molly Malone."
Back from Washington, Danny arrives with a baby in tow; as King Danny of Brooklyn he then sets out to save the mortgage on Ebbets Field. Two songs: "The Fairy Piper" and "The Countess of Coney Island."
A Valentine's broadcast. Kaye plays a sketch about Cupid with Kitty Kallen and bandleader Harry James, and performs "It's Never Too Late to Mendelssohn" and "Stanislavsky."
A new dog named Fletcher costs Kaye his hotel room, at a moment when rooms are scarce. The company follows with a sketch called "Uncle Dan'l's Cabin," and the songs are "A Railroad Song" and "Accentuate the Positive."
Inspector H. I. J. Kaye takes the Playhouse's latest case, "The Case of the Murdered Meatball." Two songs: "Deenah" and "Let's Not Talk About Love."
Kaye's mock repertory company, "The Danny Kaye Playhouse," throws open its doors for a first night. Kitty Kallen steps out from the band for a vocal.
The cast imagines "Romeo and Juliet" as a radio script of Shakespeare's own devising. Kaye performs "Rockin' the Alphabet" and "Accentuate the Positive." A disc turnover costs the surviving recording a few seconds in the middle.
The St. Patrick's Day broadcast. Kaye goes shopping for a suit, delivers his "One Irish Man's Fantasy," and performs three numbers -- "Accentuate the Positive," "The Railroad Song" and "Concerto for Tongue and Orchestra."
Danny goes after a place on the Brooklyn Dodgers roster, with a song in praise of the borough; the sketch, "The Great Diamond Robbery," brings in Dodgers manager Leo Durocher as guest.
April 6, 1945
Guest: Kitty Kallen
The broadcast is built on the diary Kaye kept riding the train back to Hollywood, read out entry by entry. "Minnie the Moocher" is the song.
April 21, 1945
Dublin or Nothing
The sketch is "Dublin or Nothing," with Kaye as a New York patrolman named Daniel O'Kaye. He also sings "The Fairy Pipers."
April 27, 1945
Find Umbriago
Jimmy Durante and Garry Moore arrive in search of the missing Umbriago, and Kaye takes a courtroom scene single-handed, playing every part in it. Kitty Kallen has a number with the band.
May 4, 1945
Buys Engagement Ring
Kaye sets out to buy an engagement ring. The songs are "Blue Skies" and "Deenah."
Kaye finds himself running the Seventh War Loan drive for his neighborhood and canvassing for buyers. The number is "Concerto for War Bonds" -- Sylvia Fine's lyrics set to Arthur Sullivan -- and Eve Arden stumbles over two lines back to back.
May 18, 1945
He Learned His Blarney in Kilarney
An Irish turn to match the title: Kaye sings "Danny Boy," and Kitty Kallen takes a vocal with the orchestra.
May 25, 1945
From the Pantages Theater in Hollywood
The season's last broadcast puts Kaye to sleep and has him dream his way back through every character he played across the run. He sings "Bali Boogie" and a number written in praise of radio itself.
September 28, 1945
(untitled)
Kaye is away on his USO tour and does not appear at all. Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland take the program over between them, telling a tall-tale version of their own romance set ten years ahead in 1955, with Axel Stordahl conducting.
October 12, 1945
Ed Gardner Subs for Danny Kaye
Kaye's USO tour leaves the slot open and Jack Benny moves in with his whole company. The centerpiece is Benny in conversation with three ghosts: Diamond Jim Brady, Stradivarius and Hitler.
November 2, 1945
(untitled)
November 9, 1945
Eddie Cantor Subs for Danny
The half-hour is not really Kaye's this week. With him away on the USO tour, the slot carries a regular edition of "The Eddie Cantor Show" instead, and Cantor fills it with his own story -- how Ida came into his life, the marriage, and the lean early years in the business.
November 16, 1945
(untitled)
November 23, 1945
(untitled)
November 30, 1945
(untitled)
December 7, 1945
Sophie's Weight
Sophie Tucker is the guest, and the company spends much of her visit teasing her about her weight before she and Kaye pair off for a duet. Her own number is "Your Red Hot Mama Is a Jitterbugging Hep Cat Now" and his is "Stanislavsky." Kaye's O'Reilly gag returns.
December 14, 1945
Dottie Mahoney
Shirley Booth brings on her character Dottie Mahoney, and Georgia Gibbs sings.
December 21, 1945
(untitled)
December 28, 1945
(untitled)
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Other seasons: 1946