Bill Dana | |
|---|---|
 Dana as hisJosé Jiménez character, 1964 | |
| Born | William Szathmary (1924-10-05)October 5, 1924 Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | June 15, 2017(2017-06-15) (aged 92) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Emerson College (1950) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1954–1994 |
| Spouses | |
William Szathmary (October 5, 1924 – June 15, 2017), known asBill Dana, was an American comedian, actor, and screenwriter.[1] He often appeared on television shows such asThe Steve Allen Show, frequently in the guise of a heavily accented Bolivian character namedJosé Jiménez. Dana often portrayed the Jiménez character as anastronaut.
Dana was born William Szathmary inQuincy, Massachusetts, the youngest of six children born to Joseph and Dena Szathmary. He was of Hungarian Jewish descent.[2] He took his stage name "Dana" after his mother's first name "Dena" as he felt "Szathmary" was unpronounceable.[3]
Dana benefited from the expertise of an older brother, Arthur, who was fluent in several languages and gave his sibling his second entry into foreign languages. The first was growing up in a polyglot neighborhood where Spanish and Italian were among the languages spoken and having a Hungarian immigrant for a father. Another older brother wasIrving Szathmary, composer of theGet Smart theme.[4]
DuringWorld War II he served in theUnited States Army with the 263rd Infantry Regiment,66th Infantry Division as a60mm mortarman and machine gunner, as well as an unofficial interpreter.[4] He was awarded theBronze Star Medal.[5]
Dana began his career as a page atNBC's Studio 6B while performing comedy in nightclubs around New York with partnerGene Wood. Starting in the 1950s, his appearances on television includedThe Imogene Coca Show andThe Danny Thomas Show, as well as writing for and producingThe Spike Jones Show.[2]
Dana's career took a major turn when he began writing stand-up routines for the young comedianDon Adams (including the now well-known "Would you believe?" jokes later popularized byGet Smart (1965)). From there, he was brought in as a writer forThe Steve Allen Show, where he created the José Jiménez character for the show'sMan in the Street segments.[2]
On anEd Sullivan Show appearance, Dana related a story of how a woman recognized him on the street, but knew him only as José Jiménez, and asked what his real name was. Instead of his stage name, "Bill Dana", he gave her his real name, "William Szathmary". The woman rejoined: "Wow, no wonder you changed it to Jiménez!"[citation needed]
Dana had several comedy albums but only one that strictly featured the Jose Jimenez character. One of the cuts; "The Astronaut (Part 1 & 2)"...an interview from news reporter, writer and producerDon Hinkley...made it to the Billboard Top 40 charts at #19 in September 1961. Hinkley and Dana met as writers for the Allen show.[citation needed]
In 1961, Dana made the first of eight appearances onThe Danny Thomas Show, playing Jimenez as a bumbling but endearing elevator operator. The character was so well-received that it was spun off into his own NBC sitcom,The Bill Dana Show (1963–1965). Jiménez was now a bellhop at a posh New York hotel. His snooty, irritable boss was played byJonathan Harris. The cast also includedDon Adams as a hopelessly inept house detective named Byron Glick; when the show was cancelled, Adams quickly used the Glick characterization as the basis for Maxwell Smart, andGet Smart premiered on NBC that fall.[citation needed]
Before appearing in front of a television camera for the first time onThe Steve Allen Show in 1959,[citation needed] Dana had been a prolific comedy writer, an activity he continued into the 1980s, producing material for other actors on stage and screen. Dana co-wrote the script for theGet Smart theatrical filmThe Nude Bomb.[6] His brother,Irving Szathmary, wrote the theme song for theGet Smart television series.[7]
In 1966, Dana wrote the animatedtelevision movieAlice in Wonderland (or What’s a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This?), in which he also supplied the voice of The White Knight (using his Jiménez voice).[8] That same year, the Jiménez character was animated for theParamount cartoonI Want My Mummy, written by Dana in collaboration withHoward Post. In 1966, Dana appeared uncredited in episode 48 ofBatman playing José Jiménez, opening the window in the wall Batman was climbing and talking with him.[citation needed]
In May 1967, Dana hosted his own late-night talk show,The Las Vegas Show, on the newUnited Network.[9] Originated live from theHotel Hacienda inLas Vegas, Nevada, the program was cancelled by the end of May when the United Network folded.[10]
Joey Forman's 1968 parody album aboutMaharishi Mahesh Yogi, calledThe Mashuganishi Yogi ("mashugana" meaning crazy or bizarre inYiddish), was produced by Dana, and includes a cameo of Dana as Jiménez, as well as a cover appearance. The album is a mock news conference, an extended question-and-answer session. The ersatz Bolivian–accented Jiménez asks the ersatz Indian-accented Yogi: "Why do you talk so funny?"[citation needed]
In 1970, responding to changing times and sensitivities, Dana stopped portraying the José Jiménez character; however, he played the character again on the 1988 revival ofThe Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Dana wrote the script for possibly the best known episode of thesituation comedyAll in the Family, entitled "Sammy's Visit", which featuredSammy Davis Jr.[11] In 1976, he appeared in the "A Doctor's Doctor" episode of theNBC situation comedyThe Practice as the hospital roommate ofDanny Thomas's character Dr. Jules Bedford.[citation needed] In early 1979, he appeared as Sampson in the episode "Dewey and Harold and Sarah and Maggie" of the NBC series$weepstake$.
The José Jiménez character was part of several scenes in the 1983 filmThe Right Stuff. The government officials watchThe Ed Sullivan Show before recruiting Navy pilotsfor the early’60sMercury Space Program. Sullivan is talking to Jiménez. ("Is that your crash helmet?" "Oh, Ihope not!") Later during medical testing, a large, Hispanic worker (played byNFLoffensive tackleAnthony Muñoz) takes offense toAlan Shepard (Scott Glenn) mimicking the Jiménez character.
Although his film appearances were few, Dana had roles in a few movies includingThe Busy Body (1967),Harrad Summer (1974),I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now? (1975), and the aforementionedThe Nude Bomb (1980). Dana would also have a recurring role onThe Golden Girls asSophia Petrillo's brother Angelo. He also played her father in a flashback. In addition, he played Wendell Balaban onToo Close for Comfort, as well asHowie Mandel's father on the seriesSt. Elsewhere.[12]
Dana reprised the role of Bernardo the servant on theCBS TV seriesZorro and Son, but his performance was different fromGene Sheldon's pantomime counterpart on the1950s live-action show. Both series were produced byWalt Disney Productions.[13]
Dana died on June 15, 2017, at his home inNashville, Tennessee, at the age of 92.[1]
Bill Dana was integral in creating the American Comedy Archives, a series of audiovisual interviews with such comic luminaries asPhyllis Diller,Dick Gregory,Don Knotts,Norman Lear,Bob Newhart,Tom Poston,Paul Rodriguez,Dick Van Dyke,Betty White, andJonathan Winters.[14] The American Comedy Archives are housed at the Iwasaki Library atEmerson College, but transcripts of some interviews (Dana's included) have been made available on the library website.[15]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | The Busy Body | Archie Brody | |
| 1967 | An Italian in America | ||
| 1974 | Harrad Summer | Jack Schacht | |
| 1975 | I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now? | Bobo | |
| 1980 | The Nude Bomb | Jonathan Levinson Seigle | |
| 1988 | The Golden Girls | Angelo | |
| 1991 | Lena's Holiday | Armenian Cabbie | |
| 1992 | Blossom | Himself |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |