Texaco Star Theater
The Jimmy Durante Show
The Donald O'Connor Show


By Jim Davidson
Posted 4/27/2005



Jimmy Durante and Donald O'Connor
starred on Texaco Star Theater
on alternate weeks
during the 1954-55 season.

 

In 1954, fresh from successful runs hosting The Colgate Comedy Hour, Jimmy Durante and Donald O'Connor moved over to Saturday nights to alternate on Texaco Star Theater, a program that in previous seasons had been headlined by Milton Berle. On the face of it, juxtaposing these two entertainers seemed like a study in contrasts. Durante was the elder statesman of show business, with roots going all the way back to vaudeville. O'Connor, buoyed by hit movies like Singin' in the Rain and Call Me Madam (not to mention the "Francis" films), was the fresh young face bursting with talent. But on closer inspection, the differences between the two weren't so stark. A professional entertainer since the age of 13 months, O'Connor was already a seasoned veteran. And much of his act drew on the same kind of vaudeville schtick as Durante's.

In their new show, both stars carried over elements from the Comedy Hour. For O'Connor, it was the segments with Sid Miller, in which the two played a struggling songwriting team that, in the course of the show, ended up singing, dancing, and doing comedy. Joyce Smight was seen as their secretary Doreen.

As on The Comedy Hour, Durante set his show at the Club Durant, a real nightclub founded in 1924 and co-owned by Durante. The setting gave him a chance to develop a story, as well as perform his regular act. Known as "The Shnozzola" because of his large nose, Durante had a gruff voice, heavily accented in Brooklyn-ese. Faultlessly loyal to his old vaudeville buddies, the Schnozz featured Eddie Jackson (of Clayton, Jackson, and Durante), pianist Jules Buffano, drummer Jack Roth, and bandleader Roy Bargy in almost every episode. Each show ended in the dressing room with Durante putting on his hat and coat as he sang "goodnight, goodnight, goodnight." Then he'd tell the audience about the next show and close with, "Good night, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are." As the credits rolled, he'd walk through a series of spotlights.

Like The Colgate Comedy Hour, Texaco Star Theater was pre-empted every fourth week by a special (called a "spectacular" in those days). O'Connor's episodes were mostly, if not all, filmed, while Durante's were a combination of live and on film. The two stars alternated throughout the 1954-55 season, but in the fall of 1955, O'Connor left and Durante took over the time slot, lasting one more season. In the summer of 1957, selected episodes of Durante's show were rerun on CBS, sponsored by Old Gold cigarettes.

Good Night, Mrs. Calabash

On his various radio and TV shows, Jimmy Durante would always close with, "Good night, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are." Despite repeated inquiries, Durante declined to reveal the identity of this mysterious person. Some speculated that she was an old flame; others believed he simply made up the name. Residents of Calabash, North Carolina believe she was a local restauranteur befriended by Durante in 1940. The book Hollywood Trivia (Greenwich House, 1984) by David P. Strauss makes the claim that the lady in question was Durante's first wife Jeanne and that Calabash was the name of a Chicago suburb she liked. But a search on mapquest.com reveals no such place. Comedian Sonny King, who worked with Durante, confirmed that Mrs. Calabash was indeed Jeanne but that that was just her quirky way of saying "Calabasas, California." With the entertainer himself long gone, the truth will probably never be known.

The Episodes

Sources: TV Guide (Northern California edition), The New York Times TV listings.
Where known, I've indicated whether an episode was live or on film.

Texaco Star Theater - 1954-55 Season
Saturday, 9:30-10:00 pm, NBC-TV, Sponsor: Texaco

The Jimmy Durante Show
Regulars: Eddie Jackson, Jules Buffano, Jack Roth, The Durante Girls, Roy Bargy and his Orchestra

The Donald O'Connor Show
Regulars: Sid Miller, Joyce Smight

Series
#
Season
#
Airdate
Host & Guests
001
1-01
10/2/1954
Jimmy Durante
Guest: Donald O'Connor
002
1-02
10/9/1954
Donald O'Connor
Guests: Jimmy Durante, Mitzi Gaynor
003
1-03
10/16/1954
Jimmy Durante
Guests: Jean Hagen, Rusty Hamer
10/23/1954
Pre-Empted by "The Follies of Suzy"
004
1-04
10/30/1954
Donald O'Connor
Guests: Fritz Feld, Eilene Janssen, Lillian Bronson
005
1-05
11/6/1954
Jimmy Durante
Guest: Vivian Blaine
006
1-06
11/13/1954
Donald O'Connor
Guest: Nine-year-old Sharon Baird
11/20/1954
Pre-empted by "Best Foot Forward"
007
1-07
11/27/1954
Jimmy Durante
Guest: Margaret Truman
008
1-08
12/4/1954
Donald O'Connor
009
1-09
12/11/1954
Jimmy Durante
Guest: Lauritz Melchior
12/18/1954
Pre-empted by "Babes in Toyland"
010
1-10
12/25/1954
Donald O'Connor
Guests: Robert Mitchell Boy Choir
011
1-11
1/1/1955
Jimmy Durante
Guest: George Raft
012
1-12
1/8/1955
Donald O'Connor
Guest: Mitzi Gaynor
1/15/1955
Pre-empted by "Naughty Marietta"
013
1-13
1/22/1955
Jimmy Durante
Guest: Vivian Blaine
014
1-14
1/29/1955
Donald O'Connor
Guests: Talented youngsters Larry White, Harry Shearer, Timmy Rooney (Mickey's son)
015
1-15
2/5/1955
Jimmy Durante
Guest: Marilyn Maxwell
2/12/1955
Pre-empted by "Academy Awards Nomination Show"
016
1-16
2/19/1955
Donald O'Connor
Guest: Boris Karloff
017
1-17
2/26/1955
Jimmy Durante
Guest: Lisa Kirk
018
1-18
3/5/1955
Donald O'Connor
Guest: Joyce Holden
3/12/1955
Pre-empted by "A Connecticut Yankee"
019
1-19
3/19/1955
Jimmy Durante
Guest: Pat Carroll
020
1-20
3/26/1955
Donald O'Connor
021
1-21
4/2/1955
Jimmy Durante
Guest: Peter Lawford
4/9/1955
Pre-empted by "The Merry Widow"
022
1-22
4/16/1955
Donald O'Connor
Guest: Johnny Mercer
023
1-23
4/23/1955
Jimmy Durante
Guest: Patti Andrews (of The Andrews Sisters)
024
1-24
4/30/1955
Donald O'Connor
5/7/1955
Pre-empted by "The Desert Song"
025
1-25
5/14/1955
Jimmy Durante
Guest: George Jessel
026
1-26
5/21/1955
Donald O'Connor
Guest: Reginald Denny
027
1-27
5/28/1955
Jimmy Durante
Guest: Dorothy Lamour
6/4/1955
Pre-empted by "The Chocolate Soldier"
028
1-28
6/11/1955
Donald O'Connor
Guests: Edmund Lowe, Tom Brown, Byron Foulger, Veola Vonn, Damian O'Flynn
029
1-29
6/18/1955
Jimmy Durante
Guests: Janet Blair, Sheilah Graham
030
1-30
6/25/1955
Donald O'Connor (film)
7/2/1955
Pre-empted by "Steve Allen in Movieland"
031
1-31
7/9/1955
Jimmy Durante (film)
Guests: Barbara Whiting, Doris Singleton, Claude Stroud
032
1-32
7/16/1955
Donald O'Connor
Guests: Laurette Luez, Nestor Paiva, Regina Gleason, Jan Arvan, Olan Soule, Phil Garris
033
1-33
7/23/1955
Jimmy Durante (live)
Guest: Cass Daley
7/30/1955
Pre-empted by "Svengali and the Blonde"
034
1-34
8/6/1955
Donald O'Connor
Guest: Mary Ellen Terry
035
1-35
8/13/1955
Jimmy Durante
Guests: Jimmy Ames, Candy Candido
Note: Jimmy and the gang celebrate Eddie Jackson's birthday.
036
1-36
8/20/1955
Donald O'Connor
Guest: Ricky Vera
8/27/1955
Pre-empted by "One Touch of Venus"
037
1-37
9/3/1955
Jimmy Durante (film)
Guest: Dave Barry
038
1-38
9/10/1955
Donald O'Connor (film)
Guests: Lisa Davis, Douglas Fowley, Nestor Paiva
Note: This was Donald O'Connor last Texaco Star Theater episode.
039
1-39
9/17/1955
Jimmy Durante (film)
Guest: Pat Carroll
040
1-40
9/24/1955
Jimmy Durante (film)
Guests: Toni Arden, Max Baer
   
10/1/1955
Pre-empted by "Heidi"

Texaco Star Theater - 1955-56 Season
Saturday, 9:30-10:00 pm, NBC-TV, Sponsor: Texaco

The Jimmy Durante Show
Regulars: Eddie Jackson, Jules Buffano, Jack Roth, The Durante Girls, Roy Bargy and his Orchestra

Series
#
Season
#
Airdate
Host & Guests
041
2-01
10/8/1955
Jimmy Durante (film)
Guest: Pianists Jose and Ampara Iturbi
042
2-02
10/15/1955
Jimmy Durante (film)
Guest: Carmen Miranda
Note: This episode was filmed just hours before Carmen Miranda died on August 5, 1955.
043
2-03
10/22/1955
Jimmy Durante (film)
Guest: Opera singer Marguerite Piazza
Note: This episode is set at the Winter Carnival in Lake Placid, New York.
044
2-04
10/29/1955
Jimmy Durante
Guest: Peter Lawford
   
11/5/1955
Pre-Empted by "The Great Waltz"
045
2-05
11/12/1955
Jimmy Durante (live)
Guests: Jeannie Carson, Peter Lawford
046
2-06
11/19/1955
Jimmy Durante
11/26/1955
Pre-empted by "Dearest Enemy"
047
2-07
12/3/1955

Jimmy Durante (live)
Guest: Betty Hutton
Note: This episode has a Christmas theme.

048
2-08
12/10/1955
Jimmy Durante (film)
Guest: Polly Bergen
049
2-09
12/17/1955
Jimmy Durante (live)
Guest: Vivian Blaine, Stubby Kaye
Note: This is a salute to Guys and Dolls.
12/24/1955
Pre-empted by "Babes in Toyland"
050
2-10
12/31/1955
Jimmy Durante (film)
Guest: Jane Froman
Note: Jimmy celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Club Durant.
051
2-11
1/7/1956
Jimmy Durante (film)
Guest: George Raft
052
2-12
1/14/1956
Jimmy Durante (live)
Guests: Tab Hunter, Jeannie Carson
1/21/1956
Pre-empted by "Paris in the Springtime"
053
2-13
1/28/1956
Jimmy Durante (live)
Guest: Liberace, George Liberace
Note: The same guests show up on March 10th, so this episode may have been postponed.
054
2-14
2/5/1956
Jimmy Durante (live)
Guest: Milton Berle
055
2-15
2/11/1956
Jimmy Durante (live)
Guest: Robert Mitchum
Note: Mitchum makes his debut as a singer.
2/18/1956
Pre-empted by "Academy Award Nominations"
056
2-16
2/25/1956
Jimmy Durante
Guest: Esther Williams
057
2-17
3/3/1956
Jimmy Durante
Guest: Charles Laughton
058
2-18
3/10/1956
Jimmy Durante (live)
Guest: Liberace, George Liberace
Note: This episode may have been postponed from January 28th.
3/17/1956
Pre-empted by "The Emmy Awards"
059
2-19
3/24/1956
Jimmy Durante (film)
Guests: Gordon MacRae, Janis Paige
060
2-20
3/31/1956
Jimmy Durante
Guest: Charles Boyer
061
2-21
4/7/1956
Jimmy Durante (live)
Guest: Ernest Borgnine
4/14/1956
Pre-empted by "The Adventures of Marco Polo"
062
2-22
4/21/1956
Jimmy Durante (live)
Guest: George Jessel, Patrice Munsel
063
2-23
4/28/1956
Jimmy Durante (live)
Guests: Johnny Ray, Liberace, Peter Lawford, George Raft, golfers Lloyd Mangrum and Cary Middlecoff
Note: This show originated from The Desert Inn in Las Vegas.
064
2-24
5/5/1956
Jimmy Durante (live)
Guest: Peter Lawford
5/12/1956
Pre-empted by "The Music of Gershwin"
065
2-25
5/19/1956
Jimmy Durante (live)
Guest: Connie Russell
066
2-26
5/26/1956
Jimmy Durante (film)
Guest: Marilyn Maxwell
067
2-27
6/2/1956
Jimmy Durante (film)
Guest: Lisa Kirk
6/9/1956
Pre-empted by "Holiday"
068
2-28
6/16/1956
Jimmy Durante (film)
Guest: George Sanders
069
2-29
6/23/1956
Jimmy Durante (film)
Guests: Anna Maria Alberghetti, Peter Lawford
      Replaced for the summer by Festival of Stars, a series of half-hour filmed dramas

The Jimmy Durante Show - Summer 1957
Saturday, 8:00-8:30 pm, CBS-TV, Sponsor: Old Gold cigarettes
Regulars: Eddie Jackson, Jules Buffano, Jack Roth, The Durante Girls, Roy Bargy and his Orchestra

This show was comprised of reruns from Durante's previous series.

Original Episode #
Original Airdate
Rerun
Airdate

Guests
2-10
12/31/1955
6/29/1957
Jane Froman (film)
Unknown
Unknown
7/6/1957
Peter Lawford
Note: Peter Lawford appeared several times on Jimmy's show. TV Guide doesn't give enough information to be able to pinpoint which of Lawford's appearances this was.
2-27
6/2/1956
7/13/1957
Lisa Kirk (film)
1-35
8/13/1955
7/20/1957
Jimmy Ames, Candy Candido
2-02
10/15/1955
7/27/1957
Carmen Miranda (film)
2-28
6/16/1956
8/3/1957
George Sanders (film)
1-33
7/23/1955
8/10/1957
Cass Daley (kinescope)
2-25
5/19/1956
8/17/1957
Connie Russell (kinescope)
2-08
12/10/1955
8/24/1957
Polly Bergen (film)
2-29
6/23/1956
8/31/1957
Anna Maria Alberghetti, Peter Lawford (film)
1-31
7/9/1955
9/7/1957
Barbara Whiting, Doris Singleton, Claude Stroud (film)
9/14/1957
Pre-empted by "World Championship Rodeo"
2-26
5/26/1956
9/21/1957
Marilyn Maxwell (film)
Note: This episode aired 8:30-9:00 pm instead of 8:00-8:30.

Copyright 2005 by Jim Davidson. All Rights Reserved.