Stubby Kaye
b. 18 November 1918, New York City, New York, USA. An actor and singer who carved himself an instant slice of musical history by stopping the show as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the original Broadway production of Guys And Dolls—and then doing it all over again three years later in London. Kaye got his first break when he came first on the Major Bowes Amateur Hour on US radio in 1939. During the late '30s and early '40s he toured as a comedian in vaudeville, and made his London debut in USO shows during World War II. His role in GUYS AND DOLLS (1950) was not a leading one, but he was outstand ing in numbers such as Fugue For Tinhorns, The Oldest Established, Guys And Dolls, and the rousing Sit Down You're Rockin The Boat’. He had one more big success on Broadway in 1956 as Marryin’ Sam in Li'l Abner, and subsequently toured in revivals, played nightclubs as a comedian, and appeared on the television series LOVE AND MARRIAGE and MY SISTER EILEEN. Unlike many stage performers he moved easily into films, and appeared in a variety features including GUYS AND DOLLS, LI'L ABNER, 40 POUNDS OF TROUBLE, CAT BALLOU (with Nat King Cole), Sweet Charity, THE COCKEYED COWBOYS OF CALICO COUNTY, THE DIRTIEST GIRL I EVER MET, SIX PACK ANNIE, and WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?. The ample figure and sunny disposition he displayed as Nicely-Nicely in 1953 endeared him to London audiences and he made frequent appearances in the UK, including one in the musical MAN OF MAGICin 1956. Eventually he settled in Britain and married Angela Bracewell who came to fame in the '50s in her role as the hostess of the audience participation game Beat The Clock in the top rated television variety show SUNDAY NIGHT AT THE LONDON PALLADIUM. After appearing in the West End in 1983 in the short-lived musical DEAR ANYONE, Kaye returned to Broadway two years later and won the only good notices in the musical GRIND, a real disaster which was described by one critic as ‘art slaughter’. He continued to work in the UK and in 1986 starred as Ring Lardner in the radio play SOME LIKE THEM COLD.