(11) Danny’s Last Summer Camp: Bushkill, PA
Although he had sworn off performing at summer camps, in 1939 Danny was persuaded by producer Max Liebman and songwriter Sylvia Fine to perform in weekly revues at Camp Tamiment in the Poconos. He found everything about Tamiment’s productions to be distinctly more professional than anything he encountered during his “toomling” days in the Catskills.
A new Tamiment Playhouse replaced that theater in 1941 and continued to host productions until 1960. The summer camp remained active and successful; in fact, in 1959, Kaye hosted the resort’s annual golf tournament. The resort changed hands several times through the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, until the 2,200-acre property was finally acquired in 2005 by an investment group, which began tearing down structures and auctioning off assets to allow for redevelop into multi-family residences.
Danny performs with Lee Brody and Imogene Coca in the original Tamiment Playhouse, 1939.
(12) Danny’s First LA Home: 1710 Angelo Dr., Beverly Hills, CA
After moving to California to make movies in the mid-1940s, Danny and Sylvia first rented a home from Muriel Rosenbloom, the ex-wife of boxer-turned-restauranteur “Slapsy” Maxie Rosenbloom. Built in 1926, the 4,025-square foot home featured five bedrooms and five and a half baths. In April of 1946, though, Ms. Rosenbloom wanted to break the lease and tried to have the Kayes evicted early, claiming they were damaging the property. Danny and Sylvia contended the accusation was a ruse to oust them within 30 days, instead of being given six months notice, as stipulated in their lease. The Kayes finally vacated in the fall, after which the landlord found a series of new renters.
Kaye's first SoCal home in Beverly Hills, as it is today.
(13) Danny’s First Movie Studio: 7200 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA
Kaye made his first five feature films for Samuel Goldwyn Productions, based out of his offices and soundstages that originally belonged to Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and later United Artists. The lot then became Warner Hollywood Studios and, since 1999, The Lot, specializing primarily in production of TV shows.
Goldwyn Studios was Kaye's first stop in Hollywood.
Goldwyn's studio is now "The Lot," although this historic office (once Mary Pickford's) was recently demolished.
(14) Danny’s Longest-Time Home: 1103 San Ysidro Dr., Beverly Hills, CA
In 1949 Danny and Sylvia moved into—and a year later purchased—the house that would become their home for the rest of their lives. Built in 1932, the white brick Georgian-style showplace was covered with wisteria and sat on a half-acre at the end of a long driveway, behind by jacaranda trees. It had two stories and about 6,000 square feet (although that figure increased slightly when Danny added his own Chinese kitchen in 1963). For a look inside, Architectural Digest published a pictorial spread, narrated by daughter Dena. Dena sold the home in 1992, a year after he mother passed. It is currently valued at $12 million.
Kaye lived in this beautiful Beverly Hills home for nearly 40 years.
The Kaye home on San Ysidro Drive was designed for privacy.
(15) Danny’s TV Home: 7800 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
Kaye spent four seasons at CBS taping 124 weekly episodes of his own variety show, The Danny Kaye Show. The series was recorded on Stage 31 at CBS Television City. As part of the deal to convince Kaye to do a weekly series, CBS agreed to build him the Chinese kitchen at his home as well as a penthouse “dressing room” on the roof above Stage 33. It was actually more of a 1,386-square foot apartment, featuring a full-sized kitchen, waiting room with secretary, bedroom, large living room with a grand piano, two bathrooms, and a patio with a barbecue. After The Danny Kaye Show’s run ended in 1967, Studio 31 played host to a variety of gameshows, sitcoms, talk shows, variety shows, and soaps before becoming the permanent home of The Bold and the Beautiful starting in 1987.
Late last year, CBS sold Television City to Los Angeles-based real estate investment company Hackman Capital Partners. For now, CBS is continuing to use the complex as headquarters for its international unit and to tape series such as The Young and the Restless, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and—in Danny’s Studio 33—The Bold and the Beautiful.
The Danny Kaye Show was taped on Stage 31 (back, right center of the building on the right), with his quarters on the roof.
