Song:Guys and Dolls
Album:Guys and Dolls: A Decca Original Cast Album
Stubby Kaye was a very popular musical performer used primarily for comedy because of his rotund shape. His performance as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the 1950 original Broadway cast of Guys and Dolls was his breakthrough role. Johnny Silver played Benny Southstreet in the same show. Both guys were in the 1955 film of Guys and Dolls. Stubby Kaye was born Bernard Kotzin Nov. 11, 1918 in New York City. Guys and Dolls is based on the writings of Damon Runyon. The book was written by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows and the music was written by Frank Loesser. George S. Kaufman directed the 1950 production. The show won the 1951 Best Musical Tony Award. The stars were Robert Alda, Sam Levene and Vivian Blaine. Loesser had seen Stubby Kaye elsewhere and thought he would be perfect as Nicely-Nicely Johnson. Kaye and Silver do a great job on the song Guys and Dolls. The original cast is available on CD. Both guys reprised their roles for the 1955 film version of Guys and Dolls starring Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando. Stubby Kaye went on to play Marryin' Sam in the show and film Lil' Abner. I'm sure many recall his appearance singing with Nat King Cole in the 1965 film Cat Ballou. Kaye appeared a lot on TV and continued to appear in Broadway musicals in the 70s and 80s. He died on Dec. 14, 1997 at age 79. After Guys and Dolls, Johnny Silver worked in local theater in Los Angeles and made many one shot appearances on TV. He's not someone fans would know but you have seen him. He died in 2003. 20th Century Fox plan to remake Guys and Dolls starring Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Here's Frank Sinatra, Stubby Kaye and Johnny Silver performing Guys and Dolls from the 1955 film Guys and Dolls. Yes, I am cheating a bit by using the film version.
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