Jimmy Durante Biography

Jimmy Durante

After an early career in vaudeville, Durante had established himself as the lovable comedian whose laughs came at his own expense rather than by belittling others. His prominent probiscus earned him the nickname “Schnozzola,” which he parlayed into a character in the film The New Adventures of Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford (1931). He appeared in two dozen movies in the '30s, including Jumbo (1935), and did several other films in the '40s before turning to hosting variety shows on television in the '50s. Though he died nearly two decades ago, children today still know him as the narrator of Frosty the Snowman (1969).