Bill Dana (comedian)

Bill Dana (born October 5 1924) is a U.S. comedian, actor and screenwriter who often appeared on the Ed Sullivan show.

He was born William Szathmary in Quincy, Massachusetts. Although he is of Hungarian-Jewish descent, Dana created the heavily accented Latino character José Jiménez for the Steve Allen Show.

Dana began his career as a page at NBC's famous Studio 6B while performing comedy in nightclubs around New York with partner Gene Wood. In the 1950s he performed on "The Imogene Coca Show", "The Danny Thomas Show", "The Martha Raye Show" and wrote for and produced "The Spike Jones Show".

His career took another major turn when he began writing stand-up routines for the young comedian Don Adams including the now-famous "Would you believe?" jokes. From there, he was brought in as a writer for the legendary "Steve Allen Show" (ABC).

On an "Ed Sullivan Show" appearance, he related a story of how a woman recognized him on the street, but only knew him as José Jiménez, and asked what his real name was. Instead of his stage name, "Bill Dana," he gave her his real name, "William Szathmary." And she said, "Wow, no wonder you changed it to Jiménez!"

In the NBC sitcom "The Bill Dana Show" (1963-65), a spinoff of "The Danny Thomas Show", his José Jiménez character became a bumbling bellhop at a posh New York hotel. His snooty, irritable boss was played by Jonathan Harris. The cast also included Don Adams as a hopelessly inept house detective—an early incarnation of what was to become his "Maxwell Smart" character on "Get Smart".

Before appearing in front of a television camera for the first time on "The Steve Allen Show" in 1959, Dana had been a prolific comedy writer, an activity he continued into the 1980s, producing material for other actors on stage and screen. Dana wrote the script for the "Get Smart" theatrical film "The Nude Bomb". His brother, Irving Szathmary, wrote the famous theme for the "Get Smart" television series.

In 1966, Dana wrote the animated TV-movie "Alice in Wonderland (or What’s a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This?)", in which he also supplied the voice of The White Knight (using his José Jiménez voice).

Joey Forman's 1968 parody album about Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, called "The Mashuganishi Yogi" ("mashuga" meaning crazy in Yiddish), was produced by Dana, and includes a cameo of Dana as Jiménez, as well as a cover appearance. The album is a mock news conference, an extended question-and-answer session. The ersatz Puerto Rican–accented Jiménez asks the ersatz Indian-accented Yogi, "Why do you talk so funny?"

In 1970, responding to changing times, he stopped portraying the José Jiménez character; however, he played the character again on the 1988 revival of "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour". Dana wrote the script for the most famous episode of the hit sitcom All in the Family titled Sammy's Visit featuring Sammy Davis Jr.

The José Jiménez character was part of several scenes in the 1983 film "The Right Stuff". The government officials watch the Ed Sullivan Show before recruiting the Navy pilots. Sullivan is talking to Jiménez. ("Is that your crash helmet?" "Oh, I "hope" not!") Later, during medical testing, a Hispanic worker in the hospital observes Alan Shepard (Scott Glenn) being perhaps a little "too" amused by the character. The hospital worker gets a measure of revenge when it comes time for Shepard to receive an enema.

Dana would also have a recurring role on "The Golden Girls" as Sophia Petrillo's brother Angelo. He also played their father in a flashback. Also in recurring fashion, he played Wendell Balaban on "Too Close for Comfort"

His role on the CBS TV series "Zorro and Son" as Bernardo the servant was dissimilar to Gene Sheldon's silence on the 1950s live-action show that first aired on the Disney Channel April 18, 1983 which then later continued until September 9, 2002.

External links

* [http://www.allmovieguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=BILL|DANA&sql=11:lza9qjkbojha~T1 Bill Dana biography by Hal Erickson at allmovieguide]
* [http://www.corporateartists.com/comedy_bill_dana.html Bill Dana biography at corporateartists.com, with images]
*imdb name|id=0199049
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW1J7ksT7iI&feature=PlayList&p=D1625882B110AE87&index=4 Bill Dana talks about All in the Family] ]
* [http://www.emerson.edu/comedy/Bill-Dana.cfm Bill Dana biography by the American Comedy Archives from his alma mater]
* [http://www.bill-dana.com/ Bill Dana's official website]