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{{Infobox person
| name          = Davy Kaye
| image         = Davy Kaye.jpg
| alt           = 
| caption       = 
| honorific_suffix   =  [[Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|MBE]]
| birth_name    = David Kodeish
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1916|03|25|df=y}}
| birth_place   = 
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|1998|02|03|1916|03|25|df=y}}
| death_place   = 
| other_names   = 
| occupation    = 
| years_active  = 
| known_for     = 
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}}

'''Davy Kaye''' [[Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|MBE]] (born '''David Kodeish''', 25 March 1916 – 3 February 1998) was a British comedy actor and entertainer.

==Early life==
Born in [[Mile End Road]] in the [[East End of London]] to [[Jew]]ish parents Koppel and Dora Kodeish, Kaye was so small at birth that he was not expected to live. As a schoolboy, he appeared in amateur revues and shows at his school, making his professional debut at the Mile End Empire in 1935. On the outbreak of the [[Second World War]], Kaye tried to join up, but was turned down due to his short stature, later telling the story that the medical officer had said, "When we declare war on pygmies - we'll send for you." Instead, he spent the war years entertaining troops at [[Royal Air Force|RAF]] bases, munitions factories and [[British Army|Army]] camps, as well as on [[BBC radio]] where he was a regular with such shows as ''[[Midday Music Hall]]'' and ''[[Variety Bandbox]]''.<ref name=Obit>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obituary-davy-kaye-1143123.html Davy Kaye Obituary] - ''[[The Independent]]'' 6 February 1998</ref>

Following the war, the 4' 11" tall Kaye toured in his own revues with his then agent Joe Collins, the father of [[Jackie Collins|Jackie]] and [[Joan Collins]] in a partnership which lasted for more than thirty years. He played Benny Southstreet in the original 1953 [[London]] production of ''[[Guys and Dolls (musical)|Guys and Dolls]]'' at the [[Coliseum Theatre|London Coliseum]], and played five different characters in the 1961 [[Wolf Mankowitz]] musical ''Belle'' (based on the case of [[Hawley Harvey Crippen|Dr Crippen]]) at the [[Novello Theatre|Strand Theatre]].<ref name=rats>[http://www.gowr.net/Members/pkrdavykaye.html Kaye] on The [[Grand Order of Water Rats]] website</ref>

==Career==
From 1954 to 1968 Kaye presented a new show each month at London's Embassy Club, and also starred in ''[[Androcles and the Lion (play)|Androcles and the Lion]]'' and ''The Bishop's Bonfire'' at the [[Mermaid Theatre]]. He appeared in many films including ''[[The Wrong Arm of the Law]]'' (1963), ''[[Crooks in Cloisters]]'' (1964), ''[[Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines]]'' (1965), ''[[Carry On Cowboy]]'' (1965), ''[[Chitty Chitty Bang Bang]]'' (1968), ''[[Carry On at Your Convenience]]'' (1971) and ''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972 film)|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]]'' (1972). On television he appeared in ''[[Sapphire and Steel]]'' and as Natty Dan in the TV Series ''[[Young Sherlock: The Mystery of the Manor House]]'' (1982).<ref>[http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=5253 Kaye on ''DVD Times'']</ref> He also appeared in [[pantomime]].<ref>[http://www.its-behind-you.com/granadapanto.html The Granada Theatre pantomimes]</ref> Kaye's last British television appearance was on the ''[[Michael Barrymore|Barrymore Show]]'' where he performed his famous [[One man band|One Man Band]] act.

A brash man who was said to be difficult to work with, he nevertheless was rarely out of work and on two occasions the [[Variety, the Children's Charity|Variety Club of Great Britain]] gave a lunch in his honour at the [[Dorchester Hotel]] in 1985 and 1995 to celebrate his 50th and 60th year in show business respectively, both of which were televised on the BBC.<ref name=Obit/> Noted for his charity work, over the years Kaye raised more than one million pounds for a number of charities, including the [[Bud Flanagan]] [[Leukaemia]] Fund, [[The Duke of Edinburgh's Award|The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme]], the Prince Philip Trust Fund, the Nightingale House home for elderly Jews and the Ealing Jewish Youth Club.<ref name=rats/>

He was a Past King Rat of the [[Grand Order of Water Rats]] (1984), and later was [[Preceptor]]. Kaye was awarded the Badge of Merit and Bar, the highest honour that the Order can award.

Kaye was awarded the [[Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|MBE]] in [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Her Majesty The Queen's]] 1995 [[New Year Honours]] for his services to charity.

He is the father of entertainers [[Kaplan Kaye]] and Melody Kaye.

He died in 1998 in [[Paradise Island]] in the [[Bahamas]].

==Selected filmography==
*''[[Fun at St. Fanny's]]'' (1955) - Ferdy
*''[[The Millionairess]]'' (1960) - Tommy True (uncredited)
*''[[The Pot Carriers]]'' (1962) - Mouse
*''[[The Wrong Arm of the Law]]'' (1963) - Trainer King
*''[[The World Ten Times Over]]'' (1963) - Compère
*''[[Crooks in Cloisters]]'' (1964) - Specs
*''[[Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines]]'' (1965) - Jean
*''[[Carry On Cowboy]]'' (1965) - Josh the Undertaker
*''[[The Biggest Bundle of Them All]]'' (1968) - Davey Collins
*''[[Chitty Chitty Bang Bang]]'' (1968) - Admiral
*''[[Satan's Harvest]]'' (1970) - Trigger
*''[[The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins]]'' (1971) - Guest Appearance (segment "Sloth") 
*''[[Carry On at Your Convenience]]'' (1971) - Benny
*''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972 film)|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]]'' (1972) - Mouse
*''[[A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (film)|A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square]]'' (1979) - Sid the Yid

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|0443288}}
*[http://www.gowr.net/Members/pkrdavykaye.html Davy Kaye] on the [[Grand Order of Water Rats]] website
*[http://library.digiguide.com/lib/person/Davy+Kaye-34898 DigiGuide Library]{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
*[http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/artists/k/Davy-Kaye/index-235420.html Yahoo! Movies]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaye, Davy}}
[[Category:1916 births]]
[[Category:1998 deaths]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:English male comedians]]
[[Category:English entertainers]]
[[Category:Jewish English male actors]]
[[Category:Jewish English comedians]]
[[Category:Jewish entertainers]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century English comedians]]
[[Category:Actors from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets]]
[[Category:Male actors from London]]
[[Category:Comedians from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets]]
[[Category:Jewish male comedians]]
[[Category:People from Mile End]]