Stubby Kaye; Singer on Stage and Film

Stubby Kaye, the chubby comedic singer whose Broadway debut became his signature role--the gambler Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the stage and screen versions of “Guys and Dolls”--has died. He was 79.

Kaye died of lung cancer Sunday at his home in Rancho Mirage, Riverside County coroner officials said Monday.

Younger audiences remember Kaye as the voice of novelty company maven Marvin Acme in the innovative live action and animated film “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.”

But Kaye remained in demand as a variety show singer throughout his career for such classic Broadway songs as “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat” from “Guys and Dolls” and “Jubilation T. Cornpone” from “Li’l Abner.” He sang both numbers at President and Nancy Reagans’ final “In Performance at the White House” show in 1988.

Born in New York City, Kaye got his start in 1939 when he won a Major Bowes Amateur Hour contest on radio. During World War II, he performed in vaudeville and USO shows.

He made his show-stopping debut in “Guys and Dolls” in 1950 and reprised his role in the 1955 movie starring Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando.

Thirty-five years after his Broadway beginning, Kaye was still gamely treading the boards in new musicals in 1985, when he played the veteran baggy-pants burlesque clown in Hal Prince’s “Grind.” Demonstrating his own fortitude and professionalism as an old-time trouper, Kaye inspired audiences with the song “I Get Myself Out.”

“How can you object to coming back to Broadway?” he said when a reporter asked him after “Grind” opened what it was like to take on a New York audience when he was 66.

In the stage and 1959 screen versions of the Al Capp comic strip musical “Li’l Abner,” Kaye was the lovable Marryin’ Sam.

His first film was “Taxi” in 1953, starring Dan Dailey. Kaye also had supporting roles in such films as “Forty Pounds of Trouble” in 1963, “Sex and the Single Girl” in 1964 and “Cat Ballou” in 1965, in which he teamed with Nat King Cole as a strolling minstrel narrating the film. Others were “The Way West” in 1967, “Sweet Charity” in 1969, “The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County” in 1970 and “Six-Pack Annie” in 1975.

Kaye’s stage musicals included “Everybody Loves Opal,” “The Ritz” and “Good News.”

The comic actor also tried a couple of early television series. He was song-plugger Stubby Wilson who reminisced about the good old days and performed many of the songs submitted to a music publisher on the 1959 sitcom “Love & Marriage.” And he played Marty Scott in the 1960 television series version of “My Sister Eileen.” Kaye also appeared in the 1985 mini-series “Ellis Island.”