European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 23, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The Burnt Orange Sun was slipping behind it. Charleston As Jimmy Durant strode out of the Frontier hotel in Las vegas and found himself sur rounded by a covery of shrines. Why it s Jimmy Durante they exclaimed As if greeting a fellow member of the Temple. Hiya boys Jimmy rasped Shak ing the hands of  sure put on a great show last night said a red fuzzed  a million thanks a million said Jimmiy slapping him on the Back and continuing along his  saturday evening traffic finally slowed and Jimmy crossed the High Way. He hurried along shoulders slightly hunched toes pointed outward. On the sidewalk at the Entrance of the desert inn and in the lobby there were cries of it s Jimmy Durante and he paused for a raucous word with each group. Then he padded Down the corridors and up two flights of stairs tothe health club for his daily Rubdown. As the masseur worked Over Durante s compact tanned Frame the comedian reminisced. I grew up on the East Side of Newyork you know. Catherine Street was my old neighbourhood i think Al Smith was the assemblyman in that District in those Days. My dad was a Barberan we lived in a Little Jernt that had the Terlet in the backyard. Later when things got Goin Good and he added a couple chairs to the shop we move to a bigger apartment. This time the Terlet was Down the  was a great Guy my dad great Sensa humor. I used to help him out inthe shop laddering up the customers for shaves. When i got a Nickel or a dim for a tip i d run out of the Jernt and by Bob Thomas a staff writer go Down to the Candy store to spend it. I never Hung around or i might been a Barber too. I took up the piano instead. My dad he thought i was Gonna be a bum. I those Days they thought All piano play ers were bums. One of my first jobs was out a Rockaway where one of the singin waiters was Eddie Cantor. There Wasa great Guy one of the finest men that god Ever gave great to. Eddie an i Hada Way of Workin together. He d come up to the piano an say you know the Hills of Kentucky a Guy Over there will pay me two Bucks if i sing it for him and i Don t know it an i d say no i Don t know it but you make up some words an i la play the Melody so we d play the so Gand the customer d yell that Ain t the Hills of Kentucky then Cantor Day a mean there s two of pm " after his Massage Jimmy stepped on the Scales. He fretted that he was 156, which he considered two pounds Over weight. It did t show. T 75, a decade past the retirement age for Ordinary mortals Durante Istria and Lively and despite his years he still performs one of the most strenuous acts in show business. He is doing the thing that first brought him to prominence in the Speake Asies of Manhattan in the 1920sbelting songs in his Gravelly voice strutting stiff legged As he shakes his head in open mouthed wonderment assaulting his Fel Low performers with Good natured Vio Lence. Many of the songs and some of the jokes Are the same now As then. He is a show Biz original a member of a generation of performers who were each of them one of a kind Al Jolson Eddie Cantor George m. Cohan Sophie Tucker. Durante reached the Heights in every medium Broadway shows Vau Deville radio movies records television. But he is at his Best in the place where he got started the night club. A Little while after stepping off the Scales Jimmy was on the stage of the Venus room of the Frontier  Askew he grabbed the Micro phone and told the 800 diners you gotta. Start off each Day witha song. Even when things go  la feel better you la even look  followed was 85 minutes of song tomfoolery near mayhem and a touch of sentiment. He carried on mock romances with the chorus girls imagine Kissin with noses in Greenland. I d be the Gary Grant of that Jernt he carried on a running feud with the or Chestra Leader he Don t know How to play an instrument so they give him a stick he played piano with a Rock n Roll band of five Sisters ranging from 5 to11 years in a rousing rendition of sgt. Pepper s lonely hearts club  reintroduced his partner Eddie Jackson of Clayton Jackson and Durante and the old time song and dance Man did his familiar Bill Bailey  show continued with studied con fusion. Jimmy introduced my Junior partner Sonny King and the pair engaged in duets arguments and violence. Things quieted Down when Jimmy Sang Young at heart fairy tales can come True it can happen to you if you re Young at heart. Page 14 he is at his Best in the place where he got started the night club. The stars and stripes sunday june