Sylvia Fine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sylvia Fine
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Fine in 1945
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| Born | August 29, 1913 New York City, U.S.
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| Died | October 28, 1991 (aged 78) New York City, U.S.
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| Years active | 1934–1991 |
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| Children | 1 |
Sylvia Fine Kaye (born August 29, 1913 – died October 28, 1991) was a talented American lyricist, composer, and producer. She wrote songs and created shows. Many of her works were performed by her husband, the famous comedian Danny Kaye. Sylvia Fine won a Peabody Award and was nominated for two Academy Awards (Oscars) and two Emmy Awards during her amazing career.
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Sylvia Fine's Early Life
Sylvia Fine was born in Brooklyn, New York. She was the youngest of three children. Her father was a dentist. She grew up in East New York, Brooklyn. Sylvia went to Thomas Jefferson High School. She later studied music at Brooklyn College. While there, she wrote the music for the school's special song, called the alma mater. A poet named Robert Friend wrote the words.
Her Career and Danny Kaye
Sylvia was working as a pianist for auditions when she met Danny Kaye. They were both working on a Broadway show that didn't last very long. Sylvia wrote the songs and music for it. They found out they had something funny in common. Danny had once worked for Sylvia's father. He watched the dentist's office while her dad went to lunch. Dr. Fine had actually fired Danny for using his dental drills to do woodworking!
Danny proposed to Sylvia over the phone while he was in Florida. Sylvia was in New York. She traveled to Fort Lauderdale, and they got married on January 3, 1940.
Sylvia played a big part in managing Danny's career. She wrote many songs for him, both for his movies and his recordings. Some songs for the movie The Court Jester were written with Sammy Cahn. She also helped produce some of his films.
Sylvia won a Peabody Award in 1980. She was also nominated for two Oscars and two Emmys. In the 1960s, she started working in television production for her husband's TV shows.
In the 1970s, Sylvia began a new career as a TV producer and teacher. She taught musical comedy at the University of Southern California starting in 1971. She also taught at Yale in 1975.
In 1979, she produced and narrated a 90-minute TV program for PBS called Musical Comedy Tonight. It later became a three-part series and won a Peabody Award. In 1975, she was the main producer for a TV special called "Danny Kaye: Look in at the Met."
She also produced and edited Assignment Children. This was a UNICEF film that starred her husband. In the last three years of her life, Sylvia was writing a book about her life with Danny. It was called Fine and Danny.
Sylvia's Personal Life
Sylvia and Danny Kaye had one daughter, Dena, who was born on December 17, 1946. They separated for a short time in September 1947. They said it was because "two people working very hard" needed a break. They got back together seven months later. They stayed married until Danny's death in 1987.
In 1992, their daughter Dena Kaye shared some advice her mother gave her. Both Sylvia and Danny wanted Dena to choose her own path in life. Danny once said in 1954 that Dena would become whatever she wanted, without them telling her what to do. Dena grew up to become a journalist.
Her Passing
Sylvia Fine Kaye passed away from emphysema at age 78. She died in her apartment in Manhattan in 1991. She is buried next to her husband at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York.
Sylvia Fine's Legacy
The work of Sylvia Fine and Danny Kaye is kept safe at The Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine Collection. This collection is at the Library of Congress. It includes many important items. These are things like her writings, music scores, scripts, photos, sound recordings, and video clips.
Some of Sylvia Fine's Songs
- "Anatole of Paris" from The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947)
- "The Inspector General" and "Happy Times" (with Johnny Green) from The Inspector General (1949)
- "The Moon Is Blue" (with Herschel Burke Gilbert) from The Moon Is Blue (1953) - nominated for an Oscar
- "Knock on Wood" from Knock on Wood (1954)
- "(You'll Never) Outfox the Fox" (with Sammy Cahn) from The Court Jester (1956)
- "The Five Pennies" from The Five Pennies (1959) - nominated for an Oscar
- "Lullaby in Ragtime," also from The Five Pennies
