Danny Kaye

Danny Kaye was an American actor, comedian, singer, and entertainer beloved for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), Hans Christian Andersen (1952), White Christmas (1954), and The Court Jester (1956). During his lifetime he was known for a decades-long close friendship with Laurence Olivier that was widely believed to be a romantic relationship by those in their circle — a view later supported by accounts from Olivier's biographers and family members. Kaye also had a 47-year marriage to lyricist Sylvia Fine. He was known as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and a deeply generous human being. His sexuality, like that of many mid-century Hollywood figures, was complex, guarded, and exists primarily in memoir and biography.