Bill Dana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bill Dana
Dana as his José Jiménez character, 1964
Born	William Szathmary (1924-10-05)October 5, 1924 Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	June 15, 2017(2017-06-15) (aged 92) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Alma mater	Emerson College (1950)
Occupation	Comedian, actor, screenwriter
Years active	1954–1994
Spouse(s)	Maura McGiveney ​ ​ (m. 1972; div. 1972)​ Evelyn Shular ​ (m. 1981)​

William Szathmary (born October 5, 1924 – died June 15, 2017), known as Bill Dana, was a funny American comedian, actor, and writer for TV shows. He was famous for playing a character named José Jiménez, who spoke with a strong accent. Bill Dana often played José Jiménez as a brave astronaut. He appeared on popular shows like The Ed Sullivan Show.

Bill Dana's Early Life

Bill Dana was born William Szathmary in Quincy, Massachusetts. He was the youngest of six children. His parents were Joseph and Dena Szathmary. Bill came from a Hungarian Jewish family.

He chose "Dana" as his stage name because it was his mother's first name, "Dena." He thought his real last name, "Szathmary," was too hard to say.

Bill's older brother, Arthur, was very good at many languages. This helped Bill learn about different foreign languages too. Growing up, Bill lived in a neighborhood where people spoke many languages, like Spanish and Italian. His father was also an immigrant from Hungary.

Another older brother was Irving Szathmary. Irving wrote the famous theme song for the TV show Get Smart.

During World War II, Bill Dana served in the United States Army. He was a soldier in the 263rd Infantry Regiment. He used a 60mm mortar and a machine gun. He also helped as an unofficial interpreter, translating for others. He received the Bronze Star Medal for his service.

Bill Dana's Career in Comedy

Spike Jones, Bill Dana and Helen Grayco, 1960

Dana on The Danny Thomas Show, 1961

Dana as Jimenez the astronaut, 1963

With Caterina Valente on The Hollywood Palace, 1965

Dana, Maureen O'Hara and Andy Williams, 1965

Bill Dana started his career working as a page at NBC's Studio 6B. At the same time, he performed comedy in nightclubs in New York with his partner, Gene Wood.

In the 1950s, he appeared on TV shows like The Imogene Coca Show and The Danny Thomas Show. He also wrote and produced for The Spike Jones Show.

Creating José Jiménez and Get Smart

Bill Dana's career changed a lot when he started writing jokes for comedian Don Adams. He wrote the famous "Would you believe?" jokes that became popular on the show Get Smart.

After that, he became a writer for The Steve Allen Show. On this show, he created the character of José Jiménez for the "Man in the Street" comedy segments.

Once, on The Ed Sullivan Show, Bill Dana told a story. A woman recognized him on the street but only knew him as José Jiménez. She asked for his real name. He told her his birth name, "William Szathmary." The woman then said, "Wow, no wonder you changed it to Jiménez!"

In 1961, Bill Dana released a comedy album featuring José Jiménez. One part, "The Astronaut (Part 1 & 2)," became a hit song. It reached number 19 on the Billboard charts.

The Bill Dana Show

In 1961, Bill Dana appeared on The Danny Thomas Show as José Jiménez. He played a clumsy but lovable elevator operator. People liked the character so much that he got his own TV show called The Bill Dana Show (1963–1965).

On his show, Jiménez was a bellhop at a fancy New York hotel. His grumpy boss was played by Jonathan Harris. The show also featured Don Adams as a detective named Byron Glick. When The Bill Dana Show ended, Don Adams used the Glick character as the basis for Maxwell Smart in Get Smart.

Bill Dana was a very busy comedy writer. He wrote for other actors and shows even before he first appeared on TV in 1959. He continued writing into the 1980s. His brother, Irving Szathmary, wrote the theme song for Get Smart.

Other Appearances and Writing

In 1966, Bill Dana wrote an animated television movie called Alice in Wonderland (or What’s a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This?). He also used his Jiménez voice to play The White Knight in the movie.

That same year, the Jiménez character was animated for a Paramount cartoon called I Want My Mummy. Bill Dana helped write this cartoon. In 1966, Bill Dana also made a quick appearance in an episode of Batman. He played José Jiménez, opening a window for Batman.

In May 1967, Bill Dana hosted his own late-night talk show called The Las Vegas Show. It was broadcast live from the Hotel Hacienda in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show ended quickly when the network closed down.

Later, Bill Dana stopped playing the José Jiménez character for a while. This was because times and people's feelings about accents changed. However, he did play the character again in 1988 on a revival of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.

Bill Dana wrote the script for a very famous episode of the TV show All in the Family. The episode was called "Sammy's Visit" and featured Sammy Davis Jr..

He also had a recurring role on The Golden Girls as Sophia Petrillo's brother, Angelo. He even played her father in a flashback scene. Bill Dana also played Wendell Balaban on Too Close for Comfort and Howie Mandel's father on the series St. Elsewhere.

In the 1983 film The Right Stuff, the José Jiménez character was part of a few scenes. In the movie, government officials watch The Ed Sullivan Show before choosing Navy pilots. Sullivan talks to Jiménez in one scene.

Bill Dana also played Bernardo the servant on the CBS TV series Zorro and Son. This show was produced by Walt Disney Productions.

Bill Dana passed away on June 15, 2017, at his home in Nashville, Tennessee. He was 92 years old.

American Comedy Archives

Bill Dana helped create the American Comedy Archives. This is a collection of video and audio interviews with famous comedians. Some of the people interviewed include Phyllis Diller, Dick Gregory, Don Knotts, Norman Lear, Bob Newhart, Dick Van Dyke, and Betty White.

The American Comedy Archives are kept at the Iwasaki Library at Emerson College. You can find written versions of some of these interviews on the library's website.

Filmography