Joey Faye (born Joseph Antony Palladino, July 12, 1909 or 1910 or 1902– April 26, 1997) was an American comedian and actor. Born in New York City, he gained fame as a comic in vaudeville and claimed that he created two of vaudeville's more renowned pieces of business, "Floogle Street" (a.k.a. "Susquehana Hat Company") and " Slowly I Turned". In addition to an active career in vaudeville and the legitimate theater, he appeared in many movies and TV shows.

Broadway

The Republic Theatre was the site of Faye's New York stage debut at age 21. During World War II, he entertained Allied military personnel in Africa and Europe as part of a troupe headed by Marlene Dietrich. Faye playe
second banana
(the second-ranking comedian in a show) to Phil Silvers in two Broadway shows, ''

High Button Shoes ''High Button Shoes'' is a 1947 musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Sammy Cahn and book by George Abbott and Stephen Longstreet. It was based on the semi-autobiographical 1946 novel ''The Sisters Liked Them Handsome'' by Stephen Longst ...

'' and '' Top Banana''. He also appeared in the 1954 film. In a Broadway career that stretched between the late 1930s and the early 1990s, he appeared in 17 shows altogether, including ''

Room Service Room service or in-room dining is a hotel service enabling guests to choose items of food and drink for delivery to their hotel room for consumption. Room service is organized as a subdivision within the food and beverage department of high-end ...

'' (his Broadway debut) and '' The Tender Trap''. He also appeared in the 1955 movie adaptation), the 1965 revival of ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on " The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also b ...

'', and

Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He has received mo ...

's musical '' Little Me''. He appeared as a guest in many TV shows from 1949 through 1984 and a series of short subject films, including ''

Mack & Myer for Hire ''Mack and Myer for Hire'' is an American sitcom that aired in syndication from 1963 to 1964. The show starred Mickey Deems and Joey Faye, and was produced by Trans-Lux Television in New York. Each episode was approximately 12 minutes long, and t ...

'' (1963), about two bumbling plumbers, who rode around in a motorcycle with a sidecar, attempting repairs, but producing chaos.

Personal life

Faye was married three times—to Eileen Jenkins, Ginna Carr, and Judy Carlin. He once lived in

Great Kills, Staten Island Great Kills is a neighborhood within the borough of Staten Island in New York City. It is located on the island's South Shore, and according to many local geographers, it is the South Shore's northernmost community. It is bordered by Richmondto ...

Death

Faye died of a heart attack in

Englewood, New Jersey Englewood is a city in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which at the 2020 United States census had a population of 29,308. Englewood was incorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from port ...

, on April 26, 1997. He was 87 years old.

Filmography

Film

*''

Close-Up A close-up or closeup in filmmaking, television production, still photography, and the comic strip medium is a type of shot that tightly frames a person or object. Close-ups are one of the standard shots used regularly with medium and long s ...

'' (1948) - Roger *'' Let's Do It Again'' (1953) - Party Guest (uncredited) *'' Top Banana'' (1954) - Pinky *'' The Tender Trap'' (1955) - Sol Z. Steiner *''

Street of Sinners ''Street of Sinners'' is a 1957 American crime film directed by William Berke, written by John McPartland, and starring George Montgomery, Geraldine Brooks, Nehemiah Persoff, Marilee Earle, William Harrigan and Stephen Joyce. It was released i ...

'' (1957) - Pete *''

Hear Me Good ''Hear Me Good'' is a 1957 American comedy film written and directed by Don McGuire. The film stars Hal March, Joe E. Ross, Merry Anders, Jean Willes, Milton Frome and Joey Faye. The film was released in October 1957, by Paramount Pictures. ...

'' (1957) - Charlie Cooper *''

Sing, Boy, Sing ''Sing Boy Sing'' is a 1958 musical–drama film released by 20th Century-Fox and starring newcomers Tommy Sands and Lili Gentle. The film was an expansion of the January 1957 ''Kraft Television Theatre'' episode "The Singin' Idol," also starrin ...

'' (1958) - Mr. Baron (uncredited) *''

Ten North Frederick ''Ten North Frederick'' is a novel by John O'Hara, published by Random House in 1955. It tells the story of Joseph Chapin, an ambitious man who desires to become president of the United States, and his relationships with his patrician wife, two ...

'' (1958) - Taxi Driver (uncredited) *''

The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock ''The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock'' is a 1959 comedy science fiction film starring Lou Costello and Dorothy Provine and directed by Sidney Miller. Plot Artie Pinsetter is a junk collector and amateur inventor who lives in the desert town of Ca ...

'' (1959) - Booster (uncredited) *''

North to Alaska ''North to Alaska'' is a 1960 comedic Western/ Northern film directed by Henry Hathaway and John Wayne (uncredited). The picture stars Wayne along with Stewart Granger, Ernie Kovacs, Fabian, and Capucine. The script is based on the 1939 play ...

'' (1960) - Miner / Artist (uncredited) *''

The Wizard of Baghdad ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1960) - Coutiere (uncredited) *''

That Touch of Mink ''That Touch of Mink'' is a 1962 American romantic comedy film directed by Delbert Mann and starring Cary Grant, Doris Day, Gig Young, and Audrey Meadows. Plot Cathy Timberlake, an unemployed New York City career woman, goes to the unemploymen ...

'' (1962) - Short Man *'' For Love or Money'' (1963) - Bread Shopper on 16mm Film *''

Diary of a Bachelor ''Diary of a Bachelor'' is a 1964 American comedy film directed by Sandy Howard and starring William Traylor, Joe Silver and Dagne Crane. Synopsis Joanne, a young bride-to-be, has found the diary of her intended, Skip O'Hara, a man notorious for ...

'' (1964) - Bachelor *''

Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round ''Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round'' is a 1966 crime film written and directed by Bernard Girard, and starring James Coburn, Camilla Sparv, Aldo Ray, Nina Wayne, Todd Armstrong, Robert Webber, Rose Marie and Harrison Ford in his film debut. Plot ...

'' (1966) - Joe (uncredited) *'' Penelope'' (1966) - Spectator (uncredited) *'' How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' (1967) - Taxi Driver (uncredited) *''

The Night They Raided Minsky's ''The Night They Raided Minsky's'' is a 1968 American musical comedy film directed by William Friedkin and produced by Norman Lear. Based on the 1960 novel by Rowland Barber, it is a fictional account of the invention of the striptease at Minsky ...

'' (1967) - Professor Spats ( body double for the deceased

Bert Lahr Irving Lahrheim (August 13, 1895 – December 4, 1967), known professionally as Bert Lahr, was an American actor. He was best known for his role as the Cowardly Lion, as well as his counterpart Kansas farmworker "Zeke", in the MGM adaptation of ...

in select scenes, uncredited) *'' No Way to Treat a Lady'' (1968) - Caretaker (uncredited) *''

What's So Bad About Feeling Good? ''What's So Bad About Feeling Good?'' is a 1968 American comedy film directed by George Seaton and starring George Peppard and Mary Tyler Moore. The film was a box office disappointment. Plot Pete (George Peppard) is a former advertising exec ...

'' (1968) - Zookeeper (uncredited) *'' The Grissom Gang'' (1971) - Woppy *''

The War Between Men and Women ''The War Between Men and Women'' is a 1972 American comedy-drama film directed by Melville Shavelson and starring Jack Lemmon, Barbara Harris, and Jason Robards. The film is based on the writings of humorist James Thurber, and was released by ...

'' (1972) - Delivery Boy *''

The Front ''The Front'' is a 1976 drama film set against the Hollywood blacklist in the 1950s, when artists, writers, directors, and others were rendered unemployable, having been accused of subversive political activities in support of Communism or of b ...

'' (1976) - Waiter *'' Once Upon a Time in America'' (1984) - Adorable Old Man (final film role)

Television

*'' Straightaway'' (1961, episode "The Bribe") - Kinette *''

Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on NBC, the first iteration of the ''Late Night'' franchise. It premiered on February 1, 1982, and was produced by Letterman's production compan ...

'' (1991) -

Charles Grodin Charles Sidney Grodin (April 21, 1935 – May 18, 2021) was an American actor, comedian, author, and television talk show host. Grodin began his acting career in the 1960s appearing in TV serials including '' The Virginian''. After a small part ...

's attorney

References

External links

Susquehanna Hat Co. from YouTube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Faye, Joey 20th-century births 1997 deaths Year of birth uncertain Male actors from New York City American people of Italian descent Vaudeville performers 20th-century American male actors People from Great Kills, Staten Island