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Always cheerful and radiant, Irish singer Dennis Day's name and career are forever linked with Jack Benny's, having worked alongside the comedian on radio and TV throughout his career. It was Jack who gave him his start in 1939 and kept him employed as a singer and innocent comic sidekick (his "Gee, Mr. Benny!" became a famous catchphrase). Dennis remained Benny's trusty second banana until the comedian's death in 1974.
Born Owen Patrick McNulty on May 21, 1917, in Bronx, New York, he was the son of an Ireland-born stationary engineer. His melodious tenor voice was first discovered while singing with his glee club at St. Patrick's Cathedral High School. After graduating from Manhattan College, he initially planned to pursue law and sang to help pay tuition. On his own, he recorded "I Never Knew Heaven Could Speak" and sent it to various radio producers. One forwarded it to Mary Livingston, Benny’s wife, who was so impressed she pushed for his inclusion on "The Jack Benny Show." When the show's tenor Kenny Baker quit over objections to playing a featherbrained foil, Dennis auditioned, secured a regular role, and abandoned law school ambitions. He debuted on the Benny show on October 8, 1939, portraying an innocent-eyed teenager (though he was 21). His chemistry with Benny often outshone the star himself. His career paused for World War II service in the Navy, from which he was discharged in 1946.
Dennis's wholesome, wide-eyed charm won many radio fans, leading to appearances on other programs and his own show, "A Day in the Life of Dennis Day" in 1946, where he played a naive soda jerk. Yet he remained loyal to Benny, staying with The Jack Benny Program as it transitioned to TV in 1950, where it became a long-running institution. Dennis also impressed with his skill at impersonations of stars like Ronald Colman, Jimmy Durante, and James Stewart on the Benny program. Known as "America's Favorite Irish Tenor," he starred in The RCA Victor Show (1952), which ran for two TV seasons before cancellation.
Dennis also supported Benny in films. His movie debut was Buck Benny Rides Again (1940), where he sang "My Kind of Country." Most of his other films were modest musical entertainers. He co-starred with Judy Canova in the comedy Sleepy Lagoon (1943); Anne Shirley in the romance Music in Manhattan (1944); June Haver and Gloria DeHaven in I'll Get By (1950), performing "McNamara's Band" and "There Will Never Be Another You"; and in Golden Girl (1951), a Civil War-themed film starring Mitzi Gaynor as Lotta Crabtree, where Dennis sang "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" and "California Moon." Despite these roles, he never rose to major musical film stardom, possibly because his cheerful, naive radio and TV persona overshadowed his film presence. After starring in The Girl Next Door (1953) with Haver, he disappeared from the big screen for about twenty years. Walt Disney featured his bright tenor in animated films The Legend of Johnny Appleseed (1948), where he sang the title song, and Melody Time (1948).
Best remembered for his Irish tunes, including novelty hits like "Clancy Lowered the Boom," Dennis charmed audiences with romantic ballads such as "Mam'selle," "Dear Hearts and Gentle People," and "Mona Lisa." Occasionally cast in dramatic TV roles, he was more successful as a guest on musical variety shows.
In 1944, Dennis legally adopted his stage name despite family objections. A devout Irish-Catholic, he married Peggy Almquist in 1948, and the couple had ten children—six daughters and four sons. They settled in Los Angeles, where he became honorary mayor of Mandeville Canyon. For a time, Dennis and his wife ran an antique shop in Santa Monica. He continued performing at conventions and fairs through the 1960s and 1970s, making only occasional film and TV appearances, turning down work he found objectionable. Dennis Day died at age 72 in Los Angeles from Lou Gehrig's disease.
