Comic Bill Dana, who won fame as ‘Jose Jimenez,’ dies

NEW YORK » Comedy writer and performer Bill Dana, who won stardom in the 1950s and ‘60s with his character Jose Jimenez, has died.

Dana died Thursday at his home in Nashville, Tennessee, according to Emerson College, his alma mater. He was 92.

Early in his career, Dana wrote jokes for Don Adams and Steve Allen, on whose show he served as head writer and a member of the performing troupe.

Born William Szathmary and a Massachusetts native of Hungarian-Jewish descent, Dana first appeared as Mexican immigrant Jimenez in a 1959 edition of “The Steve Allen Show.” It was for one of the show’s “Man on the Street” interviews conducted by fellow cast member Pat Harrington Jr.

Introducing himself in broken English, “Jose Jimenez” cracked up the studio audience and convinced Dana that he had a hit on his hands.

He did. “My name ... Jose ... Jimenez” was soon a national catchphrase.

The character was embraced by the Latino community and, Dana once said, “was a perfect example of a person that wanted to be assimilated into American culture, learn the language, always looked spiffy.” But Dana bowed to changing standards and criticisms of stereotyping and retired Jimenez in 1970.

On Garry Moore’s variety program, Dana appeared as Jose the Astronaut when the Space Race was heating up. Being interviewed for his planned mission, Jose, understandably wary, was asked what he planned to do while in space.

Wearing a fretful expression, he replied, “I plan to cry a lot.”

In another exchange, Jose’s interviewer noted that he was all suited up for the voyage. “And what is that called, the crash helmet?” Jose: “Oh, I HOPE not.” Adopted by the original seven Mercury astronauts, Dana and his alter ego became part of U.S space history on May 5, 1961, thanks to the first words spoken after Alan Shepard’s liftoff from fellow Mercury astronaut Deke Slayton on the ground: “O.K., Jose, you’re on your way. “

The character soon won Dana his own sitcom, “The Bill Dana Show,” which aired on NBC from 196365. A goodhearted naif, Jose was a bellhop at a New York hotel. (Don Adams played the house detective, which paved the way for his 196570 spy sitcom, “Get Smart”.)

Dana recorded eight best-selling comedy albums, and made many TV appearances while continuing behind the scenes as a comedy writer. (He wrote the classic “Sammy’s Visit” episode of “All in the Family,” which featured Sammy Davis Jr. kissing bigoted Archie Bunker on the cheek.)

He also ran a talent management company and an advertising agency.

Looking back on his formative years in comedy for a 1998 interview with The Associated Press, Dana said, “America was so uptight sexually you couldn’t show a close-up of the stork on ‘Zoo Parade.’ We were blessed with having to get our laughs out of pure comedy, pure in the sense of universality.”

Dana is survived by his wife Evelyn Shular.