musical The New Yorkers, which opened on Broadway on December 8, 1930. The two men played the sidekicks to a bootlegger and nightclub owner. Earlier in 1930, the two appeared in the film Roadhouse Nights, ostensibly based on Dashiell Hammett's novel Red Harvest.

By 1934, Durante had recorded a hit record with his novelty composition, "Inka Dinka Doo",