He hosted the 24th Academy Awards in 1952. The program was broadcast on radio; telecasts of the Oscar ceremony came later. During the 1950s, Kaye visited Australia, where he played Buttons in a production of "Cinderella" in Sydney. In 1953, Kaye started a production company, Dena Pictures, named for his daughter. "Knock on Wood" was the first film produced by his firm. The firm expanded into television in 1960 under the name Belmont Television.