I have always loved Danny Kaye and at 55 am still a big kid at heart. I love the theatre too and reckon this to be one of the best and cleverest adaptations of a classic play I have ever seen. Gogol's origuinal play has always been considered a major comic classic and while this adaptation does not follow the play exactly it catches so well the exact targets of pomposity and corruption that Gogol lined up. Along with the Court Jester it is clearly Danny Kayes greatest work and I am so glad it has been rediscovered by yet another generation. I reduced it by one star because it needs to be remastered and rereleased properly.
J
Great Fun!!!
Danny Kaye is superb in this movie about a bumble who is mistaken for an Inspector General, and how he pulls it off is worth the price of the film. The music is marvelous, and Kaye's machinations as he sings and dances to it are classic. Many lessons of life are involved in this movie. Friendship, loyalty, and especially "honesty" come to play, and the ending is so genuine, that it almost brought tears to my eyes. Highly recommended!!
ROAN GROUP DVD is the best!
Alot has been said about this wonderful movie, but with several versions offered, which DVD is the best? I learned the hardway, buying several copies until I decided for the more expensive ROAN GROUP DVD. They mastered their DVD from a very nice 35mm TECHNICOLOR print, the other DVD's I bought were mastered from 16mm EASTMANCOLOR prints (grainy, dark, and pale colors). It is worth it to pay the higher price, you get what you pay for.
Danny Kaye spoofs Robin Hood and Scaramouche in this inventive slapstick swashbuckler. Portraying the clownish but good-hearted entertainer Hawkins, he infiltrates the court of the corrupt Basil Rathbone (up to his usual brand of cruel villainy) disguised as the legendary king of jesters, Giacomo. After a court sorceress hypnotizes Hawkins into believing he is also a legendary assassin, Hawkins has more identities than he can keep straight, and Kaye zips back and forth between them at, literally, a snap of the fingers. Comic highlights include a wonderful sword fight with Rathbone in which he constantly switches identities, and the classic "chalice from the palace/vessel with pestle" wordplay as Hawkins plays "hide the poison" and forgets where it is. With comely Glynis... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Norman Panama - Melvin Frank DVD Release Date: Released the 30 March 1999 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Of all the Danny Kaye movies, this musical biography of the legendary vagabond storyteller is definitely the most poignant, extending the performer's range far beyond his usual comic shtick. It may not be as funny as Wonder Man, but it has so much more going for it. In fact, the film is really more about Kaye than Andersen, providing rare insight into his humanitarian ideals and rapport with children. The Frank Loesser score is beautiful, as is the Technicolor cinematography. Among the songs performed, "Inchworm," "Thumbelina," and "Ugly Duckling" are the standout favorites. --Bill DesowitzMore Info about this DVD Director(s): Charles Vidor DVD Release Date: Released the 06 March 2001 Usually ships in 24 hours
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If there's one movie Danny Kaye fans fondly remember, it's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. The versatile comedian--also an unsurpassed song-and-dance man--plays a henpecked, thriller-genre book writer suddenly enmeshed in a real adventure involving the (literal) girl of his dreams (Virginia Mayo). Initially criticized for not staying true to the more melancholic sensibility of author James Thurber's original story (Thurber allegedly offered producer Samuel Goldwyn $10,000 to not make the film), it not only works as an independent story, but remains highly entertaining and wears well upon repeated viewing. Kaye's milquetoast Walter fantasizes distractedly about being heroic, whether a gunslinger, an Air Force pilot, or a riverboat gambler. His "Anatole of Paris"... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Danny Kaye - Virginia Mayo - Boris Karloff Director(s): Norman Z. McLeod DVD Release Date: Released the 25 August 1998 This item is currently not available.
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Charging $259 for this DVD is ridiculous. Arsenic and Old Lace sells for $14.99, what's so special about this one? I love the oldies so I'm interested in purchasing Wonder Man but NOT at this price! More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Danny Kaye - Virginia Mayo Director(s): H. Bruce Humberstone DVD Release Date: Released the 29 September 1998 This item is currently not available.
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This was very interesting. I enjoyed it very much. I laughed, I cried, remembering all of the stars on his show that are not with us any more and the ones who still are. This is a very good variety show that I remember as though it eas yesterday when it was on TV. I enjoyed it and I hope you will too. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Danny Kaye DVD Release Date: Released the 09 April 2002 Usually ships in 24 hours
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