The Inspector General (1949)

Warner Bros, 1949

Starring Danny Kaye, Walter Slezak, Gene Lockhart, and Elsa Lanchester

Directed by Henry Kostner

Music and Lyrics by Sylvia Fine

Danny Kaye was at the height of his popularity as one of the most beloved comedians in the world when he did his one and only vehicle for Warners. Based on the 1832 Czech play The Government Inspector, and with music entirely by his wife Sylvia Fine, this also wound up being one of the biggest hits of Kaye's career. Is it still worth running for today? We'll begin in the small French town of Brodny, where the Mayor (Lockhart) and his corrupt cronies just got a most unwanted message, and find out...

The Story: The Mayor and his cronies are terrified when they get a message telling them that the Inspector General is coming to their town. The Inspector is known for demanding justice and honesty, and the Mayor and his family members whom he's assigned to office care about nothing but furnishing their own lavish lifestyle with tax money. They think a man who wandered into town and was arrested is the Inspector General. His real name is Georgi (Kaye), a kind but illiterate peasant who wandered into town after his gypsy boss Yakov (Slezak) fired him. The Mayor and his men dress him well and give him everything he asks for. The Mayor's wife (Lanchester) thinks he's her ticket out of town and flirts with him.

Even as Georgi enjoys their hospitality, Yakov makes his way to town and convinces Georgi to let him stay. Georgi is more interested in the pretty maid Leza (Barbara Bates). She tells him that the Mayor bought an organ for the church with taxpayers' money, then sold it to a nearby town. Yakov tries to convince Georgi to take bribes from the Mayor and his relatives to pay for the organ, then conspires with the Mayor to increase his sum. Georgi's horrified, even more so when the Mayor and his men plot to kill him. Yakov's quick thinking saves him, but Georgi manages to stop him from making off with the money. Fortunately for Georgi, the real Inspector General is on his way, and he's far more appreciative of honest men with no education than educated men with no honesty.

The Song and Dance: One thing I like about Danny Kaye is he's one of the few golden-age comedians who can pull off historical roles and manage to be dashing and funny at the same time. This would be his first of three historical movies (The Court Jester and Hans Christian Andersen would be the other two), and he runs with it, commanding when playing the Inspector, adorable and timid with Yakov, delightful showing off to the town in his patter numbers. Slezak and Lancaster take the other honors as his crafty boss who is more greedy than evil and the Mayor's love-starved wife. Gorgeous costumes and stunning Technicolor, even in the slightly blurry public domain prints generally available, ably bring the world of eastern Europe in the 1830's to life. 

The Numbers: We open with "The Medicine Show" as Kaye shows off his tongue-twisting dexterity Georgi's patter number intended to sell the phony elixir to the townspeople. "Brodny" is the chorus number that introduces Georgi to the townspeople as they all gather to greet the Inspector. It's heard again in the ending, as they salute their new Mayor. (He struggles to pull out his sword both times.) Georgi, nervous about being discovered, sings the title song after Yakov convinces him to stay. This goes into "Soliloquy for Three Heads" as three different versions of Georgi act as consciences and try to convince Georgi to stay or go. He does an instrumental acrobatic number with soldiers in training as he tries to hide from a general who saw him selling phony medicine with Yakov. 

Hoping to cheer up Leza and make her see that she can be more than a kitchen maid, he sings about "Happy Times" when they're downstairs together. One of the cronies (Walter Catlett) sings "Onward, Onward" when he's trying to explain his reasons for being corrupt to Georgi. Georgi launches into the "Gypsy Drinking Song" to distract the Mayor from his plan to retrieve the church organ, while the Mayor just hopes he drinks a poisoned glass of wine.

What I Don't Like: If you're not a fan of Kaye, you probably won't be into this. He has the lion's share of the songs except for the "Brodsky" chorus number and most of the best set pieces. This also doesn't have a lot in common with the book. In the original book, it was a Russian worker, not a French peasant, who accidentally fooled everyone. There was no church organ, no love interest, no gypsy boss or elixir. Fine's music, while not bad, isn't the best she's done for her husband, with "Happy Times" as the only standout.

The Big Finale: If you're a fan of Kaye or loved The Court Jester, you'll have just as much fun with his earlier venture into comedy in another time and place.

Home Media: Best place to find this public domain title would be on streaming. Almost every streaming service, especially the free ones, has it in one form or another.

Tubi

Pluto TV On Demand

Amazon Prime

YouTube

Family Fun Saturday - Peter Pan (1976)

ITV/NBC, 1976

Starring Danny Kaye, Mia Farrow, Briony McRoberts, and Virginia McKenna

Directed by Dwight Hemion

Music by Anthony Newley; Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse

This month, we'll be exploring vintage TV musicals for families on Saturdays, starting with this rarity. This was actually Kaye's second go-around that year in a made-for-TV family musical where he starred alongside a young woman playing a boy's role. I did Pinocchio with Sandy Duncan two years ago. Does this more delicate, slightly darker confection with Mia Farrow as the Boy Who Never Grows Up and Kaye as his most famous rival reach the same heights, or should it stay in Neverland? Let's begin with an unseen Julie Andrews singing the lullaby "Once Upon a Bedtime Story" over the credits as we see children at play in London of the 1900's and find out...

The Story: Peter flies in one night after a frustrated Mr. Darling (Kaye) has banished the Darlings' dog Nana outside. He's hoping to regain his shadow and hear more stories to tell the Lost Boys. Wendy stitches his shadow on and insists they all to to Neverland with him and his fairy friend Tinkerbell. The jealous Tinkerbell tells the Lost Boys to shoot Wendy down. They regret it when Peter tells them she's to be a mother for them. 

Peter is perpetually at odds with mincing Captain Hook (Kaye), who lost his hand to a ticking crocodile and has been avoiding the creature ever since. Hook first captures Princess Tiger Lily (Paula Kelly) of the Native tribe to bring Peter out of hiding, then tries to poison him and captures Wendy and the children. Tinkerbell takes the poison instead, with Peter calling the viewing audience to help save her before they take off to rescue Wendy and Peter's Lost Boys. Even after Peter frees them, Wendy and the boys do insist on going home...but Peter stays behind, preferring childhood to an uncertain real world.

The Song and Dance: There's a lot that's good here. The Native group looks a bit more realistic (and slightly less offensive) than usual for this story, including their decent ballet with an excellent Kelly as the regal princess. The Lost Boys are hilarious, and McRoberts is an adorable and sweet Wendy. Kaye works equally well as the flustered father in the opening and the elegant, flamboyant, villainous pirate. 

The Numbers: We open with that lovely "Once Upon a Bedtime Story" performed by Julie Andrews over the credits. "Sleep, My Sleepy Heads" is Mrs. Darling's (McKenna) lullaby to her children before she and Mr. Darling leave for the night. "We Should Be Together" Peter insists as he encourages Wendy to join him in Neverland. "When You Can Fly" is Peter's song as he teaches the children how to join him in the air. We get some (rather bad and obvious) special effects as they soar across London. The Lost Boys admit reluctantly that they miss their "Mothers, Mothers." 

Hook's first patter number is "They Don't Make Them Like Me Anymore," Hook's bragging about his adventures with the pirates. "Neverland" is the Tiger Lily's song as she and her tribe sing of their need to protect their home from pirates and perform a relatively intricate ballet. The Boys build a house for Wendy with "Windows of Hope." Peter wishes he understood his feelings for Wendy as he admits "I Wish I Had a Dream." Captain Hook's "By Hook or By Crook" is his kidnapping Tiger Lily. Wendy teaches the Lost Boys how to create their own fantasies as they "Just Pretend" they're a family. Peter's not ready for things like families. He'd rather never experience "Growing Up." 

Hook's last big number has him bragging about his villainy putting him in the "Hall of Fame." The pirates reprise "Mothers, Mothers" as they admit they miss their own parents as well, even Hook. The children sing the title song as Peter and Hook have their big duel in the end. Peter tosses in his own version of "They Don't Make Them Like Me Anymore" after he gets Hook in the water. 

What I Don't Like: Mia Farrow is completely miscast as Peter. She's too dainty, delicate, and feminine to be believable as a boy, and her singing isn't any better than it would be almost seven years later in The Last Unicorn. Tinkerbell is portrayed as a tiny light, which gets annoying after a while. The sound she makes is worse, more like a broken bell than a tinkle. Nana being played by an actor in a dog suit comes off far better onstage than it does on screen, where it just looks awkward and silly. While the Natives are treated slightly better here than in most versions of this story, they're still played by actors in bad red makeup (and their costumes are rather brief for a children's fantasy, too). Newley and Bricusse's songs are good but not great, with only "Once Upon a Bedtime Story" making any impression.

The Big Finale: Worth checking out mainly for fans of Kaye or Peter Pan in general. Everyone else will probably be fine with the Mary Martin or Cathy Rigby versions. 

Home Media: Which makes it just as well that the only place this can currently be found is on YouTube.

YouTube 

The Five Pennies

Paramount, 1959

Starring Danny Kaye, Barbara Bel Geddes, Louis Armstrong, and Harry Guardino

Directed by Melville Shavelson

Music and Lyrics by various

Our next big band leader may not have had the lengthy career that Goodman did, but he frankly had the more interesting story. Red Nichols began playing in his father's brass band at 12 before falling in love with early Dixieland recordings. By the early 20's, he'd joined bands in the Midwest, then moved out to New York. His own band was hugely popular...but first the hot jazz he loved was replaced by swing, then his beloved daughter came down with polio, and he left show business to help take care of her. His comeback in the early 50's made him a hit all over again. 

Danny Kaye was also trying for a comeback after his last three films hadn't done well at the box office. How well does his manic style work with Nichols' hot jazz? Let's start at a speakeasy in New York as Nichols (Kaye) brings his date Willa "Bobbie" Stutsman (Bel Geddes) to hear Louis Armstrong (himself) play and find out...

The Story: Nichols works with crooner Will Paradise (Bob Crosby) and his band, but he makes jokes about their softer style. He starts a band with his buddies Jimmy Dorsey (Ray Anthony), Glenn Miller (Ray Daley), Artie Schutt (Bobby Troup), and Dave Tough (Shelly Manne) that he calls The Five Pennies. They tour the United States and become wildly popular, especially among jazz-loving college students. 

He marries Bobbie, the band's singer, and they have a daughter, Dorothy (Susan Gordon). Dorothy is the darling of every musician in her father's band, until she contracts polio. Nichols gives up the band to settle in Los Angeles and help Bobbie take care of her. As World War II rages, he takes a job in the West Coast shipyards. Years later, the now-teenaged Dorothy (Tuesday Weld) hears his music and is shocked at how good he is. He claims he's no good anymore, but his wife and daughter know better. If Dorothy can walk at least somewhat well, her father can reclaim his place among the jazz greats.

The Song and Dance: This ended up being very sweet. I love how believable manic, goofy Kaye and warm, down-to-earth Bel Geddes are as a couple. Their up and down relationship is one of the best things about this movie, especially the first half, when they're still on the road. Kaye also works well with Gordon and Weld, and doesn't do too badly later either when he thinks he can never play again. 

The cameos here are pretty cool, too. Bob Crosby was a famous bandleader in his own right, Ray Anthony was an actual trumpeter, and Bobby Troup was a musician and songwriter. Honestly, the movie's worth seeing just for Kaye's delightful two numbers with Louis Armstrong. There's also the gorgeous (and for once, relatively period-accurate) costumes and sets. They and the sound were Oscar-nominated. 

Favorite Number: We open with three early songs turned into jazz hits by Louis Armstrong and his band at the speakeasy. Bel Geddes tries to get Kaye to move along with "Ja-Da," After they've joined their friend Tony Valani (Guardino) and his date at a table, Armstrong moves into "After You've Gone" and "Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home?" He doesn't think Nichols can play, but the younger man shows him otherwise with "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." Crosby croons "My Blue Heaven" as Nichols rehearses with his band, but Nichols finds his crooning absurd and makes fun of it. Nichols is far happier singing his own "The Five Pennies" to Dorothy. Bobbie (dubbed by Eileen Wilson) sings it again for her husband in the finale, when he also reprises "Battle Hymm."

Kaye joins the real Red Nichols for three very odd variations on "Back Home Again In Indiana" as he moves to different radio shows with very different sponsors and their national stereotypes! After the band becomes popular, we head to one of the college dances they would perform at and hear "Runnin' Wild" and "Washington and Lee Swing." Nichols is a little bit more worried about his wife bouncing around with the kids to "Follow the Leader" after he finds out she's pregnant! 

We see them take baby Susan on the road, singing "Lullaby In Ragtime" to calm the crying baby. Susan, now about 6, joins her father for "The Music Goes 'Round and 'Round" as he teaches her about his coronet. Hoping to get her to sleep, her father takes her to see Louis Armstrong. This turns into the delightful "When the Saints Go Marching In," with hilarious new lyrics written by Kaye's wife Sylvia Fine. The only way poor Susan can hear her parents at Christmas is to listen to her father sing "Jingle Bells" on the radio. Her father cheers up the children in her hospital room with the comic German novelty "Schnizelbank."

Trivia: That was the real Red Nichols playing his solos in the film. Nichols' comeback was, indeed, a success. He would continue to play venues across the US with his newly-formed orchestra until his death in 1965. 

Nichols' wild Charleston with the dancer (Lizanne Truex) in the opening wasn't scripted. She was only supposed to dance. He grabbed her and joined in. Shavelson liked it so much, he kept it in.

Keep an eye out for the quick cameo by Bob Hope - and the joke Nichols makes about him - as he and his wife and daughter wait to enter The Brown Derby Restaurant. 

Silent and early sound actress Blanche Sweet's last movie (she was the headmistress of the boarding school in the Christmas sequence). Danny Kaye's last film musical. 

What I Don't Like: This is about as sentimental as you can get, especially in the second half, after Susan contracts polio. Though the plot gets a lot closer to the truth than The Benny Goodman Story, it's still a huge pile of biographical cliches. Red played in a lot more bands before he formed his own. After swing supplanted hot jazz, he played in a lot of stage show orchestras and pit bands, which you don't really see. Willa was a dancer and chorus girl, not a singer, when she married Nichols. 

The Big Finale: This is a warm and loving look at a jazz legend who deserves to be better-known. Highly recommended for fans of Kaye or jazz. 

Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming.

DVD

Amazon Prime

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Emperor's New Clothes (1972)

Rankin-Bass/ABC, 1972

Voices of Danny Kaye, Cyril Ritchard, Imogene Coca, and Allen Swift

Directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass

Music by Maury Laws; Lyrics by Jules Bass

Though Rankin-Bass is most associated with holidays nowadays, they did release specials at other times of the year. This was intended to be the first in a series of hour shows featuring Kaye narrating and appearing in various fairy tales. The series never came to fruition, but they did get this pilot special out. Kaye was still associated with Hans Christian Andersen after his success in the 1952 film of that title, so Rankin-Bass opted to adapt one of his stories. Did it come out as well as their holiday shows, or should it be dumped on the Boulevard of Rogues? Let's begin with Kaye in live-action as he explains what we're about to see and find out...

The Story: Kaye takes the role of Marmaduke, a con artist who makes his way to the Empire of Bibbin when he hears about a tailoring contest. Emperor Klochenlocher (Ritchard), who is obsessed with clothes since the death of his wife, is holding a contest for a tailor to make him the best suit. Though the prize is one million gold pieces, the Emperor's daughter Princess Jane (Coca) claims there's no money in the treasury. The Emperor's jester Jasper (Bob McFadden) encourages his master's clothes addiction so he'll focus on clothes and spend himself bankrupt, allowing him to pay the emperor's tailors starvation wages and get rich himself. He tries throwing Marmaduke and his partner Mufti (Swift) into the Boulevard of Rogues, but they're able to escape.

The duo tell the Emperor and his prime ministers they can make a suit out of an amazing cloth that's invisible to those who are fools or unfit to rule. The Emperor doesn't want to look unfit, so he claims he can see it. Meanwhile, the two con men and Bucky, the orphan they've adopted (Gary Shapiro), hide the gold coins in a cannon, not realizing that Jasper's man Ivan intends to use it to shoot at the Boulevard of Rogues! Marmaduke's fallen for Jane, too, but Jasper intends to marry her and take the throne for good.

The Animation: By this point, Rankin-Bass were at their height of success with their stop-motion specials. The character designs are creative and fun, especially Jasper and Mufti, and they move fairly well. Some of the special effects are decent as well, especially when they shoot out the coins towards the end!

The Song and Dance: Kaye is clearly having a ball here playing against type as the roguish anti-hero who intends to take the Emperor for all he's worth, until he finds out what Jasper's up to. Ritchard has almost as much fun as the befuddled ruler who learns the hard way that clothes don't always make the man. Coca also has some good lines as the sensible princess who just wants her father to pay attention to her. The live-action opening sequences, with Kaye cavorting among real children in Denmark, are adorable and fairly well-done.

Favorite Number: We open with Kaye and the kids in Denmark as Kaye sings "Come Along With Me" to a world of fantasy. Our first number in the animated sequence is Marmaduke explaining to Mufti why "Clothes Make the Man." The Emperor reveals why he's such an easy mark for Jasper and the con men in "I See What I Want to See," a creative 2-D animation sequence that shows how he can ignore everything but his wardrobe. The other tailors who have come to Bibbin for the contest sing "The Tailor's Song" for Marmaduke. He tells the Emperor how the "Creation" of a new suit is a breeze for him and Mufti. Jane claims that "All You Need Is Money to Be Rich," and Marmaduke certainly thinks so!

What I Don't Like: The songs are cute, but they're not as memorable as some of the standards Laws and Bass wrote for their holiday extravaganzas. Oh, and there's a lot that's changed from the original Andersen story, probably to pad this out to an hour and make Kaye's character more sympathetic. The con artists were after money and their own gain, pure and simple, and they got away scot-free with everything. There was no princess or evil jester; the Emperor himself was the one who taxed people for his wardrobe. 

The Big Finale: If you're a fan of Rankin-Bass or are really into Kaye, this very funny fairy tale is worth parading the streets for. 

Home Media: Alas, this one is very hard to find on DVD nowadays and expensive when it does appear. You're best looking for it used. 

DVD

Back to School Again - Merry Andrew

MGM, 1958

Starring Danny Kaye, Pier Angeli, Salvatore Baccaloni, and Patricia Cutts

Directed by Michael Kidd

Music by Saul Chaplin; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

First of all, Musical Dreams Movie Reviews will be on vacation hiatus from Monday September 18th through the 25th. Reviews will resume the 26th. I'll be doing an extra review every week for the remaining weeks of the month, starting tomorrow.

Danny Kaye was on top of the world after White Christmas, and if the comic swashbuckler The Court Jester wasn't a hit in theaters, it was well-received by critics. MGM gave him a shot in the spring of 1958, with up-and-coming Italian beauty Pier Angeli as his leading lady and none other than celebrated choreographer Michael Kidd doing the dances and the directing. How well do they do with the story of an outcast teacher who falls for not only a circus aerialist, but the circus lifestyle itself? Let's start with Andrew Larrabee (Kaye) and his history class at a boy's private school in England and find out...

The Story: Andrew is very popular with his students, who love his songs about figures from ancient history and romances like Pan. His unorthodox teaching style doesn't put him over as well with the rest of the staff, especially his extremely traditional father Matthew (Noel Purcell). Matthew considers Andrew, his only son who has never published any research, to be a disappointment.

Hoping to finally publish a book and marry his fiance Letitia Fairchild (Cutts), Andrew bikes over to ancient Roman ruins in Sussex to spend his summer digging for a statue of Pan. When he arrives at the meadow, he finds the Gallini Family Traveling Circus and a sign that claims the meadow will be cleared for a new dairy farm. Andrew is able to convince the meadow's owner Lord Elmhurst to give him and the circus another week. 

Selena (Angeli), the Gallinis' aerialist cousin, is impressed with Andrew after he accidentally digs into the lion's cage and easily handles the animals. She and her family are even more delighted when he dresses as the ringmaster to avoid Letitia and his brother Dudley (Robert Coote) and puts on quite a show. She thinks he has all the makings of a clown. He's still more interested in finding that statue. After he and Selena are accidentally trapped in the tunnel where he's digging, her family insists they're engaged. Andrew is already engaged...but he's beginning to wonder if academia and his stuffy family and fiancee are really for him. 

The Song and Dance: Kaye has ample room for his brand of comedy here, with a story that's slightly gentler than usual for one of his vehicles. For one thing, I'm glad there's no real villain. Lord Elmhurst is set up to be in the beginning, but Andrew quickly deals with him. I'm also glad this is more of an overt musical than a lot of Kaye's vehicles. There's songs for Andrew's brothers teaching him how to deal with their father and the circus people in addition to Kaye's usual patter routines. We even get two of Kidd's vigorous, athletic dance routines. The Technicolor filming, with its contrast between the formal school and colorful circus, is gorgeous. I suspect it was filmed on location as well. 

Favorite Number: We open with Andrew leading his young students in teaching them about the "Pipes of Pan." His brothers encourage him to ask their father for the permission to marry Letitia with "Chin Up, Stout Fellow." Andrew claims "Everything is Tickety-Boo" during his ride to Sussex. The song is so catchy and cheerful, half the bikers in the English countryside end up joining him. He tries to explain "You Can't Always Have What You Want" to the circus people. "The Square of the Hypotenuse" is his big patter number when he's posing as the ringmaster. The circus performers honor what they think will be Selena and Andrew's wedding with the rugged dance number "Salud!" in the circus tent. 

What I Don't Like:  Neither Cutts nor Angeli have much in the way of chemistry with Kaye, making you wonder why he has such a hard time deciding between them at first. In fact, neither of them have much to do at all, especially Cutts. Cutts doesn't even get a song. The story is charming but a little too complicated, and rather silly in the end. Audiences at the time didn't know what to make of it, and some people today may have trouble as well. "Tickety Boo" is mildly catchy, but most of the other songs aren't nearly that memorable, including Kaye's patter number. No wonder this would be his last try at a traditional musical, and his second-to-last film musical period. There's also Kaye's in and out attempt at a British accent. 

The Big Finale: Not Kaye's greatest film, but there's enough here to enjoy for it to deserve a second look. Recommended for fans of Kaye or the robust, brassy MGM musicals of the 1950's. 

Home Media: Easily found on streaming and DVD, the latter in a remastered edition from the Warner Archives.

DVD

Amazon Prime

Musicals on TV - Pinocchio (1976)

CBS, 1976

Starring Sandy Duncan, Danny Kaye, Clive Revill, and Flip Wilson

Directed by Ron Field and Sid Smith

Music and Lyrics by Billy Barnes

Women playing young men or boys in male drag go way back on the stage. It was common as late as the 19th century for a young woman to play a boy or young man. This became less frequent as more roles were written with women in mind by the early 20th century, but it still occasionally happens to this day. Stage and TV versions of Peter Pan usually have a young woman in the title role. Duncan, who would later play Peter onstage in the 80's, plays both the wooden boy here and the daughter of an Italian actor (Danny Kaye) who wants to spread her wings and leave his troupe. How well does she do? Let's begin with that father and daughter pair as they quarrel about her leaving, just before the performance of Pinocchio begins, and find out...

The Story: Lonely Geppetto (Kaye) is delighted when his life-sized wooden puppet Pinocchio (Duncan) comes to life right before his eyes. He tries to send the boy to school, but he's easily led astray by anything even mildly tempting that comes across his path. First, he accidentally gets into a puppet show, only for the mean puppeteer Stromboli to try to lock him in a trunk and force him to remain. Pinocchio manages to escape that, only to run into a wily fox (Wilson) and cat (Liz Torres) who convinces him that if he plants the coins he got from his work with Stromboli, he can grow a money tree. 

After Geppetto gets his money back and scolds him for lying, Pinocchio is sure he'll make it to school now. This time, however, he's tempted by Candlewick (Gary Morgan), who insists there's a place he can go where he'll never have to attend school and can have nothing but fun. Not only is he away for three months, but it turned out that the "fun" the Coachman (Revill) who brought them there touted has far more sinister intentions. Even after Pinocchio manages to get away from that, he still has to rescue himself and his father from the belly of a whale.

The Song and Dance: Somehow, Duncan and Kaye manage to make this work. Duncan is wholly believable both as the daughter who wants to find a life outside their little troupe and the wooden boy who wants to learn more about everything. Kaye's almost as fun playing the kindly old woodworker who suddenly finds himself with the family he always wanted and the concerned father who wants to hang on to his daughter. Wilson and Torres have some good moments as the scheming fox and cat duo, too. The rainbow costumes, with huge skirts and tight jackets in bold primaries, makes the colorful world of seaside Italy pop off the screen.

Favorite Number: Geppetto opens by admitting he's "Talking to Myself" when he wishes for a real family and someone to talk to. Pinocchio asking "What's That?" leads into a huge ensemble number as Geppetto introduces him to his home, the townspeople, and the world around them. Pinocchio claims "I Like It" when he dances with the marionettes onstage and hears the applause and laughter of the audience as he dances with the real puppets. The fox and the cat encourage Pinocchio to plant his "Money Tree" to get "M-O-R-E," including enough money to buy his father anything he wants. 

Geppetto joins the townspeople again as he crows "Look at Me Now" that he's so happy to have a son. The kids going to Pleasure Island sing about all the "Fun, Fun, Fun," they're having, but Pinocchio wonders what would happen "If I Could Start Over." Geppetto tries to encourage him to make the best of life in the whale, but his son wails "I Want to Go Home."

What I Don't Like: While this is a more accurate adaptation of the book than some other versions, it does eliminate the roles of the Blue Fairy and Jiminy Cricket. They likely couldn't pull off a moving cricket and a fairy on a TV budget, and I suspect they wanted to put the focus on Pinocchio and Geppetto's relationship. Pinocchio has no animal conscience, and the magic that allows him to move is insinuated, rather than seen physically. Also, though the costumes are fairly elaborate, the cheap sets and obvious aquarium background when Pinocchio "swims" are dead giveaways to its small-screen origins. 

The Big Finale: Sweet and charming, this is well worth checking out if you have younger children who will enjoy the puppet's antics or are fans of Duncan or Kaye.

Home Media: The DVD is out of print in the US. Check streaming for this one - you can currently find it on Tubi for free with commercials.

Tubi

Amazon Prime

A Song Is Born

Samuel Goldwyn Productions/RKO, 1948

Starring Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Benny Goodman, and Hugh Herbert

Directed by Howard Hawks

Music and Lyrics by various

Kaye's movies had been among the top moneymakers for their year since Up In Arms debuted...but A Song Is Born ran into unexpected problems. Kaye was separated from his wife Sylvia, and he wouldn't sing anything that she didn't write. Hawks wasn't happy about remaking his 1941 non-musical comedy Ball of Fire and only did this because Goldwyn offered him a hefty paycheck. With all this going on, how well does the story of seven music professors who protect a nightclub singer come off? Let's begin at the old Victorian mansion that houses the Totten Foundation and find out...

The Story: Professor Hobart Frisbee (Kaye) and seven other professors have been writing a musical encyclopedia for the past nine years. They realize there's types of music even they don't know about when two window washers (dance team Buck and Bubbles) tell them about pop music - jive, big band, blues, swing, and be-bop. Frisbee goes to nightclubs in search of performers who can represent these types of music in their albums.

He returns with some of the most beloved musicians of the day, along with singer Honey Swanson (Mayo). Honey has her own reasons for being there. She wants protection from her gangster boyfriend Tony Crow (Steve Cochran), who wants to force her into marriage so she can't testify against him in court. Hobart and their stuffy housekeeper Miss Bragg (Esther Dale) object to Honey's hotter and sexier type of music at first, until she teaches Hobart about kissing. Hobart enjoys it so much, he falls for her and wants to marry her. Not only does Miss Bragg not approve and wants Honey out, but Crow and his boys are hot on her trail, too!

The Song and Dance: For all the trouble they had making it, this turned out to be unexpectedly fun. Kaye is an adorable befuddled professor, and while Mayo isn't Barbara Stanwyck, she's not bad as the tough-minded tootsie who causes a lot of the trouble. The big attraction here, of course, are the orchestras and singing groups brought together to jam in the second half. If you love swing or big-band music, you'll probably see at least one favorite musician here. Look for drummer Lionel Hampton, Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra (and references to his brother Jimmy), The Golden Gate Quartet, and Charlie Barnet and his group. 

Favorite Number: We open with the title number, which is heard over the credits and performed by Virginia Mayo (and dubbed by Jeri Sullivan) at the nightclub. Benny Goodman, who plays one of the professors, joins Ford Washington Lee (Buck) for "B-A-C-H Boogie" and "Anitra's Boogie." Tommy  Dorsey and his band lay into "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You," while Mel Powell gets "Muskrat Ramble." Lionel Hampton and Louis Armstrong show off the "Goldwyn Stomp" at the nightclub, while Charlie Barnet and his orchestra go on a "Redskin Rhumba." The professors all sing the old hit "Sweet Genevieve" for Honey, while the Golden Gate Quartet sing "Old Blind Barnabas." 

All the bands join in to ultimately fight off the bad guys - and bring down a drum on them - with the traditional spiritual "Joshua Fit de Battle of Jericho." The Quartet performs it first, but when that doesn't make the drum go in the right way, everyone joins in...including Hampton and Kaye's smashing performance on the drums!

What I Don't Like: This is actually a rather unusual role for Kaye. His rift with Fine means we don't get one of his usual patter numbers, and with the exception of the opening folk dance routine with Miss Totten (Mary Field) and the big finale, seems oddly detached from the proceedings. While it's not nearly as bad as Hawks made it out to be later, it lacks a lot of the sharper comedy in the original, as well as the odd juxtaposition between slangy Stanwyck and drawling Gary Cooper. 

The Big Finale: If you love the jazz and big band music of the 40's and early 50's, this is recommended for the cameos by many famous orchestras and musicians alone. 

Home Media: The solo DVD is currently very expensive, but it is available bundled with the other early Kaye Goldwyn movies on a Warner Archives set, and can be easily found streaming for free. 

DVD - Danny Kaye: The Goldwyn Years

Amazon Prime

The Kid from Brooklyn

Samuel Goldwyn Productions/RKO, 1946

Starring Danny Kaye, Vera-Ellen, Virginia Mayo, and Steve Cochran

Directed by Norman Z. McLeod

Music and Lyrics by various

This week, we're jumping from Universal to Goldwyn for two early Danny Kaye vehicles. This was Kaye's third movie, coming after Up In Arms and Wonder Man. It used most of the same cast as the latter, including Vera-Ellen and Virginia Mayo, and the same idea of a mild and meek Kaye going up against tough guys. Classic comedian Harold Lloyd did this in 1932 as the non-musical comedy The Milky Way. How well does the story of a milkman who turns boxer to impress a singer look with Kaye's brand of manic comedy? Let's begin with the Goldwyn Girls, as they doll up their bovine friends, and find out...

The Story: The opening number is actually a commercial for Sunflower Dairy, which is the company Burleigh Sullivan (Kaye) works for. He first encounters Polly Pringle (Mayo) when the horse pulling his milk truck collapses and he borrows her phone to call a vet. He's smitten and tries to get her a job as a singer at the nightclub where his dancer sister Susie (Vera-Ellen) works. That only ends up getting him fired. However, when he catches two guys trying to assault Susie behind the theater, he accidentally knocks both of them out!

Turns out the two guys were champion boxer Speed McFarlane (Cochran) and his bodyguard Spider (Lionel Stander). The story is picked up by local newspapers, which just gets Speed's manager Gabby (Walter Abel) angry. At least, until he sees Burleigh knock Speed out again and decides he wants Spider to train him as a fighter. Gabby wants to fix Burleigh's fights and bet money on them to win. Burleigh's ego inflates when he thinks he's doing it...until his old boss at Sunflower Dairy buys his contract and Gabby convinces him to do a charity fight with Speed for wealthy Mrs. LeMoyne (Faye Bainter). He'll need a little help from both women if he wants to survive in the ring!

The Song and Dance: Kaye's hilarious boxing bouts and his interaction with burly Stander and fast-talking Abel are the highlights of this one. Eve Arden also gets a few good lines as Gabby's sarcastic and knowing girlfriend Ann. Though the story is a bit simpler than Wonder Man, Goldwyn still spared no expense on the production. We get Technicolor, glittering costumes for the ladies, and some interesting sets, especially with the dairy number in the opening. Mayo and Vera Ellen have a little more to do this time, particularly the latter, who gets a romance with Speed and two big chorus routines. Bainter is hilarious in the second half as the patron of the arts who is the one who finally gets to take down Burleigh. 

Favorite Number: We open with the Goldwyn Girls as country gals in flowered hats and checked shorts, singing "The Sunflower Song" as they extol the virtues of dairy products and contented cows. "Hey, What's Your Name?" is Vera Ellen's big chorus number at the nightclub, as she performs with a male choir and the Goldwyn Girls in early 1900's dress. Mayo admits "You're the Cause of It All" once she does finally get a job at a club. Mayo's "I Love an Old Fashioned Song" at Mrs. LeMoyne's benefit gala with a kindly old policeman leads into another early 1900's dance routine for Vera-Ellen and the chorus, "Josie." Kaye disrupts the end of the number with Russian dancers and his homage to famous Russians, "Pavlova."

What I Don't Like: Honestly, the story's even thinner than Up In Arms, and it relies just as heavily on Kaye's brand of manic slapstick. If you don't like him, forget it. The songs aren't terribly memorable, and other than the opening dairy number with the Goldwyn Girls, don't have much to do with the plot. 

The Big Finale: One of Kaye's better Goldwyn vehicles if you're a fan of him or the leading ladies. 

Home Media: Easy to find on DVD and streaming. It's on many free streaming sites, including Tubi. 

DVD - Danny Kaye: The Goldwyn Years

Tubi

Saluting Our Troops - Up In Arms

Samuel Goldwyn Productions/RKO, 1944

Starring Danny Kaye, Dinah Shore, Dana Andrews, and Constance Dowling

Directed by Elliot Nugent

Music and Lyrics by various

We salute the men and women of the Armed Services for Veteran's Day with Danny Kaye's first feature-length movie and vehicle for Goldwyn. Ever since Eddie Cantor left in the late 30's, Goldwyn had looked for another star comedian of his caliber. He found him in former nightclub comic Kaye, who had just scored a major success on Broadway in the stage hit Lady In the Dark. Goldwyn spared no expense for Kaye's first film, pairing him with beloved radio singer Shore and heartthrob Andrews in what amounted to a World War II-themed remake of Cantor's first sound film Whoopee! How does the story of a hypochondriac who ends up in the Army look today? Let's start in the hospital, where elevator operator Danny Weems (Kaye) constantly rattles on to people about their non-existent health problems, and find out...

The Story: Nurse Virginia Merrill (Shore) is in love with Danny, but he's in love with another nurse, Mary Morgan (Dowling). Mary's really interested in Danny's best friend Joe (Andrews). Danny is horrified when he's drafted into the Army. All those germs overseas! Joe joins up to keep an eye on him. Mary and Virginia are also enlisted as Army nurses. Danny smuggles Mary onboard their transport ship to the South Pacific, but they're caught and he ends up in the brig. 

He's still in prison after they land on the South Seas island. That works to his advantage when he's inadvertently rescued by a troop of Japanese soldiers. He's going to have to do a lot more than worry about these guys' health when he has to impersonate their head commander and capture them himself!

The Song and Dance: Kaye bursts out of the gate running on his first try. He did a few low-budget shorts in the late 30's, but nothing like this. He runs with it, sometimes literally, whether he's rattling off lists of his non-existent symptoms (and everyone else's), or doing a song and dance in literal Hell with Shore. Shore's not bad as the nurse who is really interested in him. She manages to hold her own with him in the Hell number and sounds gorgeous on her ballads. 

Favorite Number: Kaye's best number is early in the film, when he recreates what sounds like Goldwyn's idea of the  musical Something For the Boys in lobby of a movie theater. He even gets the patrons doing a Carmen Miranda conga line at one point. Shore performs the gentle ballad "Now I Know" while making a record for the folks back home at a carnival. "All Out For Freedom" is the big rousing chorus number as everyone, the soldiers and the nurses, march onto the transport boat. The chorus also joins in for Shore's other ballad, the bluesy "Tess' Torch Song" on board ship. Kaye's other patter number, which he performs to distract the troops from Mary's presence, is "Melody In 4 F." 

The one for the books is Kaye's dream sequence near the end of the film. We first have him in a pastel nightclub, complete with pale blue goat on a leash, as he's about to marry his Mary. That dream turns quickly into something quite different as the Goldwyn Girls trade pastel bridesmaids dresses for slinky black gowns as they recline against spindly trees and Shore comes out scatting in a tight black gown. 

Trivia: Goldwyn originally planned to have the Disney short "The Gremlins" as the fantasy sequence, but the spot and short were eventually scrapped.

Dowling's film debut. Virginia Mayo can be spotted in the chorus. 

What I Don't Like: This hasn't dated any better than Whoopee! In fact, despite having a different story, it shares the same problems - namely, stereotyped minority characters and an extremely stiff second couple. Andrews, charismatic as he is, was never really comfortable in musicals. Dowling is so dull, you can't really understand what either man sees in her. The last 20 minutes, with Danny leading a troop of Japanese soldiers around while dressed as a stereotypical Japanese officer, will be more than a little uncomfortable for many viewers today. Not to mention, the sudden switch to action comedy doesn't really work well with the slapstick farce that came before it. There's also the abrupt ending, with one last doctor gag from Danny before a sudden, nonsensical reprise of his fantasy/Hell number with Shore and the Goldwyn Girls.

The Big Finale: This is only for major fans of Shore, Andrews, and Kaye or wartime musicals. Everyone else is advised to check out Kaye's better vehicles like The Court Jester or White Christmas before coming anywhere near here. 

Home Media: Available on streaming and on DVD as part of the Warner Archives set Danny Kaye: The Goldwyn Years. 

DVD - Danny Kaye: The Goldwyn Years

Amazon Prime

A Salute to Angela Lansbury - The Court Jester

Paramount, 1956

Starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Angela Lansbury, and Basil Rathbone

Directed by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama

Music by Sammy Cahn; Lyrics by Sylvia Fine

One of the Golden Age of Hollywood's last living legends, Lansbury passed away on October 11th. I'm surprised she didn't do more film musicals. She may have been too unique a character for the Golden Age, which preferred more traditional beauties. Danny Kaye came off the blockbuster success of White Christmas and into this, the most expensive comic musical made to that point. It wasn't a hit then, but does it deserve recognition from royalty nowadays? Let's begin with the jester of the title, Hubert Hawkins (Kaye), singing and clowning under the credits as he explains what's about to happen, and find out...

The Story: Hawkins is minstrel to the Black Fox (Edward Ashley), the dashing bandit who continually robs and harasses the court of King Roderick (Cecil Parker) and his court. He protects the infant heir to the throne of England, whom the king usurped. Hawkins would love to be a legitimate member of the Black Fox's group and impress lovely Maid Jean (Johns), but the Black Fox considers him to be little more than a fool. 

They're the only ones who can take the baby to safety when the Black Fox's hideout is discovered. They pass themselves as wine merchants, until they run into the surly jester Giacomo (John Carradine) on the road. Jean knocks him out and encourages Hawkins to take his identity. The king's advisor Lord Ravenhurst (Rathbone) actually hired Giacomo to kill the other three advisors. 

Meanwhile, Princess Gwendolyn (Lansbury) refuses to marry Sir Griswold (Robert Middleton). Her lady-in-waiting, the witch Griselda (Mildred Natwick), claims her true love is coming. Griselda hypnotizes Hawkins to be the robust lover Gwendolyn wants. However, there's also Jean, who was brought to the castle with the baby, and the fact that he can't hide his identity from Ravenhust forever. He'll have to play the role of his life to get out of this wild mess!

The Song and Dance: Danny Kaye is one of the few major comedians of the Golden Age of Hollywood who could pull off historical roles. He's just as funny at the court as he is dueling with Rathbone in the end or wooing Princess Gwendolyn. He's not the only one having a great time. Everyone puts in delightful performances, especially Lansbury as the strong-willed princess, Natwick as the crafty witch, and Rathbone as the oily Ravenhurst. Colorful sets and costumes show where all the money went as they ably show off a fairy-tale medieval England. The castle in particular is wonderful, with its many nooks and crannies. 

This is also a marvelous showcase for Kaye's tongue-twisting dexterity. "The pestle with the vestle" routine at the joust near the end is probably the most famous of Kaye's patter routines, and almost every character in the movie gets in on it. (Oh, and for the record, they broke the chalice from the palace.) 

Favorite Number: We open with Hawkins singing and dancing directly the audience under the credits, explaining why "Life Could Not Better Be." He continues as the Black Fox in the whirling opening number "Outfox the Fox" with his band of little people, until the real Black Fox comes in. He impresses the court with his whirlwind performance of "The Maladjusted Jester," a glum man who was so dreary, becoming a jester was the only way he could cheer up himself. He has two ballads, the gentler "I'll Take You Dreaming" to Maid Jean and "My Heart Knows a Love Song" later. "Ritual of Knighthood" is the big chorus routine, with all the knights doing a noisy Riverdance-style stomp before the court.

Trivia: Rathbone's last sword fight on film. 

"Life Could Not Better Be" was used as part of the theme song for Kaye's TV variety show in 1963. 

Two numbers were dropped from the film, a duet for Kaye and Lansbury, "I Live to Love," and a longer version of the "Pass the Basket" routine. Both are on the soundtrack. 

What I Don't Like: Perhaps a bit long for a comedy, and very complicated! Kaye's not kidding in the beginning when he sings "plot we got." They got enough plot for six swashbucklers. It may have been a bit much for many audiences in the mid-50's to take in. 

The Big Finale: If you love Kaye, Lansbury, Rathbone, swashbucklers, or 50's musicals, then this movie could not possibly better be. 

Home Media: Thanks to this being one of Kaye's most popular and well-regarded vehicles, it can be found easily in almost every format, usually for under $10. 

DVD

Amazon Prime

On the Riviera

20th Century Fox, 1951

Starring Danny Kaye, Gene Tierney, Corinne Calvert, and Marcel Dalio

Directed by Walter Lang

Music and Lyrics by various

Wonder Man was far from the last time Kaye played a double role. This is a remake of two earlier Fox musicals, the Maurice Chevalier vehicle Follies Bergere from 1935 and That Night In Rio with Don Ameche from 1941. How does this version stack up with those two? Let's begin with a montage of fun on the French Rivera as the title song accompanies glimpses of water skiing, sun-kissed shores, and beautiful people and find out...

The Story: American comedian Jack Martin (Kaye) is performing at a major nightclub in the Riviera with his French girlfriend and partner Colette (Calvert). One of his acts happens to make fun of a famous French aviator and hero, Captain Henri Duran (Kaye). Henri may be a hero in the eyes of the public, but to his glamorous wife Lili (Tierney), he's a philanderer who cares little about her. 

His partners are more concerned when they learn their aviation business may go under. Henri goes to Paris to secure funding, but his rival Felix Puriton (Jean Murat) has already come to the Riviera. Henri's partners hire Jack to play Henri and fool Felix into giving them money for their business, and then to play Henri at a party Lili's giving in his honor. Lili's delighted with the sudden change in her husband, and Jack's smitten. Collette, however, is not amused...and neither is Henri when he finally comes back.

The Song and Dance: Kaye's uncanny ability to play two people and a few good numbers carry this story. He's as believable as the smooth Henri as he is the everyman Jack and deserved his Golden Globe win. In fact, it's nice to see Kaye playing at least one non-nervous, non-foolish normal guy. Also, kudos to 20th Century Fox for attempting at least some authenticity in its mostly French cast. There's some nice Technicolor here, too, and absolutely stunning early 50's gowns. 

Favorite Number: As mentioned, the movie begins with the title song over a montage of the sights and sounds of the French Riviera. Jack picks it up with a bevy of dancers at the club. "Popo the Puppet" is a bizarre chorus number for Jack's big TV appearance that has the chorus in pirouette costumes and strings singing about Jack's annoying marionette character. (The song went over so well, Kaye continued to use it in his real-life act for years.) He sings "Chica Chica Boom Chic" while doing a wacky and kind of weird impersonation of Carmen Miranda. The stylized "Happy Ending" has Jack explaining why all movies should end pleasantly while dancers in black and yellow stripes do strange dramatic modern dance moves behind him. 

For my number, the best song here is "Ballin' the Jack." It's just Jack at the club, no chorus or fancy costumes...but Kaye gives it the right soft sell, and even manages to make it sexy. 

Trivia: The painting of Lili over the fireplace is actually the one of Tierney from the 1944 film noir Laura. It's the only time the portrait appeared in color. 

The color TV set they watch the "Popo the Puppet" number on is ahead of its time. Color debuted on American TV in the early 50's, but it wouldn't be seen in France until 1967, and even the US didn't really have regular color broadcasts until the mid-60's. 

What I Don't Like: "Ballin' the Jack" aside, this is a little bland compared to the antics and lunacy of Wonder Man. A heroic French aviator isn't nearly as much fun as a wacky nightclub comic. The story is also a bit dull, and the new songs other than "Popo" aren't that memorable. Tierney is obviously uncomfortable. She's a block of ice, not even really thawing after her husband admits he's willing to fight for her, and is clearly out of her element in a musical. 

The Big Finale: Fun for fans of Kaye who are willing to see him in a slightly different light.

Home Media: DVD only from 20th Century Fox's Marquee Musicals series. 

DVD

Wonder Man

Samuel Goldwyn/RKO, 1945

Starring Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Vera-Ellen, and Donald Woods

Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone

Music and Lyrics by Sylvia Fine

This week, we're going to dive into Danny Kaye's career with two of his more unique musicals. Not too many comedians could pull off a dual role...but Danny did it four times, twice in musical films, including this one. This was his second film for Samuel Goldwyn, and may be the first to show off the full range of his talents - singing, dancing, manic comedy, slapstick, even a bit of drama. How does this story of a history writer who gets involved with his louder twin's troubles look now? Let's start with the recent headlines in New York that reveal how comic Buzzy Bellew (Kaye) is the only witness to the murder of a chorus girl by gangster "Ten Grand" Jackson (Steve Cochran) and find out...

The Story: The moment Ten Grand is let out of jail, he has his goons Chimp (Allen Jenkins) and Torso (Edward Brophy) murder Buzzy in his dressing room. The only one who knows is Buzzy's meek twin Edwin (Kaye). He's more interested in writing his history book and dating pretty and smart librarian Ellen Shandley (Mayo) than his twin's problems, until Buzzy gets him into the park and possesses his body. Now Edwin has to dodge the crooks, do Buzzy's nightclub act, figure out what to do about his amorous fiancee Midge Mallon (Vera-Ellen), and explain to Ellen and the district attorney (Otto Kruger) that he's not crazy, before he joins his twin ten feet under!

The Song and Dance: Kaye jumps into the roles of the mild and shy Edwin and the wild and wacky Buzzy with relish. The special effects that allows Kaye to interact with himself won an Oscar in 1945 and still look good today, especially when Buzzy's possessing Edwin, or he's running around the park, grabbing onto tree limbs and kicking cops. Jenkins and Brophy have a few funny moments as Jackson's men, who can't believe Buzzy keeps turning up after they killed him. Lavish sets and costumes and gorgeous Technicolor bring sparkle to a relatively dark story.

Favorite Number: The film kicks off with the peculiar "Bali Boogie," a cross between Javanese dancing and swing that gives Vera-Ellen a chance to show off her dancing and Danny Kaye to mug outrageously. "So In Love" is Vera-Ellen's other big number as the Goldwyn Girls encourage her to wait for her boyfriend in colorful gowns and she ends up dancing with other guys. Buzzy takes control of Edwin's body to imitate a Russian going into sneezing fits over flowers at the nightclub in "Otchi Tchorniya," but it's Edwin who gets into the spirit of his big opera number in full Renaissance dress with real-life diva Alice Mock.

Trivia: Vera-Ellen's first film.

Fans of the East Side Kids and Bowery Boys comedies may recognize the sailor who punches Edwin after he thinks he's flirting with his girl. It's Huntz Hall, aka Satch, appearing in his only color film. 

What I Don't Like: Obviously, if you're not into Kaye's brand of manic comedy, this isn't for you. Vera-Ellen does get in on one big number and has another to herself, but Virginia Mayo could have been given more to do than fuss over Edwin standing her up. The songs aren't that great, and none of them really have much to do with anything, other than the opera spoof keeping Edwin away from the gangsters in the end. 

The Big Finale: One of Kaye's better Goldwyn vehicles if you're a fan of his or the two leading ladies.

Home Media: On DVD as part of the Danny Kaye: The Goldwyn Years set from Warner Archives; can also be found on streaming. 

DVD - Danny Kaye: The Goldwyn Years

Amazon Prime

Hans Christian Andersen

The Samuel Goldwyn Company, 1952
Starring Danny Kaye, Zizi Jeanmaire, Farley Granger, and Joseph Walsh
Directed by Charles Vidor
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesseur

This week, we're going to explore the world of fantasy with two very different retellings of favorite fairy tales. Danny Kaye was at the height of his popularity as a beloved comedian when he appeared in this supposed version of the life of the famous Danish author of The Little Mermaid, Thumbelina, and other romantic tales. How well does Kaye do with Hans and his stories? Let's head to tiny Odense, Denmark, in the 1830's to hear a story from Hans himself and find out...

The Story: Hans the Cobbler (Kaye) loves telling stories to the children of the town. He keeps doing it during school hours, upsetting the school master (John Brown). Trying to avoid being thrown out of town, Hans' apprentice Peter (Walsh) suggests they take their wares to Copehagen and try their luck there.

Upon their arrival, Hans is arrested for dancing on a statue of the king. Peter gets him out by offering their services to the Royal Danish Ballet. Hans falls hard for its prima ballerina Doro (Zizi Jeanmaire), but despite their seemingly antagonistic relationship, she's really in love with her husband Niels (Granger), the dance master. He even writes her a story, The Little Mermaid, which they turn into a ballet. Peter tries to tell Hans that Doro isn't interested in him, but he's too smitten to listen. His love life may not be all he hoped, but his stories become better-known after they're printed in Copenhagen's newspaper, finally making him a real writer.

The Song and Dance: This is probably Kaye's best-known solo vehicle, and I can understand why. He's a wonderfully warm Andersen, sweet with Jeanmaire and adorable with the children. This was Jeanmaire's debut; she's a fabulous dancer, is very funny sparring with the grumpy Granger, and is so sensual and flirtatious, you can understand why Hans became smitten.

This is also a really beautiful movie. Goldwyn went all-out in bringing Andersen's world to life. The color is exquisite, the costumes delicate and gorgeous, especially the stunning ballet outfits. My favorites are the unique transparent tutus seen on Jeanmaire and the ladies in the "No Two People" number and the colorful peasant outfits in Odense.

Favorite Number: I saw this a lot on independent TV stations when I was little, and it was my introduction to the delights of ballet and Frank Loesser. Of the three ballets in the film, by far the best is the lovely "Little Mermaid" in the finale. This may have been my first "Little Mermaid," well before the Disney film came out, and it's touching, romantic, and gorgeously danced.

Loesser wrote what may be his finest full movie score here. Kaye scores with the short but charming "Inchworm," sung in counterpoint with the children in school, the sweet "Thumbelina" in the prison with a little girl outside, and the gorgeous ballad "Anywhere I Wander" as he dreams of his adored Doro.

Trivia: Goldwyn had been working on this since 1936, and even considered doing it with Walt Disney at one point.

It was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Song for "Thumbelina."

What I Don't Like: Um, the spiel in the opening isn't kidding about this being "a fairy tale about a spinner of fairy tales." Other than him being Danish and a cobbler, this has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Andersen's real life. The idea of him being in love with a ballerina is sweet, but it's also pure Hollywood fantasy.

The Big Finale: If you have children of your own, or you love ballet, Loesser, Kaye, or the real Andersen's stories, you'll want to dance on over and check this one out.

Home Media: The Blu-Ray is out of print, but it can still be found fairly easily on DVD.

DVD
Blu-Ray

Animation Celebration Double Feature - Here Comes Peter Cottontail & The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town

Having covered the Rankin-Bass holiday specials Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus Is Coming to Town back in December, I thought it was only fair to do two of their Easter specials in April. Do these springtime tales measure up to their more famous Christmas counterparts? Let's head to April Valley, home of the Easter Bunny himself, and find out...

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Rankin-Bass, 1971

Voices of Casey Kasem, Vincent Price, Danny Kaye, and Joan Gardner

Directed by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr.

Music by Maury Laws; Lyrics by Jules Bass

The Story: Magical peddler Seymour S. Sassafras (Kaye) narrates the story of Peter Cottontail. Peter (Kasem) is a bright young rabbit who is initially chosen to be the new Chief Easter Bunny by Colonel Wellington B. Bunny (Kaye), at least until angry old Irontail (Price) objects. He wants to take over April Valley and end all the Easter preparations, thanks to his dislike of children, and sets up a contest between himself and Peter. Whomever finds the most eggs will become the Easter Bunny. Peter agrees, but not only does he stay up late at a party, Irontail sabotages his alarm clock and lets him oversleep. When Irontail wins by default, Peter flees in disgrace. Sassafras gives him an unusual time machine driven by Antoine the caterpillar (Kaye). They're supposed to return to Easter, but thanks to Irontail's meddling, they keep ending up in every other holiday, trying to figure out how they can give away their eggs.

The Animation: Both of these are done in the "animagic" stop motion style that made Rankin-Bass famous, but it looks fairly different in the two productions. Here, the colors are darker and a bit more saturated, the eyes on the bunnies wider, the characters a bit rounder. It's not unattractive - a scene in the rain where Irontail is announcing his changes has some well-done effects, as do the sequences at Halloween and the 4th of July.

The Song and Dance: One of the best voice casts of any Rankin-Bass special really brings character to this unique story. As well as he does as Sassafras and Colonel Bunny, I especially like Kaye as the hilarious and occasionally snarky Antoine. Price is having a blast as the vengeful metal-tailed critter, one of the few villains in any Rankin-Bass special to not be redeemed, and Kasem makes for a funny and sweet Peter. 

Favorite Number: Kaye gets two touching ballads encouraging Peter to not give up on his quest, "If I Could Only Get Back to Yesterday" when they're starting out in the Yester-morrow Vehicle and "In the Puzzle of Life" after Peter can't figure out how to give away his last eggs in the end. "Be Mine Today" is the cute Valentine's Day skating duet for Kasem and Iris Rainer as the girl bunny Donna. Antoine has a really fun number explaining to Peter why he should give out eggs on the 4th of July, "If You Can't Get It All Together, Improvise."

Trivia: This is based on the book The Easter Bunny Who Overslept, by Priscilla and Otto Friedrich. The song "Here Comes Peter Cottontail" was written by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins.

What I Don't Like: First of all, it would have been nice if Rankin-Bass' first Easter special actually focused on Easter, rather than the rest of the holidays of the year. Very little of the story is actually set at Easter. Antoine vanishes after the Christmas segment and doesn't reappear until the last few minutes of the show. This does set up for a nice gag in the finale, but his replacement Bonnie Bonnet (Gardner) isn't nearly as much fun. And the plot really doesn't make much sense. I have no idea how anyone would know he gave away the eggs on another holiday, or how this would count towards him becoming the Easter Bunny.

The Big Finale: Not as memorable as the Christmas specials, but far from terrible. Worth checking out for fans of the cast or those looking for non-religious Easter programming for kids.

Home Media: Can be found pretty easily on DVD, often for under five dollars. The just-released Blu-Ray is currently exclusive to Wal Mart.

DVD

The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town

Rankin-Bass, 1977

Voices of Fred Astaire, Skip Hinnant, Bob McFadden, and Meg Sargent

Directed by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr.

Music by Maury Laws; Lyrics by Jules Bass

The Story: S.D Kluger (Astaire) of Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town is back as narrator. This time, he's delivering mail by train, and all the letters are asking about the Easter Bunny. Seems the Easter Bunny was once simply known as Sunny (Hinnant), an abandoned baby rabbit discovered by the orphaned children of Kidsville. Sunny grows up to be a leader in the town, enough to encourage the kids to sell the eggs from the jazzy Hendrews Sisters (Jill Choder and Karen Dahle) over Big Rock Mountain in gloomy town. 

There's only two problems. First, Gadzooks the grouchy bear (Allan Swift) wants their eggs and won't let them pass. Even when they do manage to get around him, stiff Lady Lily Longtooth (Sargent) runs Town as the regent of her young nephew King Bruce (James Spies). Lily hates anything colorful and fun, including rabbits, children, and eggs, and keeps passing more and more laws forbidding them. Sunny has to find a ways to deal with both, and to prove to Lady Longtooth that his Easter traditions - and the fun of the spring holidays - will survive her strict ways.

The Animation: I don't know if it's the print on my DVD or how they were originally, but the colors here are a bit brighter and more pastel than on Peter Cottontail, almost on a par with Rudolph. The characters seem a bit rounder, and everything is softer and more delicate.

The Song and Dance: I'm going to admit, I kind of prefer this one over Peter Cottontail. While the cast isn't as good, the story is just as interesting and is a lot more relevant to Easter. In fact, it's the only Rankin-Bass Easter special to be fully set in the spring, with no mention of any other holidays. I believe Lady Longtooth is also their only female villain, and Sargent is quite effective as the rigid ruler who sees her hold on Town slipping away as Sunny becomes more beloved. My other favorite characters are the Hendrews Sisters, the chickens who make the special eggs. Their numbers may not have anything to do with the story, but they're still pretty funny, especially if you know anything about the real-life Andrews Sisters. 

My favorite part is the sequence where Sunny and King Bruce invent the "traditional" method of eating an Easter egg. Yeah, that's how we always did it in my family, too. (And I admire Bruce for being able to peel the shell off like that. I'm afraid I'm not an expert.)

Favorite Number: The Hendrews Sisters are introduced by "The Chicken or the Egg?," a perky query spoofing one of the eternal questions. They also get "Trainyard Blues" with Chugs, the train who ends up carrying Sunny and the others to Town. Astaire's best number is in the finale, where he, Sunny, and the kids encourage Chugs to "Think 'Can Do.'"

What I Don't Like: For all the talking up of how good of a leader he is and how much he's loved, Sunny just isn't that memorable of a character. He lacks Peter's laid-back cheekiness or Kris Kringle's warm good nature. Gadzooks is too cuddly to be much of a threat, even before he's reformed. As much as I love the Hendrews Sisters, neither they nor their "Chicken or the Egg" number really have much of an impact in the plot. 

And...yes, it's pretty obvious that this is an Easter-themed rehash of Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, right down to Fred Astaire narrating as the same character and the same opening spiel with the newsreel footage. 

The Big Finale: This used to show up on cable, especially The Disney Channel, a lot when I was a kid. I suspect that may be why I like it so much now. If you're looking for a fun Easter special for kids or something for them to pass the time while waiting for people to hide the eggs, you can do a lot worse than these.

Home Media: Unlike Peter Cottontail, it can be found on a few streaming platforms as well as DVD. 

DVD

Amazon Prime

White Christmas

Paramount, 1954
Starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Vera-Ellen, and Rosemary Clooney
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin

This one comes partially by request by frequent reader "Spike"...and partially because it's one of, if not the most beloved of all Christmas musicals. It runs constantly on cable during the holidays, especially on American Movie Classics, and has become a huge favorite of many musical lovers. It was even made into a stage musical in 2004. Does the film hold up as well as it did when it was the biggest hit movie of 1954? Let's head to a World War II Army camp to find out...

The Story: Bob Wallace (Crosby) and Phil Davis (Kaye) meet during World War II when Phil saves Bob's life from a falling building during a show they put on for the outgoing General Waverly (Dean Jagger). Davis convinces Wallace to become his partner. They go on to have a huge act in the post-war era, eventually becoming Broadway producers.

By the mid-50's, Phil is tired of Bob's workaholic tendencies and is trying to pressure him into getting married. He's not buying it, until they meet the beautiful Haynes sisters at a Florida club. Elder sister Betty (Clooney) is sensible and steady; her younger sister Judy (Vera-Ellen) is more spontaneous. Phil sees that his friend is eyeing Betty and tries pushing them together. He even pays for the girls' tickets out of town when the sheriff comes after them. Bob's not happy about that at first, until the girls thank them for it. Phil even manages to talk him into following the ladies to Vermont.

Betty and Judy have a gig at a small New England inn, but they may not be able to keep it at first. The inn isn't doing well. Vermont hasn't had snow in weeks. Not only that, but the inn is run by none other than the former General Waverly, who sunk everything he had into buying and remodeling it. Bob and Phil first help by bringing their Broadway show to the in to draw customers. After Bob sees how upset Waverly is when he's turned down for a military commission, he comes up with a plan to make him feel like he's wanted. Bob's not as lucky with Betty, who leaves when she thinks he's using the General to get ratings. He's hoping he can get her back...right in time for the title song to come true...

The Song and Dance: The music, colorful widescreen cinematography, and some fine performances carry the day here. The four leads absolutely glow in their numbers, especially in the more upbeat first half. Kaye in particular is having a ball as the goofier half of the partnership, and pairs well with spunky Vera-Ellen. The Technicolor and VistaVision widescreen cinematography is spectacular. As beautiful as the real Vermont is, it never shown quite like this, in rainbow colors that make it look more like Oz than Montpelier.

Favorite Number: The two versions of "Sisters," both with the girls and the spoof routine with the guys, are hilarious must-sees. Kaye is having the time of his life in the guys' version, and his enthusiasm eventually spreads to Crosby as well. Minstrel shows aren't highly regarded today, but the Minstrel Medley that features the old Berlin revue hit "Mandy" and a few corny jokes (not to mention some odd color choices) is so lively and enjoyable that you can mostly overlook the dated origins. Kaye gets to show off his own fine dancing abilities in his duet with Vera-Ellen, "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing."

The movie's best number occurs right in the first five minutes. Bing performs "White Christmas" while accompanied by nothing but a tinkling music box and bombs falling in the distance. It's a truly touching moment, and probably my favorite part of the movie.

Trivia: The movie was originally intended to be a reunion between Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire after the success of Holiday Inn and Blue Skies in the 40's, but Astaire declined the role. His replacement Donald O'Connor got sick and had to drop out as well. Danny Kaye eventually filled in.

The photo that Bob shows Phil of "Freckle Faced Haynes, the Dog-Faced Boy" is actually of Carl Switzer, the original Alfalfa on the Our Gang/Little Rascals shorts.

Two of the songs that debut here were actually written for other projects. "What Can You Do With a General?" was intended for the unproduced Stars On My Shoulders, while "Snow" was originally titled "Free" and had been cut from the Ethel Merman stage show Call Me Madam.

"Count Your Blessings" was nominated for an Oscar in 1955, but lost to the title song from Three Coins In the Fountain. It would be Irving Berlin's last song nomination.

What I Don't Like: It's the second half where things falter. The whole fuss between Betty and Bob could have been settled by just talking like sensible people without her taking off. She  should have asked Bob for the whole facts, rather than jumping to conclusions and assuming he was going to use the General for ratings. (Especially given that she was well aware that Emma wasn't the most reliable source of information.) The musical number "Choreography," with its weird, stylized dance moves intended to parody the dancers-turned-directors of the 40's and 50's, is a dated oddity that's doesn't really fit in with the film's more nostalgic or comic tunes.

The Big Finale: I personally prefer the earlier, less elaborate Crosby movie Holiday Inn, but this one certainly has many charms of its own. A terrific cast sings some mostly great Irving Berlin music backed by some of the most colorful cinematography of the 1950's. No wonder this has become a favorite of many during the holidays. Even with the duller second half, it's still highly recommended.

Home Media: I have the original 2009 DVD release, but it's been upgraded at least twice since then. The current version can be found on its own as a DVD or Blu-Ray or paired with It's a Wonderful Life (another popular holiday classic that Paramount currently owns) on DVD, as well as on most streaming platforms.

DVD
Blu-Ray
DVD - Classic Christmas Collection 2-Pack (with It's a Wonderful Life)
Amazon Prime