Matcollis This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Breakinger A Brilliant Conflict

Hulkeasexo it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

Bluebell Alcock Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

writers_reign My vote is largely for the superb score by Frank Loesser; written a scant two years after his great Broadway masterpiece Guys And Dolls the most striking thing about it is its complete difference to the Broadway musical with the only commonality being the melodic melodies and literate lyrics. Danny Kaye, of course, phones it in, and whilst its easy to see how a child may be captivated by his easy charm the adult will note the cynicism at work and the calculation that goes into every smile to ensure just the right amount of sincerity, not too little, not too much, in some ways Kaye was the Olivier of the cinema. On the other hand Sam Goldwyn clearly instructed his creative team to come up with an entertaining, schmaltzy musical full of sentiment and songs and, let's face it, he got just that.

edwagreen A lovely film to inspire children and adults of all ages is this 1952 Charles Vidor directed film starring Danny Kaye, the magnificent, in the title role.With songs such as Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen and Thumbalina, how can you go wrong.As the cobbler who spins his tales to children, Kaye is inspiring as he finds the true meaning of life when he and the orphan he has adopted leave their small town in Denmark to travel to the big city of Copenhagen. Falling in with a tempestuous ballet coordinator, Farley Granger, and his wife Jeanmaire, Andersen sees the very difficult Granger and falling in love with his wife,the ballerina, he writes a ballet, The Little Mermaid for her.When he realizes at the end the two despite their differences love each other, he returns with Peter to the small town to bask in his triumph of success as he once more sings and tells his stories to children.

Neil Doyle Artistically, "Hans Christian Anderson" is wonderful to look at with beautifully designed sets and costumes and a sprightly score that uses his fairy-tales for inspiration. And there's no doubt that DANNY KAYE was highly suited to this kind of material with its major appeal for children.But there are drawbacks--the biggest one being the length which drags in spots and is uneven throughout. The performances are fine and almost make you forget that the slow spots are there. FARLEY GRANGER is fine as the ballet director dealing with a temperamental ballet star JEANMAIRE. However, it doesn't help that the climactic LITTLE MERMAID ballet is dull and much too long.The score saves the picture from being too sappy at times, with numbers like "Thumbalina," "The Ugly Duckling" and "Wonderful Copenhagen" that brighten the story with clever lyrics and sprightly tunes.Kaye is less frenetic than usual as Hans and overall it's one of his best performances. Children should love it.

TheVid This rather sophisticated musical appears to have been inspired by the visionary and dreamy Powell/Pressburger classic THE RED SHOES. It's as much a stylized romance as it is a kiddie picture, with Kaye refraining from indulging in the manic twittering he's generally known for, and becoming a rather poignant protagonist. That's not to say the whole family can't get something out of it, but the script makes no small point of creating sexual tension within it's romantic framework. Goldwyn wanted to make this picture for years, but couldn't find a script to satisfy him. Moss Hart finally came up with this one, and it's a surprisingly multi-dimensional one. Frank Loesser's music and lyrics are wonderful.