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DANNY KAYE: FILMOGRAPHY

Vic Sage Jun 09 2014 01:05 PM Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Jun 09 2014 01:17 PM

David Daniel Kaminsky was a child of Ukranian Jews living in Brooklyn. He became a Borscht Belt entertainer and a vaudevillian in the 1930s before starring on Broadway in Lady In the Dark (1941, K.Weil / I.Gershwin) and Lets Face It! (1941, Cole Porter). Both were successful productions, allowing Kaye to use all his comedic and musical gifts. The fast patter songs (many later written by wife Sylvia Fine) became a staple of his performances. He would only appear on Broadway once more, 30 years later in the failed Richard Rodgers show, Two By Two (1970). Also during the 1940s, he had his own radio show, The Danny Kaye Show (CBS, 1945–46), made hits records with the Andrews Sisters, but mostly he spent the decade becoming an international movie star. Up in Arms (1944) - This dated service comedy co-starred Dinah Shore and got Oscar nominations for a Harold Arlen song and for its score. It also had Virginia Mayo, who would later co-star with Kaye in many of his films. Wonder Man (1945) - Playing twins (one a ghost), up against gangsters, with Mayo and Vera-Ellen. The twin theme, where Kaye plays both a coward and a hero, was a common trope in his films. More music nominations, and some songs by wife Sylvia Fine. The Kid from Brooklyn (1946) - With Mayo and Vera-Ellen again, this time as a milquetoast milkman who becomes a boxing champion. He continues to develop his screen persona as a weak male who unexpectedly backs into heroism and wins the girl. Kaye performs a Sylvia Fine song, “Pavlova”, but otherwise it's not a strong score. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947) - This time Kaye is a daydreaming, henpecked milquetoast whose fantasies cause him to stumble into a spy ring and save Mayo again. Many of Fine's funny patter songs, including “Anatole of Paris”. The films was a big hit, with a still-strong critical reputation, but it was not one of my faves. A Song Is Born (1948) - Howard Hawks' musical remake of his earlier Gary Cooper film ”Ball of Fire“ with a script by Billy Wilder, stars Kaye as a shy musicologist who falls for a girl (Mayo) hiding from gangsters. This familiar setup features supporting performances by the leading jazz musicians of the time (Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey). But Kaye had separated from his wife, Fine (he had been having an affair with Eve Arden), and she would not write songs for the film, and Kaye wouldn't perform anyone else's songs, so he didn't sing in the film. Needless to say, it was a flop. The Inspector General (1949) - The cowardly Kaye impersonates a govt official in a small corrupt town. Fine is once again writing his songs (though technically remaining married, they stayed separated from then on). They songs comprise a terrific score, particularly "Happy Times". The twin personality trope is in full bloom. This is one of his very best. After "The Inspector General", Kaye cemented his international appeal with command performances for England's royal family at London Palladium. In 1952, Kaye's fame was such that he hosted the Academy Awards that year. Having left the nest of his long-time producer Sam Goldwyn, he created his own production company, and some of his best films were still to come. On the Riviera (1951) - A hit he made for Fox, this "backstage musical" has Kaye once again playing twins (lookalikes, actually), this time in Paris, opposite Gene Tierney, with songs by Ms. Fine. More music nominations resulted, but a ragtime oldie, "Ballin' the Jack" was the hit. Hans Christian Andersen (1952) - Back with producer Goldwyn, Kaye stars in this entirely fictionalized "bio" (offered as more of a fairy tale than a historical work) of the Danish storyteller, with a script by Moss Hart and a terrific score by Frank Loesser. Garnering 6 Oscar nominations, this is one of the best films of Kaye's career. Maybe THE best. Knock on Wood (1954) - Kaye produced this one; a neurotic ventriloquist falls for his psychiatrist and goes on the run from a spy ring, with songs by Fine, but the formula is getting old here. Still, it was a hit in its time. And the co-writers (Melvin Frank & Norman Panama) got an Oscar nomination for their script, and they co-directed as well; this was the first of 3 films they would do with Kaye. White Christmas (1954) - This service comedy/buddy movie/Rom-Com teams Bing Crosby with Kaye in a holiday musical for the whole family, co-starring Vera-Ellen and George Clooney's aunt Rosemary. It's saccharin, but the Berlin numbers are winning, and it has become a holiday staple (and a seasonal touring stage production). The Court Jester (1956) – In their 3rd try, The Frank/Panama team turns out one of Kaye's best in this Robin Hood spoof/homage, with Kaye as a cowardly jester hypnotized into becoming a dashing hero to save the kingdom (and Glynis Johns) from the evil Basil Rathbone. It features some of Fine's best songs, written with Sammy Cahn (including the lovely "I'll Take You Dreaming"). Though a financial bomb on its initial release, it became a TV staple and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." After all, the vessel with the pestle has the pellet with the poison... After the pinnacle of “The Court Jester” its lack of financial success signaled a turn in Kaye's career, and his final films left much to be desired. Merry Andrew (1958) - Musical misfire about an English professor and a circus, with songs by Johnny Mercer, and directed by famed choreographer Michael Kidd. Me and the Colonel (1958) - Kaye’s first non-musical, this WW II comic drama adapted a Broadway play about anti-semitism in Europe and was originally well received (Kaye won a Golden Globe for his performance) but has become largely overlooked since. The Five Pennies (1959) – this overly sentimental biopic about 30s’ big band trumpeter Red Nichols garnered some Oscar nominations, and has Louis Armstrong, too, but hasn’t stood up. On the Double (1961) – Kaye goes back to the well once too often with this totally derivative “service comedy”, with Kaye playing lookalikes (a coward and a British general), as D-Day approaches; naturally, he becomes a hero and gets the girl. Fine's songs don’t help. The Man from the Diner's Club (1963) – Frank Tashlin,(Jerry Lewis’s collaborator) directed this awful grand finale for Kaye’s movie career. No songs, just slapstick. Telly Savalas steals the show. Kaye’s films no longer made money so he started to transition to television in 1960. His first solo effort was a 1-hour special produced by Sylvia Fine, with similar specials in 1961 and 1962. He then hosted a variety hour on CBS television, The Danny Kaye Show, from 1963 to 1967, which won four Emmy awards and a Peabody award. In 1976, he did excellent TV musical adaptations of Peter Pan (with songs by Bricusse and Newley) and Pinocchio (co-starring Sandy Duncan), and a few years later, did the TV drama, Skokie (1981), for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe. After that, all he did was guest appearances on various TV episodes. His later years were primarily involving charitable work he did with UNICEF, conducting orchestras, becoming a professional quality chef, flying planes, and living life. He died in 1987. As a poor kid from Brooklyn who never finished high school, he made himself into a modern renaissance man, as an actor/singer/dancer/comedian/tummler/philanthropist/chef/pilot/ambassador, who was successful in clubs, on stage, on records, on radio, in films, on TV, in concert halls, in kitchens, at the UN, and in the sky… without a peer in his time. But his wide range of talents and interests was not demonstrated by a long list of great films; there weren't that many (15 films over a 20-year movie career, before moving on to TV), with most of them following a narrowly defined formula, and only a few still worth seeing today. But the complete range of his creative life is still something special to appreciate. Best of: Wonder Man (1945) The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947) The Inspector General (1949) Hans Christian Andersen (1952) White Christmas (1954) The Court Jester (1956)

Edgy MD Jun 09 2014 01:09 PM Re: DANNY KAYE: FILMOGRAPHY

Was Sylvia Fine related to Larry?

Vic Sage Jun 09 2014 01:14 PM Re: DANNY KAYE: FILMOGRAPHY

no. Larry was a "Feinberg" from Philly; she was a "Fine" from Brooklyn.

Edgy MD Jun 09 2014 08:28 PM Re: DANNY KAYE: FILMOGRAPHY

Interesting that he blew his marriage up not over some gimlet-eyed climbing starlet, but over somebody funny.

RealityChuck Jun 10 2014 07:55 AM Re: DANNY KAYE: FILMOGRAPHY

Vic Sage wrote: After all, the vessel with the pestle has the pellet with the poison... No. As Angela Lansbury pointed out, "The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon; the vessel with the pestle holds the brew that is true."

Benjamin Grimm Jun 10 2014 08:09 AM Re: DANNY KAYE: FILMOGRAPHY

I know that it was Donald O'Connor who co-starred with Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain, but there's some part of my subconscious that keeps trying to convince me that it was Danny Kaye. I really haven't seen much of Danny Kaye's work. The only movie of his that I've seen as an adult is White Christmas. I think I saw Walter Mitty and Hans Christian Anderson when I was a kid, but I have little memory of either of them. I seem to remember him as a guest star on TV variety shows, but I'm not even sure of that.

Edgy MD Jun 10 2014 08:26 AM Re: DANNY KAYE: FILMOGRAPHY

Well, by all means, take the day off from work and watch The Court Jester. I remember seeing footage of Kaye entertaining destitute European children during the post-war relief period, doing the mock-European accents that he (and Sid Ceaser) did so well. I don't know how well such humor would go over today, but you must pretty damn funny to make kids crack up by talking a jibberish version of their own language to demonstrate what it sounds like to you. Pretty funny how many of his performances were of the dual role/milquetoast-bully variety.

batmagadanleadoff Jun 10 2014 10:15 AM Re: DANNY KAYE: FILMOGRAPHY

A few years ago, I discovered this absurdly terrific baseball song from Mr. Kaye on the FAFIF web site. [youtube:pk4raz9j]u7qYcyUjDPU&feature=kp[/youtube:pk4raz9j]

Vic Sage Jun 10 2014 01:50 PM Re: DANNY KAYE: FILMOGRAPHY

Edgy MD wrote: Well, by all means, take the day off from work and watch The Court Jester. I remember seeing footage of Kaye entertaining destitute European children during the post-war relief period, doing the mock-European accents that he (and Sid Ceaser) did so well. I don't know how well such humor would go over today, but you must pretty damn funny to make kids crack up by talking a jibberish version of their own language to demonstrate what it sounds like to you. Pretty funny how many of his performances were of the dual role/milquetoast-bully variety. yes, I'd agree that COURT JESTER is the one to watch, if you're only going to watch one (if you were willing to watch 3, I'd also recommend dd INSPECTOR GENERAL and HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON). Kaye worked a lot with kids, through UNICEF and other charitable work. Kids were his primary focus. As to the gibberish, kids have always found funny sounds funny, and i think it'd still be true today. Maybe his and Sid Ceasar's talent for it could be accounted for by the fact that they both grew up poor in NYC, living in polyglot enclaves where they were exposed to the sounds of foreign languages and dialects all day every day. Or not. Just a thought. There were many other entertainers from that background who never employed the technique. As for the dual role motif, yes, its the primary narrative device in many of his films (even his first one, UP IN ARMS, while primarily a rom-com and a service comedy, has a story that turns on his impersonation of an enemy general). I think it allowed him to demonstrate his range, playing the weakling and the hero simultaneously. He was like the comedy teams of his era -- Hope & Crosby, Martin & Lewis -- but all in one. He was the both the lover and the clown, and the conflict between those 2 roles often provided the comic, dramatic and romantic tension for his films. I do think, however, he became too reliant on the conceit, and rather than demonstrating his range, i think its success as a story device ultimately limited him to that formula more than was good for his film career.

Vic Sage Jun 10 2014 02:08 PM Re: DANNY KAYE: FILMOGRAPHY

Edgy MD wrote: Interesting that he blew his marriage up not over some gimlet-eyed climbing starlet, but over somebody funny. Arden was just one of the women with whom he had affairs. It was also rumored that his wife was not thrilled by Mr. Kaye's homosexual affairs, either. Its been a long-standing theory that Kaye and Laurence Olivier had a 10-year affair throughout the 1950s, while Olivier was marred to Vivien Leigh. She claimed it was Kaye who broke up her marriage (but she was mentally unstable, so who knows). NTTAWWT

Benjamin Grimm Jun 10 2014 02:32 PM Re: DANNY KAYE: FILMOGRAPHY

If I was married to Vivian Leigh, I doubt that Danny Kaye would be able to tempt me into infidelity. But maybe that's just me.

MFS62 Jun 12 2014 10:21 AM Re: DANNY KAYE: FILMOGRAPHY

Saw all of the pre- Court Jester movies. The only later efforts I remember seeing and liking were Me and the Colonel and Pinocchio. He was quite a talent. They don't make 'em like that any more. Later