New York City book editor Walter Mitty (Danny Kaye) is constantly put down by everyone in his life, but a vivid imagination helps him escape; suddenly, he gets mixed up in the hunt for Dutch crown jewels. One of Kaye’s most popular films altered James Thurber’s original story to the point where the author derisively called the film “The Public Life of Danny Kaye”. Far from a great comedy, but still a very colorful tale with elaborate fantasy sequences that give its star many chances to play around with a wide range of comical characters. The “Anatole of Paris” patter act is a standout.
1947-U.S. 110 min. Color. Directed by Norman Z. McLeod. Short Story: James Thurber. Cast: Danny Kaye (Walter Mitty), Virginia Mayo (Rosalind van Hoorn), Boris Karloff (Hollingshead), Fay Bainter, Ann Rutherford, Florence Bates.
Trivia: A young Robert Altman can be spotted as an extra. Remade as The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013).
