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Samuel Goldwyn Productions
Not part of a collection.
The glorious story of the greatest storyteller of them all!
A small-town shoemaker with a knack for spinning yarns, Hans encounters happiness and heartbreak on his road to becoming a full-fledged writer.
CinemaSerf
Sep 11, 2022 · via TMDB
It's quite easy to be harsh with this rather fanciful depiction of the life of the eponymous Danish writer. It doesn't bear much resemblance to the life of the real man, and it's rather episodic construction really doesn't help the film flow particularly well at all. That said, however, Danny Kaye and Charles Vidor have clearly had a powerful vision of what they were trying to achieve - and that isn't a biopic. It's a colourful and large scale series of fantasies that tug at the heart strings, make you smile, wince and tap your toes - just as the vivid imagination of the author would have had them do. Kaye plays the role in a characterful and engaging manner, depicting well the poverty, optimism and, yes, the chocolate box Denmark too, as the film takes us through synopses of some of the most politically subtle and potent "fairy tales" ever written. More than that, it's a visual feast with beautifully crafted costumes and scenery - though, the production looks at times, a little stage bound. Of course, to ice this cake, we have a beautiful soundtrack from Frank Loesser with a little help from Messrs. Schubert and Liszt delivering us timelsss standards that are maybe not the most lyrically challenging, but are songs of so many of our childhood's that show Kaye for the multi talented star that he was. I was not a massive fan of the choreography - I found it too precise and a little sterile at times, but the individual dancers are world class and when the story drifts into his fantasy world and leaves the fables to do the work, this is a thoroughly enjoyable 2 hours of escapism.
John Chard
Jul 24, 2019 · via TMDB
It's not a story of his life, just a fairytale about a spinner of fairy tales. So the opening written words say to us the very thing that many across the movie forums have failed to spot, namely that they wasn't going for first tier autobiographical on this! just a celebration of the name and his work is all. Who better to bring the great Dane to the screen than the ebullient Danny Kaye, his exuberant approach to the topic befits the glorious colour that positively sparkles in every frame of Charles Vidor's film. The story tracks the Cobbler Andersen as he leaves his hometown of Odense to seek a new life in the beautiful city of Copenhagen. It is here that he becomes known for his stories that bring about much joy to the children of Denmark - and here that he writes his glorious ballet version of The Little Mermaid. He gets into scrapes, he falls for a pretty girl, and most of all he discovers his vocation in life, this is indeed a delightful fairytale in itself. Sit back and enjoy The Emperor's New Clothes, Wonderful Copenhagen, Thumberlina and The Ugly Duckling, and then fall silenct for the 15 minute showing of The Little Mermaid in all its balletic glory. Hans Christian Andersen is a smashingly buoyant film, one that may come wrapped up in treacle for some folk, but for those of us with a sweet filmic tooth then the pleasures are there to be had. 8/10
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Fandango At Home
Danny Kaye
Hans Christian Andersen
Farley Granger
Niels
Zizi Jeanmaire
Doro
Joseph Walsh
Peter
Philip Tonge
Otto
Erik Bruhn
Hussar Dancer
Roland Petit
Prince in Ballet
John Brown
Schoolmaster
John Qualen
Burgomaster
George Chandler
Farmer
Fred Kelsey
Gendarme #1
Gil Perkins
Gendarme #2
Peter J. Votrian
Lars
Lee Aaker
Little Boy (uncredited)
Billy Bevan
Town Councilman (uncredited)
Barrie Chase
Ballerina (uncredited)
Sylvia Lewis
Ensemble Dancer (uncredited)
Noreen Corcoran
Little Girl (uncredited)
Beverly Washburn
Girl Outside Jail Window (uncredited)
Roland Petit
Choreographer
Charles Vidor
Director
Daniel Mandell
Editor
Samuel Goldwyn
Producer
Frank Loesser
Original Music Composer
Frank Loesser
Songs
Myles Connolly
Story
Les Franglaises - Le Viens-Retour
Neil Diamond: Greatest Hits Live
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Fleetwood Mac: The Dance
The Chorus
Anastasia
Kal Ho Naa Ho
The Ladykillers
Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 3
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
The Muppet Movie
Pinocchio
You, the Living
Heute hau'n wir auf die Pauke
Oliver!
Little Shop of Horrors
Dark Horse
Enchanted
Anchors Aweigh
Send Me No Flowers
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol
Going My Way
Peter Pan
Guys and Dolls
Schultze Gets the Blues
Hannah Montana: The Movie
High School Musical
Cry-Baby
Schlag auf Schlag
Love, Dance, and 1000 Songs
Shall We Dance?
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
A Song Is Born
Superfluous
Gigi
Head
Show Boat
The Producers
Pennies from Heaven
South Pacific
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
Blue Hawaii
Three for the Show
Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead
Freddy and the Millionaire
Duets
Song of Old Wyoming
Eve Knew Her Apples
Hurra, die Schule brennt
Testosterone
Cherry Pop
Charley's Aunt
Melodies of Spring
Mary I Love You
Rabbits Under the Shed
Mr. Xia And Miss Shang
Laali Ki Shaadi Mein Laaddoo Deewana
Planet of the Baybes
The Jungle Book - The Musical
Mary Poppins
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast
Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale
Strange Magic
Ballerina
Cats Don't Dance
A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits
Sketch
Puss in Boots
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Hansel and Gretel
Barbie
Barbie in the Nutcracker
The Boxtrolls
Godmothered
Arlo the Alligator Boy
Nanny McPhee
Disenchanted
UglyDolls
Freaky Friday
Mary Poppins Returns
Ella Enchanted
Better Nate Than Ever
Tom Thumb
Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return
Pinocchio
The Wiz
The Legend of Ochi
Alice in Wonderland
Cinderfella
101 Dalmatians
Sneakerella
The Nutcracker
Bogus
Dec 19, 1952
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Seven Dorms of Death
2015
Preview
1982
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Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
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