Danny Kaye Today!

[Sue Sue Applegate]

I am really enjoying Dena Kaye chatting with Ben Mankiewicz about her father, Danny Kaye.

I think there was an extended interview with her on the DVD of On the Rivera.

Right now, Me and the Colonel is showing, and it is not your usual Danny Kaye technicolor extravaganza with puns, word play, songs and dances. I've neer seen this film and it is so enchanting because the crusty Curd Jurgens, and the lovely Nicole Mauret accompany Kaye as he flees Paris.

Kaye plays a Jewish refugee and they keep running into nasty Nazis and gasoline shortages. Martita Hunt and Alexander Scourby also add to the action of all these entertaining actors. Kaye won a Golden Globe for this performance.

Dena Kaye stated Jurgens was not particularly friendly to Danny Kaye, but it is a wonderful film in spite of that. She also marveled at how talented her father had been as she watched his films and productions. He was a dancer, a singer, a comedian, a dramatic actor, and a humanitarian. (He was awarded the Jean Herscholt Humanitarian award in 1982.)

Dena Kaye also stated that her father was concerned about giving back, and believed that "children are the world's most valuable natural resource" and that "children feel what's true or not." She also claims he always had a "sense of play," and that "his instincts weren't socialized out. He didn't care what people thought," but "was concerned about giving back."

Thank you, again, TCM. Having Dena Kaye discuss her father's films and his legacy is a joy!

Here's the rest of this evening's lineup:

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Hans Christian Anderson
The Court Jester
A Song is Born
Wonder Man
The Man From The Diner's Club

[JackFavell]

I have been enjoying Kaye's day too, Sue Sue! What's your favorite of his movies?

[Sue Sue Applegate]

Well, when I was young lass, it was Hans Christian Anderson. Then I was entranced by The Court Jester in my college days, and today, I was totally surprised by how much I loved Me and The Colonel. I loved his singing and
dancing in White Christmas. And there are many elements of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty that amaze me.
But if I had to choose, it would probably be the one with the strawberry birthmark!

And I think his daughter, Dena Kaye, was also in awe of all of his talents. She said that he was "continually curious."

[JackFavell]

I saw that part of the interview too. It was great to see Dena Kaye talking about her dad, I missed a few of the in between parts, did she mention what it was like growing up with Danny as a father? I would have liked to have heard a few more personal stories. Not that I'm complaining.

My first last and always would be THE COURT JESTER, followed by THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY, followed by THE INSPECTOR GENERAL, followed by THE KID FROM BROOKLYN. I hadn't seen UP IN ARMS in years so this was a real treasure for me to record. And I remember liking WONDER MAN a whole lot as a kid, so I'm lucky I recorded it. I can't wait to watch it again. I had the album of HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN when I was a kid. I love the music better than the movie, but the way Danny interacts with the kids are my favorite parts of the film.

Watching Danny on the Dick Cavett show was a treat, the best part for me was seeing his work with UNICEF. His gentle descriptions and the fearless, kindly way he dealt with the little children are what I remember most about Danny from my childhood. This is the Danny Kaye I remember, not the prickly Hollywood person I've read about or seen clips of since. My child's eye saw the gentle, sweet man that he truly was. It shook me deeply when he died, because, even though I never met him, I felt an instinctive connection to him from a very early age. I think all kids sense a childlike sweetness in him and recognize one of their own.

I've been looking for a clip that was on youtube a few years ago, I don't know if anyone else here ever saw it. It was a rehearsal tape of Danny getting ready to perform in England, and it was absolutely stunning - it showed a complete professional, sometimes prickly, as I said before, but also showed how truly talented he was. I wish someone would repost it, it's absolutely a MUST SEE.

[RedRiver]

She also claims he always had a "sense of play,"

Did he ever! He's said to have ad libbed his way through Broadway shows, not to mention TV and radio. I listened to a broadcast of an old show once. I thought I was on acid! He played multiple characters, did sound effects, narrated a story so complex it was mind boggling. This was an amazingly talented man!

"The vessel with the pestle has the pellet with the poison. The flagon with the dragon has the brew that is true."

[Sue Sue Applegate]

So true, Red!

And I really enjoyed Me and the Colonel. It was endearing.

[Bronxgirl48]

SueSue, I really enjoyed Danny's Day. My favorite as a tyke and teen was HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON and I still love singing along to "Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen". Great tunes over-all but Joey Walsh still gives me the creeps, lol. I re-visited UP IN ARMS, THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY, THE KID FROM BROOKLYN, WONDER MAN, MERRY ANDREW, THE COURT JESTER, and THE INSPECTOR GENERAL. I'm fond of ON THE RIVIERIA as well (for obvious reasons, ha!) Back in the day my parents took me and my brother to see THE FIVE PENNIES. I don't remember much about it except Tuesday Weld getting sick and wearing leg braces, also Danny having a jazz session with Louis Armstrong. I was hoping KNOCK ON WOOD would be in the line-up, because I've never seen it and the premise sounds really irresistible. Have to say I wasn't that crazy about ME AND THE COLONEL. Danny was fine -- thoughtful, subtle, philosophical, but Curd was a bit too blustery for me. There was nobody like Danny. He had a style all his own, clownish but also sophisticated, with a beautiful voice and graceful body.

[RedRiver]

The flagon with the dragon was dropped and broken. It's been replaced by a chalice from the palace.

[Rita Hayworth]

The Court Jester
A Song is Born
Wonder Man

I like these three the best and the Walter Mitty after these big three ... I got these movies recorded on my DVR and watch them later.

I made a change ... oops!

[Sue Sue Applegate]

Glad you are going to be able to enjoy them! The Court Jester and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty are two of my favorites. I also adore Merry Andrew, and I'm crazy about the song "Tickety-Boo" from that film when Danny Kaye is riding his bicycle all through the lovely countryside, and rides along a huge, red double-decker bus, and then the finale is amazing with a bunch of other bicyclers riding and singing along. It's fascinating to imagine how that was filmed and edited.

And I am happy to say that I adored Me and the Colonel. There is a moment in that film that reminds me of The Sound of Music when the nuns save the day, but I won't give it away!

[knitwit45]

just for you, Christy (and if you knew what I had to go thru..... )


[youtube][/youtube]

[Sue Sue Applegate]

What a sweetheart! Thank you, knitty!
It's just so happy!
I just found these lyrics transcribed by Kimuro on Live Journal:

Everything is Tickety-boo by Johnny Mercer and Saul Chaplin
from the movie "Merry Andrew" starring Danny Kaye

Everything is tickety-boo, tickety-boo, tickety-boo
Everything is tickety-boo on such a dreamy day-di-li-ootely
You could be a snickety-poo, snickety-poo, snickety-POO
With the sky so blickety-blue it causes one to say

Bless mankind, including my attackers,
I'm inclined the feeling is o, so jolly well o, it's absolutely crackers!

Incidentally how about you? (horse neigh) How do you do?
O everything is tickety-boo on such a dreamy peaches and creamy day.

Everything is tickety-boo, tickety-boo, tickety-boo
Everything is tickety-boo on such a dreamy day-di-li-ootely
Heart is going buckety-buc, Lord love a duck, buckety-buc
Seems there's a bit of good luck awaiting on the way.

High-ho-hay! The breeze is in the trees-o.
Oh I say! The morning is quite a bit of all right I'm feeling so very cheese-o.


Incidentally, how about you? Happier too? Follow it through!
Everything is tickety-boo on such a dreamy day.
High-oh-hip hurray. On such a dreamy, peaches and creamy ...
Such a dreamy, peaches and creamy ...
Such a dreamy, peaches and creamy day.

[Bronxgirl48]

Danny was charismatic and sexy!

I love this:



Also: (it's actually my favorite part of THE COURT JESTER, because I just love watching cute guys being tender with babies)



And the movie that first introduced me to Danny:

[Sue Sue Applegate]

Bronxie, excellent tribute video.

And I do believe that quote that they used, attributed to Russel Crowe at the beginning of the video:
"What we do in life echoes in eternity."

How many times did I make up a silly song to grab the attention of my Spanish students? And where did I steal from? Only the best--Danny Kaye!

I remember using the "palace from the chalice" in something silly I was teaching, and it just spread like wildfire through my students because none of them had ever heard of it before. I would do anything to keep them on track and talking about the subject of the day, whatever it happened to be. I am sure I was doing Spanish castles, or some such that week for cultural emphasis.

He is so sweet singing that lullaby in The Court Jester!

Great compilation video, Bronxie. Here are two masters showing their talent and their versatility: Louie and Danny....
[youtube][/youtube]

[Sue Sue Applegate]

And " Opera Boffo from Brooklynites" should be the title of this opera spoof with Beverly Sills and Danny Kaye:

[youtube][/youtube]

The sound is great. The visuals..black and white blech...but another amazing display of Kaye's versatility. Sills is fab. She was so on her game when this was filmed!