Reviewed By Jason LockardDanny Kaye was a renaissance man. He was a true entertainer. He could sing and dance. He could shine while doing comedy or in dramatic presentations. He was on Broadway, movies, and TV. He was a true marvel.
Many people may only know him from the holiday classic with Bing Crosby White Christmas. But his career was so much more. He moved from the Broadway stage in the beginning to the movies under Samiel Goldwyn to make some amazing films.
Now the good folks at Warner Archive have made available 4 of the Danny Kaye Goldwyn films on one DVD collection. Let's take a look at what is included int he Danny Kaye: The Goldwyn Years set.
Our Rating System:
****=Don’t Miss it!
***=Worth a look.
**=An Ok way to spend some time.
*=You haven’t missed anything.
Up in Arms (1944) Hypochondriac, Danny Weems gets drafted into the army and makes life miserable for his fellow GIs. He's also lovesick when it comes to pretty Mary Morgan, unaware that she's in love with his best friend Joe. ***
Wonder Man (1945) After being murdered by gangsters, an exuberant nightclub entertainer returns as a ghost to persuade his meek twin brother to help bring his killers to justice. ***
The Kid from Brooklyn (1946) After a timid milkman knocks unconscious a boxing champion who was accosting his sister, he decides to take up boxing himself in order to impress a beautiful nightclub singer. ***
A Song is Born (1948) With her gangster boyfriend under investigation by the police, a nightclub singer hides out in a musical research institution staffed by bachelor professors - one of whom begins to fall for her. ***
Each of these films showcases the comedic abilities of Danny Kaye. Along with his musical abilities as well! These films were very well written and directed. The sets a marvelous and the supporting cast around Danny really shine as well, including, Virginia Mayo, Eve Arden, Dana Andrews, Dinah Shore, Vera-Ellen, Don Wilson, Huntz Hall. There are also musical legends such as Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and the great Louis Armstrong.
For this DVD set. Each film has it's own dedicated disc. That is a huge plus. The films are presented in their original full-screen format in 1.37:1 aspect ratio and in 2.0 audio. They really look and sound stunning! There is really little to no signs of damage to the prints. As a special bonus on each disc, the film is accompanied by the theatrical trailer. Very nice bonus feature.
This collection is truly a who's who of Hollywood and music. 4 Great films all in one place! How can you go wrong with this set? The simple answer you can't. I thoroughly enjoyed taking the trip into the 40's to see Danny Kaye do what he does.
So if you are as much of a fan of Danny Kaye as I am this 4 Disc DVD set it an absolute must add to your collection. Head over to WBShop.com or Amazon.com and get your copy today.
Audience: Families
Genre: Comedy, Musical
Length: 4 Hours 12 Minutes
DVD Value Rating: A
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