1h 41min | Adventure, Comedy, Family, Musical | 24 December 1955 | Color, WS
Directors: Melvin Frank, Norman Panama
Stars: Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, Angela Lansbury, Cecil Parker, Mildred Natwick.
James Starbuck ... choreographer
Bea Allen ... dance assistant (uncredited)
Robert Alton ... choreographer (uncredited)
Wilda Bieber ... dance instructor (uncredited)
Patricia Casy ... dance rehearsal: ballet dancer (uncredited)
George Chakiris ... dance instructor (uncredited)
Ralph Faulkner ... fight choreographer (uncredited)
Alex Goudovitch ... dance assistant (uncredited)
Sam Ledner ... dance assistant (uncredited)
Gregor Marijan ... dance rehearsal: ballet dancer (uncredited)
The highest rated of DK's films, surpassing even White Christmas ('54, 7.6) with an average IMDb rating of 7.9, 10k+ votes. I rate WC higher.
Highlights: DK as hypnotized swashbuckler, who can lose his powers with the snap of his own fingers; DK, MN, GJ & the knight Griswold mangling the Vessel with the Pestle, the Flagon with the Dragon, and the Chalice from the Palace; the sped-up precision drill team; multitudes of little people, some using their acrobatic talents in the big fight scene.
I have no idea why so many dance-related personnel are listed. Of the 6 songs performed in the Soundtracks, only 1 has any dancing of note. Perhaps there's dancing in the background somewhere too. Dance (?) numbers:
ch4. Outfox the Fox, with DK & masked males, then little people
ch19. The Maladjusted Jester, with DK hopping around a bit
ch25. the knighting ceremony with The Jackson Michigan Zouave Drill Team
ch31. the big fight scene, including the face-off between DK & BR and the little people's athletics
GJ plays a woman who's a captain in the resistance, at first dressed as the men, then she goes undercover and dons woman's clothing. She is highly capable throughout, but falls for DK when his character's acting skills serve their undercover mission well.
The plot about the baby with the purple pimpernel birthmark is fine; this is not a traditional musical, but a traditional Robin Hood-ish tale with music.
Dena Enterprises, distr. Paramount, dir. Frank & Panama; 7+
