Me and the Colonel

It is well known that many comic actors are frustrated serious dramatic thespians. Why else would Charlie Chaplin make Monsieur Verdoux or Limelight? Or Bill Murray tackle the leading roles in the remake of The Razor's Edge or Mad Dog and Glory? Or Steve Martin take on such projects as the 1981 version of Pennies From Heaven or The Spanish Prisoner? Or Cary Grant (who picked his roles with great care) assume the part of the disillusioned Cockney drifter in the decidedly downbeat None But The Lonely Heart?

Apparently, the reverse situation is far less common. Laurence Olivier made The Divorce Of Lady X in 1938, and that did not tempt him to do comedy again when he became more famous and in better control of his career (with the exception of the unfortunate The Prince And The Showgirl). The Bride Came C.O.D. and The Man Who Came To Dinner were projects that Bette Davis made without much commitment--and it shows. Greer Garson starred in Julia Misbehaves and the less said about it the better. Humphrey Bogart seems decidedly out of his element in Sabrina.

This leads us to Danny Kaye and Me And The Colonel (MATC). This film represents a real departure from Kaye's generally hyperkinetic physical comedies of earlier years. In MATC, he takes on the part of a somewhat shy, gentle, clever but understated character just trying to survive in a very unsettled world. He does this with great sensitivity and believability. Kaye actually makes it seem plausible that such a man could be seen as attractive by the very lovely Nicole Maurey. None of the manic aspects of Danny Kaye's comic character surface during the movie. His naturalistic acting style is quite engaging. The delightful interplay between Kaye and Curt Jurgens (the anti-Semitic Colonel who grows to greatly appreciate Kaye's Jewish Samuel Jacobowsky) is a real treat to watch. It is refreshing to see a Jewish character depicted in a way that makes his cunning, intelligence and wit appear as positive rather than negative personal attributes.

This is a lovely film that is not well known by the general public. It successfully transforms a serious wartime situation that borders on tragedy into a journey of growth, discovery and humanity. Kaye had every right to be proud that he made this movie.

This is a movie based on a play by Franz Werfel who had the "priviledge" of being the writer whose books Hitler vowed to burn first. Luckily, he was able to escape Europe and come to America. As a side note--he was married to Alma Mahler Werfel--Mahler's widow who managed to marry or live with many of the greatest artists of the 20th century. But Werfel had quite a time trying to escape Hitler and his play was about this story. When the play came to Broadway it was softened and a lot of humor was added. The movie is more true to the Broadway play. And it is a WONDERFUL movie. Full of suspense, humor, innocence and evil. All the acting is wonderful. Danny Kaye does a wonderful job in the lead. It is not like any of his other movies. Black and white and beautiful. Worth whatever trouble you have in finding it.

This film was a wonderful vehicle for the talents of Danny Kaye who played a serious, dramatic role instead of the typical zany comedic parts he usually performed. Franz Werfel,a Jew who had to flee Nazi Germany, wrote the drama on which this film is based and used much humor(especially in the relationship between Jakobowsky and the Colonel) to take on a serious subject: anti-semitism in Europe during World War II.In order to do this, he had to create stereotypes, which is common in comedy.

A similar stereotyping is done in Mussorgsky's piano suite "Pictures at an Exhibition" in the part called "Samuel Goldenberg and Schmyl." However, instead of satirizing two Jews, Werfel was making fun of the differences between an anti-semitic Polish aristocrat and a bourgeois Jewish Pole who has the gift of being a survivor. Perhaps, because of this, the reception of the film has been cool. It has never been released on laser disc or DVD in the U.S. and is seldom seen on television. However, it is available in Germany on DVD in anamorphic 16x9 format, PAL Region 2 encoding.

This is a wonderful movie, well made and well acted, that gives us the chance to get to know the characters as the story unfolds.

As the movie begins, the setting in Paris as the Nazi army takes power in World War II is a familiar one. We're given a gentle introduction to Danny Kaye's character, one S.L. Jacobowsky, as he copes with the privations of wartime and finds creative ways around them.

The familiar setting also gives this movie more of a timeless feel than some of Danny Kaye's "camp" films such as The Court Jester (which I nonetheless put in my system recently while testing new connections and then sat down to watch to the end.)

I'm a great fan of Danny Kaye the entertainer, including the shtick (usually), but I like this movie precisely because it shows a side of his talents that we saw in only a handful of films, and perhaps on his television show. So sit back and relax and stop worrying the movie will dissolve into one of those camp musicals - it won't.

This is a wonderful role for Curd Jürgens as well, though almost anything I say would be telling too much. Nicole Maurey does a lovely job filling out the list of main characters.

We all know he's a knockout comedian, but this movie really comes to prove how versatile Danny Kaye is. At first I was doubting whether it would be amusing because I was not laughing, but then his performance left me teary eyed. Just one thing-it would have been much better to see his gorgeous orange hair in color. But no complaints! This is a wonderful movie that should be better known!