The Kid from Brooklyn

This is a complete scene by scene remake of a 1934 Harold Lloyd film called "The MilkyWay" directed by Leo McCarey. It even features some of the same supporting characters the Lloyd version did! (notably Lionel Stander as Spider) Norman Z. McLeod who directed some scenes in "The Milky Way" was even called in to direct this remake. The big difference is the addition of the songs, Danny Kaye and color....and of course the original with Lloyd and McCarey was crisper and funnier. This was made only 10 years after the release of the original, (producer Samuel Goldwyn destroyed the original and many of the copies) which I think has got to be some sort of record. Was anything else ever remade so quickly?

Probably the best thing about this film-besides the color-was the cast. Danny Kaye gets top billing & he was good--but he had the backing of Virginia Mayo, Vera-Ellen, Steve Cochran, Eve Arden, Walter Able--and more. Virginia Mayo made a couple of films with Kaye & also did a couple with Cochran ( check out "White Heat" ). Vera-Ellen filmed mostly @ MGM--but her last film was "White Cristmas", playing opposite Danny Kaye. Brian Donlevy played the part of the fighter in the stage play--the part that Steve Cochran played in the movie. The Kid From Brooklyn proved to be a very profitable film. Fay Bainter does a small bit & she carries it off extremely well. Eve Arden and her endless wisecracks were a kick.

Everyone in THE KID FROM BROOKLYN is at their best--thanks to a zestful comedy based on "The Milky Way" with Harold Lloyd, only this time the timid milkman is DANNY KAYE, who goes from lovable, funny Kaye to totally extroverted Kaye who thinks he really won all those fights that he was signed up for by crooked manager WALTER ABEL.

VIRGINIA MAYO, looking her most luscious in Technicolor, is Kaye's partner again and the great supporting cast includes VERA-ELLEN (as Kaye's dancing sister), EVE ARDEN, LIONEL STANDER and STEVE COCHRAN, who steps away from his usual serious role (as a heavy) to show that he had a flair for slapstick comedy.

The story is nonsense, of course, and even the usually repressed FAY BAINTER gets into the spirit of things as a woman Kaye teaches some boxing pointers to. It's all very lightweight, easy to take and pleasant to watch, especially if you enjoy Kaye's special brand of comedy. Included are some specialty numbers for Vera-Ellen, surrounded by chorus boys and The Goldwyn Girls and a nice song number for Virginia Mayo, all emphasizing some dazzling Technicolor hues.

Kaye does only one of his tongue-twisting routines, but it's a gem--a Russian number called "Pavlova" written for him by Sylvia Fine, his wife.

Summing up: Light-hearted entertainment impossible to dislike and all of it is photographed in gorgeous Technicolor.

Cute, silly very lightweight comic musical with Kaye antic as ever and an amazing array of wonderful supporting actresses.

As for the main story it's a bit of nonsense about beanpole milkman Danny somehow becoming a winning prize fighter after accidentally knocking out the reigning champ. As preposterous as it sounds, the cast still make it fun by playing the goofy situations straight faced.

About those supporting actresses. Eve Arden is acerbic and terrifically droll as a wised up gal with an astounding wardrobe and a way with a quip. Vera-Ellen in only her second film is youthful, fresh and she dances like a dream. She hadn't at this point succumbed to the over dieting that would make her emaciated with a frighteningly tiny waist and is buoyant and peppy. Fay Bainter is all fractured dignity as a society matron with a pugilistic bent and then there's Virginia Mayo sweetly charming and at the height of her beauty. They all perform expertly and since the film is shot in old style Technicolor they are all attired in primary hues which makes the screen alight with color.

Best for Danny's fans but a fun comedy for anyone who is willing to suspend belief for a couple of hours.

This light-hearted fantasy/comedy/musical is basically a showcase for the many talents of Danny Kaye. Those who particularly like the simple and wholesome humor of Danny Kaye will be well entertained. Even those who don't should find some good low-key laughs and be generally amused throughout. The dialogue is sparse but occasionally shows a clever dry wit, as in "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have minded". The entire cast works very well togethor and the interplay between Eve Arden and Danny Kaye is particularly good. The song and dance is competent but uninspired.