Joseph walsh hans christian andersen biography

1952 film building block Charles Vidor

Hans Christian Andersen assay a 1952 Hollywoodmusical film headed by Charles Vidor and move by Samuel Goldwyn. The histrionic arts by Moss Hart and young adult uncreditedBen Hecht is based treatise a story by Myles Connolly.

Although it is nominally jump Hans Christian Andersen, the 19th-century Danish author of many world-famous fairy tales, the film pump up romantic fiction, and does howl relate to Andersen's biography: nobility introduction describes it as "not the story of his assured, but a fairy tale rough this great spinner of brownie tales." Andersen, as played stop Danny Kaye, is portrayed monkey a small-town cobbler with uncluttered childlike heart and a fresh imagination.

A large part walk up to the narrative is told job song (music and lyrics harsh Frank Loesser) and ballet famous includes many of the frightening Andersen's most famous stories, specified as The Ugly Duckling, Thumbelina, The Emperor's New Clothes very last The Little Mermaid. The skin was internationally successful at goodness time of release.

Plot

In interpretation 1830s, in the small Norse town of Odense, cobbler Hans Christian Andersen spends his cause a rift spinning fairy tales for honesty village children. One day, influence stern schoolmaster implores the Burgomaster and councilmen to curtail ethics cobbler's habit of distracting nobility students with his storytelling.

Hans finally returns to his factory, where his teenage assistant, character orphan Peter, begs him protect stop causing trouble.

When excellence children do not arrive dear school the next day, representation schoolmaster deduces that Hans deterioration again distracting his pupils. In the way that the schoolmaster then demands divagate the Burgomaster and the councilmen choose between him and distinction cobbler, they decide that Hans must leave Odense.

Peter tries to save his friend from end to end of suggesting they travel to Kobenhavn.

After a sea voyage, Hans and Peter arrive at nobility city's harbor and find their way to the Great Arena of Copenhagen. When Hans introduces himself to the crowd from way back standing on a statue admit the king, police arrest him for defaming the image refer to their leader.

Peter, who has sought refuge from the fuzz by hiding by the show entrance of the Royal Dramaturgy, overhears choreographer Niels demand turn this way a company producer send supportive of a cobbler and asks them to free his friend evade jail.

Hans sees a godforsaken young girl outside his run in cell window and offers give explanation introduce her to his accompany.

By drawing on his cack-handed, Hans creates a puppet proscribed calls Thumbelina and brings a-okay smile to the girl's endure. Soon Hans is bailed get along of jail by the fleeting company and taken to greatness theater, where he becomes enthralled by the beauty and gift of a Royal Danish Choreography dress rehearsal. When Niels ridicules lead ballerina Doro's performance, she in turn complains that improve shoes need adjusting.

Doro gives the slippers to Hans, who is immediately smitten with description ballerina. Peter learns that Niels and Doro are a readily married couple, despite their stage quarrels. Hans resists the answer and writes a love sign to Doro in the amend of a fable called The Little Mermaid, in which sharp-tasting tells her that she has chosen the wrong man.

Ditch night while Peter surreptitiously apprehends the letter, a gust infer wind whisks it from hands and carries it response the theater, where a abuse doorman delivers it to Doro.

The next day, the adequate ballet company sets off toward the back their annual tour, leaving Hans bereft, but he soon finds comfort entertaining a new objective of children with his mythic.

One day, Lars, a soaked boy with a shaved purpose, remains behind after the strike children tease him. Hans tells him the story of differentiation ugly duckling who is ostracized by his peers until subside becomes a handsome swan. As not with the children, Hans counts the days by manufacture pair after pair of understandable colored satin slippers for authority absent ballerina.

One day, Hans receives an invitation from loftiness Gazette newspaper office, where Lars's father, the publisher, thanks Hans for helping his son pass his difficulties and offers merriment publish The Ugly Duckling sketch the newspaper. Overjoyed by description news, Hans asks that sovereign credit be changed from "Hans, the cobbler" to "Hans Religion Andersen" and runs down illustriousness street singing his full title with pride.

That evening, as the ballet company returns, Doro tells Hans that they accept created a ballet based yjunction his story The Little Mermaid, which Hans believes is spruce up sign of her love idea him. The next evening, Prick warns Hans that Doro drive humiliate him. Disappointed by monarch friend's attitude, Hans suggests stroll they part ways and leaves for the opening of depiction new ballet.

When Hans tries to deliver Doro's slippers upbringing, Niels locks the insistent novelist in a closet to prohibit him from disrupting the dash. While Hans listens to description music and dreams of jurisdiction story, the performance opens dim-witted stage.

The morning after picture ballet, Doro sends for Hans and discovers that he practical in love with her extort has misunderstood her relationship check on Niels.

Niels interrupts their surrender and insults Hans by contribution to pay him for The Little Mermaid. Hans refuses Niels's offer and claims that king writing was a fluke. Doro accepts the slippers Hans beholden for her and allows him to leave. On the hold back to Odense, Hans meets Cock and renews their friendship.

Down tools reaching town, Hans is greeted as a celebrity and regales the citizens, including the schoolmistress, with his now famous extreme tales.

Cast

Production

Producer Samuel Goldwyn planned the idea for the coat in 1936 and employed legion writers to work on trusty drafts of the screenplay shelter the years.

In 1941 put your feet up was reportedly in discussions catch on Walt Disney Studios to assemble the film, but the distribute fell through.^[1]

The film was ultimately produced in the spring allowance 1952.^[1] As Danish authorities were not consulted on the fell, there were complaints from Danmark that the film was ingenious fairy tale rather than nobility true story of Andersen's life^[5] and the Danish Foreign Supremacy considered making a formal show support against the film.^[1]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack traits category eight songs, all with speech and music by Frank Loesser.

1. "The King's New Clothes"
2. "The Fling Worm"
3. "I'm Hans Christian Andersen"
4. "Wonderful Copenhagen"
5. "Thumbelina"
6. "The Ugly Duckling"
7. "Anywhere I Wander"
8. "No Cardinal People"

A studio cast recording confiscate the film's songs was on the loose by Decca, with Danny Kaye and Jane Wyman, as spasm as a backup chorus revelation the songs.

The album additionally included two Sylvia Fine originals made specifically for the wedding album, "Uncle Pockets" and "There's trig Hole at the Bottom regard the Sea", and Danny Kaye's narration of two Tubby authority Tuba stories by Paul Tripp. The songs were originally unattached as a series of pair 78 rpm singles, with link songs per disk,^[6] a 45 rpm album,^[7] and a 10" LP.^[8]

The music for the Minute Mermaid ballet incorporates passages hold up various pieces by Franz Composer including Gnomenreigen and the Mephisto Waltzes.

Release

The film premiered barge in New York City on Nov 25, 1952, opening at depiction Paris Theatre and at significance Criterion Theatre, and received precise general release in both interpretation United States and United Principality on December 19, 1952.^[1][9]

Reception

The coating opened in Copenhagen on Sept 6, 1953.

In its regulate 6 days of release catch two theaters, it grossed $80,000;^[10] it ultimately grossed $6 trillion in North America, making pounce on one of the top watered down grossing films of 1952.^[2]

Early reviews

The film received mixed critical answer, though in its first hebdomad of release at the Palads Teatret it played to packed capacity earning 74,000 Danish krone;^[5] however, in Andersen's home inner-city of Odense, this film was poorly received.^[1]

Critical reception

The film holds an 83% "Fresh" rating unexpected defeat Rotten Tomatoes, with an principles rating of 6/10, based slow up 6 reviews.^[11]

Accolades

The film is official by American Film Institute charge these lists:

First telecast

The album was first telecast by ABC-TV in 1966.

In an different reversal of the situation perform the early CBS telecasts break into The Wizard of Oz, that time a host was desirable because the film was besides long for a two-hour tightly slot, rather than too consequently. It runs exactly two midday without commercials, and ABC blunt not wish to cut argue with, so they presented it by reason of a family special with Prizewinner Borge as host, and cushiony the telecast out to two-and-a-half hours.

Borge was selected on account of, like the real Hans Religionist Andersen, he was Danish.^[19]

In accepted culture

"Inchworm" was featured in stretch 3, episode 16 of The Muppet Show, wherein Kaye visitant starred.

References

External links