A Few Words About A few words about...™ Hans Christian Andersen -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[WilliamMcK]

Here's a link to all the releases down through the years of the Decca faux-soundtrack of Hans Christian Andersen:
http://castalbums.org/recordings/Hans-Christian-Andersen-1952-Studio-Cast/3577
I'm kind of surprised that there's never been a genuine soundtrack release -- even if just ripped literally from the soundtrack.

 

[Matt Hough]

Originally Posted by WilliamMcK /t/325626/a-few-words-about-hans-christian-andersen-in-blu-ray#post_4010827
Here's a link to all the releases down through the years of the Decca faux-soundtrack of Hans Christian Andersen:
http://castalbums.org/recordings/Hans-Christian-Andersen-1952-Studio-Cast/3577
I'm kind of surprised that there's never been a genuine soundtrack release -- even if just ripped literally from the soundtrack.

I know that if one were to ever be issued, I'd be first in line to buy it.

 

[Radioman970]

Nice! that has Court Jester as well. Sure could use Inspector General which would include Kaye singing Happy Times. Now... I'd be first in line for a comprehensive set of Kaye recordings. Time Life ought to knock that one out. Someone else should do a set of Kaye films on Bluray. Give the man the respect he deserves.

 

[Radioman970]

...
Books: .... a book about horses (a double book with another on the reverse side)... perhaps something about them in the circus with some clowns and they dressed the horses up so they could take them on a train in a car meant for humans. Wonderful illustrations that stayed in my mind. Stupidly gave these to my sister's kids and they probably got thrown out. ...

Writing this post last week, plus a poster on here contacting me about Han Christian Anderson songs (thanks again), prompted me to search for this book about horses. And by God, i found it! After years and years! The Three Little Horses. By Piet Worm. Very strange book and illustrations to the adult eye, but it was something special when I was a child. On the reverse is a story called "Veronica" with a hippo. I was able to find a whole set of those vintage books from Dandelion, 18 in total, on ebay. Oh so ordered! They reissued some or all but I'd much rather have mine back (I had the ones with Babar the elephant too) but this vintage and complete set is the next best thing. I'll bet others grew up with those too. I distinctly remember the book bindings with the titles and those ferns. Memories of these, from 40 years back, have stuck in my brain all this time. Anyway, don't want to hi-jack, but I thought some might be interested in that since I mentioned it before.

 

[Garysb]

From reading the comments it seems to be confirmed that WB is doing the restoration/digital clean up on the Sam Goldwyn films rather that just releasing what ever elements are given to them. Am I reading this correctly?

 

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by Garysb /t/325626/a-few-words-about-hans-christian-andersen-in-blu-ray#post_4012060
From reading the comments it seems to be confirmed that WB is doing the restoration/digital clean up on the Sam Goldwyn films rather that just releasing what ever elements are given to them. Am I reading this correctly?

You are reading correctly.

Warner takes this very seriously.

RAH

 

[bigshot]

I watched this last night. It looks very good. But boy oh boy does this movie move slow, and nothing ever happens. The music and Danny Kaye's performances of it are the only reason for this film.

 

[classicmovieguy]

In an interview a few years ago, co-star Joey Walsh said that he (along with the rest of the actors) was instructed by the director to act out the scenes in a very deadpan, almost too casual manner. Apparently he wanted the film to have a more realistic tone than the standard musically-type of acting. I think this severely slows down the flow of the film.

 

[Ethan Riley]

This movie was a mainstay on Tom Hatten's KTLA Family Film Festival. Those songs are burned into my brain. Wonderful wonderful Copenhagen... Inchworm inchworm... Thumbelina Thumbelina... Every song repeated its title twice!

Tom Hatten's getting some love in the threads lately; they were talking about him in the "3-Strip Techinicolor" thread too. I grew up on Tom Hatten. Tom's the one I credit for my love of the Little Rascals (as he always called them). He also hosted a Popeye show, with included other Fleischer shorts, but I don't think he ever showed much Betty Boop. The Goldwyn films were usually aired in syndication in another block, but I think he showed a few of them...Lili, maybe? He showed Jerry Lewis films; I think Cinderfella was a favorite on that show. Then sometimes he'd kind of stretch and put on g-rated theatricals, such as Mad Monster Party, Snow White and the Three Stooges, or the Pufnstuf movie. The Hatten show is probably why I developed a taste for films that came out before my time, and that's why I hunt them down on home video today. He was so knowledgeable; he brought those old films to life. Why they never gave him his own show on AMC I shall never know. Hatten retired a few years ago; he's still with us at 85.
Back to Danny Kaye--Hatten also showed the Court Jester more than once; that's one of my blu-ray holy grails and I've been so patient.

 

[bigshot]

In an interview a few years ago, co-star Joey Walsh said that he (along with the rest of the actors) was instructed by the director to act out the scenes in a very deadpan, almost too casual manner. Apparently he wanted the film to have a more realistic tone than the standard musically-type of acting. I think this severely slows down the flow of the film.

Did the director tell Danny Kaye to act like a person who is "mentally challenged"? Because he sure seems like it.

 

[Radioman970]

Did the director tell Danny Kaye to act like a person who is "mentally challenged"? Because he sure seems like it.

Probably had no formal education. Just a simple soul who showed his wisdom through his clever stories. I believe he played it that way.

 

[John Morgan]

Tom Hatten's getting some love in the threads lately; they were talking about him in the "3-Strip Techinicolor" thread too. I grew up on Tom Hatten. Tom's the one I credit for my love of the Little Rascals (as he always called them). He also hosted a Popeye show, with included other Fleischer shorts, but I don't think he ever showed much Betty Boop. The Goldwyn films were usually aired in syndication in another block, but I think he showed a few of them...Lili, maybe? He showed Jerry Lewis films; I think Cinderfella was a favorite on that show. Then sometimes he'd kind of stretch and put on g-rated theatricals, such as Mad Monster Party, Snow White and the Three Stooges, or the Pufnstuf movie. The Hatten show is probably why I developed a taste for films that came out before my time, and that's why I hunt them down on home video today. He was so knowledgeable; he brought those old films to life. Why they never gave him his own show on AMC I shall never know. Hatten retired a few years ago; he's still with us at 85.
Back to Danny Kaye--Hatten also showed the Court Jester more than once; that's one of my blu-ray holy grails and I've been so patient.

Yeah, I grew up in Los Angeles in the 50s and 60s and Tom Hatten, along with Engineer Bill and Sheriff John and the rest. I remember when Hatten refused to show those awful, newer POPEYE cartoons...the ones that Bluto became Brutus on his Popeye show. I also remember when he had Roddy MacDowell on for a showing of HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY and told Roddy he was able to get a new, decent print of the film. He was a true film buff. Wasn't his movie show on Sunday afternoon called something like SUNDAY FAMILY THEATER?

 

[Ethan Riley]

I was around in the 70s...he was airing something called "The Family Film Festival." He was also still airing a Popeye show.

 

[bigshot]

Probably had no formal education. Just a simple soul who showed his wisdom through his clever stories. I believe he played it that way.

Don't let simple souls like that around YOUR children in real life!

 

[Ejanss]

Probably had no formal education. Just a simple soul who showed his wisdom through his clever stories. I believe he played it that way.

Think the Goldwyns didn't know enough about the real Hans to do anything in biographical detail; they just wanted the Simple-Soul Dreamer Who Wrote Stories, to fit Danny. But if you read Andersen's autobiography, there's a little bit of a hint the real deal wasn't 100% quite right in the head--
He talks at length about "all the wonderful people who helped me", which often borders on suggesting a touch of the pleasantly mentally-challenged individual you meet on a bus who won't stop telling you about his day in detail if you say good morning to him.
Many accounts describe him as shy, awkward, and with a rather disturbingly over-effervescent personality once you let him get going--
Charles Dickens was a good friend and played host to Andersen during a London tour, and although Andersen gushed about what a wonderful time he had with them, Dickens wrote in his own journals "Great heavens, we thought the man would NEVER leave..."

 

[Radioman970]

Interesting. I haven't read anything about the man himself. Only seen this film...and of course known of his stories all my life. I'll have to change that. ...but I'll bet you're right, the role was done that way to fit Kaye.
Now, since it was the 1800s in which he lived, I'll bet his odd quirkiness was seen a bit different than it would be today. Just a thought... I'll definitely check out his wiki sometime. You got me intrigued. I've been reading his complete stories ("A Treasury of..." by Barnes & Noble) and they are terrific. I love the Haugaard Intro that mentions these stories should be read but spoken. That's right on the money. Anderson certainly loved to talk.
***
I just got my books mentioned above in the mail, the Dandelion library, and I think the seller didn't know what they had. These should have sold for $100 or higher. vintage 1960s, they look brand new/unread, with only very scuffs. They do have that old book musty smell, but they look great. With patience, I could turn around and list these for $150+. (but I'll be keeping them) One of them has Hans Christian Anderson stories with some great illustrations. But my Holy Grail is The Three Little Horses. A very rare collection.

 

[Nick*Z]

I have to say that this one didn't do it for me. The score is poignant. The performances - less than, particularly Kaye who plays the Danish writer as though he were a full grown adult with delayed childhood optimism. The innocence isn't endearing, but appalling in a simpleton's sort of way.
I'll agree that the film will appeal to children of a very young age. But for the rest, I found it overwrought, occasionally silly and ultra-sumptuous to the point of absurdity.
I love musicals. But they have to be able to suspend me in disbelief. This one is woefully grounded in Kaye's painfully bad central performance. He sings beautifully. But he acts like an elfin dolt. Yuck!

 

[Ejanss]

I have to say that this one didn't do it for me. The score is poignant. The performances - less than, particularly Kaye who plays the Danish writer as though he were a full grown adult with delayed childhood optimism. The innocence isn't endearing, but appalling in a simpleton's sort of way.

Not to mention, the whole ballerina plot not only sticks out as fictional, but it's a bit silly when you realize it's "supposed" to be a Hollywood-fictionalized version of the legend of real-life Andersen's unrequited crush on opera singer Jenny Lind. (Which Walt Disney originally wanted to film at some point right after Mary Poppins, but Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews had become too popular.)
That it somehow ended up as a ballet, with a big ballet number, not only reminds you that "The Red Shoes" did it better, but comes off as "Yep, Sam's at it again... "

 

[Ethan Riley]

HCA is as factual an account of the man's life as was "The Daydreamer" several years later. I'm not bothered by any of this--since when has Hollywood ever turned out biopics that had anything to do with reality? There's biopics about FDR and Lincoln in theaters right now, and they still have little to do with reality.
Biopics about writers tend to be extra-creepy for some reason. Perhaps it's because these people don't tend to live very public lives. A writer seems to have a closely-guarded life simply because he/she is indoors all day, writing. Movie stars and politicians seem fairer game because they're out in public all day, but writers lead very private lives. This leads to wild speculations. If you read anything about HCA's life, he just comes across as odd, awkward and sad. His two biopics make things more joyful, but those are still two weird movies. The real HCA was so weird, that I hope they never make another movie about him; could cost him his fans!

 

[Ejanss]

HCA is as factual an account of the man's life as was "The Daydreamer" several years later. I'm not bothered by any of this--since when has Hollywood ever turned out biopics that had anything to do with reality? There's biopics about FDR and Lincoln in theaters right now, and they still have little to do with reality.

(And that's without reading the thread on "Hitchcock". Hoo-boy.)

If you read anything about HCA's life, he just comes across as odd, awkward and sad. His two biopics make things more joyful, but those are still two weird movies. The real HCA was so weird, that I hope they never make another movie about him; could cost him his fans!

Two movies? You mean "Daydreamer", or the cable miniseries?
The miniseries went for real-life accurate deconstruction--maybe a little too deconstructed--mixed with story re-enactment and fictional subplots (Andersen confronting Dickens about his affairs??), and also came off a bit weird, but at least it wasn't the puppet movie.