Yesterday would have been Hans Christian Andersen's 206th birthday, and I just watched Charles Vidor's musical about the famous Danish storyteller. The movie of course is not a biography but rather a fairy tale interpretation of the man's life. Danny Kaye plays Andersen, telling stories to schoolchildren while the teacher gets annoyed. Forced out of Odense, Andersen moves to Copenhagen, where he gets a job with the Royal Danish Ballet and falls for one of the dancers.
I saw "Hans Christian Andersen" when I was about six, but only interpreted the scene where he turns his thumb into Thumbelina. Now that I'm old enough to understand the whole thing, I can say that the line "sometimes a king is just a queen with a moustache" sounds as if it refers to a man in drag! Anyway, it's the sort of movie that might make you say the sorts of things that the characters on "Mystery Science Theater 3000" say, but for the most part it's pretty enjoyable. Also starring Farley Granger (who died a few days ago) and Zizi Jeanmaire.
I saw "Hans Christian Andersen" when I was about six, but only interpreted the scene where he turns his thumb into Thumbelina. Now that I'm old enough to understand the whole thing, I can say that the line "sometimes a king is just a queen with a moustache" sounds as if it refers to a man in drag! Anyway, it's the sort of movie that might make you say the sorts of things that the characters on "Mystery Science Theater 3000" say, but for the most part it's pretty enjoyable. Also starring Farley Granger (who died a few days ago) and Zizi Jeanmaire.