The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947)

Director:

Norman Z. McLeod

Writers:

Ken Englund (screen play) and
Everett Freeman (screen play) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1 September 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

Plot:

Walter Mitty, a daydreaming pulp-fiction writer with an overprotective mother, likes to imagine that he is a hero who experiences fantastic adventures...

Plot Keywords:

Pulp Fiction | Tied To Chair | Lifting Someone Into The Air | Evil Man | Beautiful Woman

Cast

Danny Kaye	...	Walter Mitty
Virginia Mayo	...	Rosalind van Hoorn
Boris Karloff	...	Dr. Hollingshead
Fay Bainter	...	Mrs. Mitty
Ann Rutherford	...	Gertrude Griswold
Thurston Hall	...	Bruce Pierce
Gordon Jones	...	Tubby Wadsworth
Florence Bates	...	Mrs. Griswold
Konstantin Shayne	...	Peter van Hoorn
Reginald Denny	...	Colonel
Henry Corden	...	Hendrick
Doris Lloyd	...	Mrs. Follinsbee
Fritz Feld	...	Anatole
Frank Reicher	...	Maasdam
Milton Parsons	...	Butler
The Goldwyn Girls
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eddie Acuff	...	Wells Fargo Cowboy (uncredited)
Ernie Adams	...	Flower Truck Driver (uncredited)
Robert Altman	...	Man Drinking (uncredited)
Sam Ash	...	Art Editor (uncredited)
Mary Anne Baird	...	Model with Wolf Man (uncredited)
Audrey Betz	...	Dowager (uncredited)
Edward Biby	...	Director (uncredited)
Ted Billings	...	Huckster (uncredited)
Billy Bletcher	...	Western Character (uncredited)
Betty Blythe	...	Floor Manager (uncredited)
Mary Brewer	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Betty Cargyle	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Lucille Casey	...	Pet Foot Saleswoman (uncredited)
Sue Casey	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Eddy Chandler	...	P.O. Cowboy (uncredited)
George Chandler	...	Mate (uncredited)
Lane Chandler	...	Billboard Cowboy on Horse (uncredited)
Jack Cheatham	...	Baggage Man (uncredited)
Dorothy Christy	...	Store Official (uncredited)
Barbara Combs	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Kernan Cripps	...	Porter (uncredited)
Wade Crosby	...	Blacksmith (uncredited)
Donna Dax	...	Stenographer (uncredited)
Leslie Denison	...	R.A.F. Pilot (uncredited)
Vernon Dent	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Harry Depp	...	Director (uncredited)
Lorraine DeRome	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Neal Dodd	...	Minister (uncredited)
Phil Dunham	...	Composing Room Foreman (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Dick Earle	...	Director (uncredited)
Al Eben	...	Elevator Starter (uncredited)
Maude Eburne	...	Fitter (uncredited)
Helen Jerome Eddy	...	Lingerie Saleswoman (uncredited)
Frank Ellis	...	Western Character (uncredited)
Carl Faulkner	...	Cop (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Illustrator (uncredited)
Mary Forbes	...	Mrs. Pierce (uncredited)
Raoul Freeman	...	Department Head (uncredited)
Joel Friedkin	...	Mr. Grimsby (uncredited)
Jack Gargan	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Don Garner	...	Young Saman (uncredited)
Karen X. Gaylord	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Mary Ellen Gleason	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Mary Gordon	...	Mother Machree (uncredited)
Peter Gowland	...	R.A.F. Pilot (uncredited)
Dorothy Granger	...	Wrong Mrs. Follinsbee (uncredited)
William Haade	...	Conductor (uncredited)
John Hamilton	...	Dr. Remington (uncredited)
Lumsden Hare	...	Dr. Pritchard-Mitford (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Sidewalk Extra (uncredited)
Harry Harvey Jr.	...	Office Boy (uncredited)
Harry Harvey	...	Office Boy (uncredited)
Harold Hensen	...	R.A.F. Pilot (uncredited)
Tommy Hughes	...	Huckster (uncredited)
Warren Jackson	...	Business Manager (uncredited)
Jackie Jordan	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Henry Kolker	...	Dr. Benbow (uncredited)
Ethan Laidlaw	...	Helmsman (uncredited)
Georgia Lange	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Frank LaRue	...	Conductor (uncredited)
Nolan Leary	...	Huckster (uncredited)
Ruth Lee	...	Commentator (uncredited)
Weaver Levy	...	Waiter in Chinese Restaurant (uncredited)
George Lloyd	...	Wells Fargo Cowboy (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack	...	Director (uncredited)
George Magrill	...	Wolf Man (uncredited)
Frank Marlowe	...	Taxcab Driver (uncredited)
Anthony Marsh	...	R.A.F. Pilot (uncredited)
Chris-Pin Martin	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Michael Mauree	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Frank McClure	...	Director (uncredited)
Sam McDaniel	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Tom McGuire	...	Dublin Policeman (uncredited)
Christine McIntyre	...	Miss Blair - Lingerie Dept. Manager (uncredited)
Frank Meredith	...	Cop (uncredited)
John Meredith	...	R.A.F. Pilot (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Director / Exec in Pierce's Office (uncredited)
Moy Ming	...	Elderly Chinese (uncredited)
Martha Montgomery	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Frances Morris	...	Head Saleswoman (uncredited)
William Newell	...	Taxi Cab Traffic Manager (uncredited)
Paul Newlan	...	Truck Driver (uncredited)
Patsy O'Byrne	...	Charwoman (uncredited)
Broderick O'Farrell	...	Director (uncredited)
Jack Overman	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Netta Packer	...	Organist (uncredited)
Patricia Patrick	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Vincent Pelletier	...	Narrator for Dream Sequence (uncredited)
Otto Reichow	...	German Pilot (uncredited)
Dick Rush	...	Customs Official (uncredited)
Syd Saylor	...	Western Character (uncredited)
Cy Schindell	...	Taxicab Driver (uncredited)
Brick Sullivan	...	Cop (uncredited)
Charles Trowbridge	...	Dr. Renshaw (uncredited)
John Tyrrell	...	Department Head (uncredited)
Minerva Urecal	...	Woman with Hat (uncredited)
Irene Vernon	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Leslie Vincent	...	R.A.F. Pilot (uncredited)
Lynn Walker	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Eddy Waller	...	Old Mariner (uncredited)
Pierre Watkin	...	Reverend (uncredited)
Margaret Wells	...	Store Official (uncredited)
Charles C. Wilson	...	Police Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
Beal Wong	...	Headwaiter in Chinese Restaurant (uncredited)
Harry Woods	...	Wrong Mr. Follinsbee (uncredited)
Hank Worden	...	Western Character (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Z. McLeod

Writing credits
Ken Englund		(screen play) and
Everett Freeman		(screen play)
James Thurber		(from a story by)
Philip Rapp		uncredited

Produced by
Samuel Goldwyn	....	producer

Original Music by
David Raksin		(music)

Cinematography by
Lee Garmes		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Monica Collingwood		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Perry Ferguson		(art direction)
George Jenkins		(art direction)

Set Decoration by
Casey Roberts		(set decorations)

Costume Design by
Irene Sharaff		(as Sharaff)

Makeup Department
Marie Clark	....	hair stylist
Robert Stephanoff	....	makeup

Production Management
Leon Fromkess	....	executive in charge of production (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roland Asher	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Dorothea Holt	....	illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Fred Lau	....	sound recorder

Special Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special effects (as John Fulton)
Harry Redmond Jr.	....	special effects (uncredited)
Harry Redmond Sr.	....	special effects (uncredited)

Music Department
Emil Newman	....	musical direction

Other crew
John Frederics	....	hats: Anatole
Samuel Goldwyn	....	presents
Joan Hathaway	....	dialogue director
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color director
Mitchell Kovaleski	....	associate technicolor color director
Robert Snowden	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (released through) (as RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1950) (France) (theatrical) (as RKO Radio Films)
• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The (1955) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• RKO Radio Films (1950) (France) (theatrical)
• HBO Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (For Samuel Goldwyn Home Entertainment)

Other Companies

• Sonovox  talking sound

Also Known As:

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | German

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:TV-PG (tv rating) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Germany:12 | Sweden:11 (re-release) | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #12017) | Australia:G

Company:

Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Trivia:

Author James Thurber acknowledged that the character Walter Mitty was based on his friend, writer Robert Benchley. Thurber said that he got the idea for Mitty from the character created by Benchley in a series of shorts that he made for Fox and MGM, respectively, in the 1920s and 1930s. Thurber is also on record as saying that he hated this film and that Danny Kaye's interpretation of Mitty is nothing at all like he intended the character to be.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the scene in the Mitty home's kitchen, after Rosalind van Hoorn has come in the middle of the night during a rain storm to ask for Walter's help, she removes her dress to dry it. As they are talking, Rosalind is shown putting her dress back on and buttoning it all the way to the neck. As the scene shifts and pans back, she is shown once again buttoning the top button of her dress.

Quotes:

Walter Mitty:Here I am, lard face.

Movie Connections:

References The Woman in Green (1945)

Soundtrack:

Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride)

Danny Kaye in his most fun-filled film role...great fun!

Danny Kaye at his best in a fantasy/comedy about a hen-pecked (by his mom and girlfriend) man who daydreams that he's a hero rescuing a damsel in distress (Virginia Mayo) from all sorts of perils. In real life he stumbles across her path and instantly becomes involved in an espionage plot involving villainous Boris Karloff. It's all played for laughs and Danny even gets to do a couple of his tongue-twisting musical routines.

Especially enjoyable in the supporting cast are Ann Rutherford as his silly girlfriend and Florence Bates as her overbearing mother. Thurston Hall has fun with his role as Kaye's harried, blustery boss who, while browbeating him, is nevertheless prone to borrowing ideas from Kaye for new sales angles in the pulp fiction market.

Kaye has a field day when his dreams take over, impersonating everyone from a sea captain to a riverboat gambler to a fashion designer--all with his own distinct flair for comic routines. A funny, witty, always entertaining little gem that has somehow been overlooked through the years. Virginia Mayo makes a delightful co-star.