IMDb >
Hans Christian Andersen (1952)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsHans Christian Andersen (1952) More at IMDbPro »
| Videos |
|
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
14 August 1953 (France)
more
Tagline:
The glorious story of the greatest storyteller of them all!
Plot:
A completely fabricated biography of the famous Danish fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen featuring...
more
| full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for 6 Oscars.
Another 4 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
(3 articles)
Disney Announces Comic-Con Agenda in 3D!
(From The Flickcast. 9 July 2009, 4:00 PM, PDT)
Tron, Alice in Wonderland, Toy Story to be featured at Comic-Con
(From Scorecard Review. 9 July 2009, 11:49 AM, PDT)
(From The Flickcast. 9 July 2009, 4:00 PM, PDT)
Tron, Alice in Wonderland, Toy Story to be featured at Comic-Con
(From Scorecard Review. 9 July 2009, 11:49 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
A sugary children's movie? -actually, it's rather daring
more (17 total)
Cast
(Complete credited cast) | Danny Kaye | ... | Hans Christian Andersen |
 | Farley Granger | ... | Niels |
| Zizi Jeanmaire | ... | Doro (as Jeanmaire) |
| Joseph Walsh | ... | Peter (as Joey Walsh) |
| Philip Tonge | ... | Otto |
| Erik Bruhn | ... | The Hussar in "Ice Skating Ballet" |
| Roland Petit | ... | The Prince in 'The Little Mermaid' Ballet |
| John Brown | ... | Schoolmaster |
| John Qualen | ... | Burgomaster |
| Jeanne Lafayette | ... | Celine |
| Robert Malcolm | ... | Stage Doorman |
| George Chandler | ... | Gerta's Father |
| Fred Kelsey | ... | First Gendarme |
| Gil Perkins | ... | Second Gendarme |
| Peter J. Votrian | ... | Lars (as Peter Votrian) |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
112 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
USA:Approved (certificate #15971) |
UK:U |
New Zealand:G |
Australia:G |
Australia:PG (alternate rating) |
Finland:S |
Sweden:Btl
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Moira Shearer was to have played Doro, the prima ballerina, but had to withdraw when she discovered she was pregnant
more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: During the crossing of the Great Belt the still existing light tower on the island Sprogų is seen in the background. Although there was a light tower on the island when the 14 year-old Hans Christian Andersen went to Copenhagen this particular tower was not built until 1869, when Andersen was 64 years old and had been a famous writer for many years.
more
Quotes:
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Heart & Soul: The Life and Music of Frank Loesser (2006) (TV)
more
Soundtrack:
Wonderful Copenhagen
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (17 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Hans Christian Andersen (1952) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| The Flintstones | Camp Rock | Superman Returns | Pocahontas | The Lizzie McGuire Movie |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Biography section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |
Every single biopic of a creative artist tells the same story, whether it's true or not: the Philistine World, or some part thereof, rejects the artist, and fails to see his greatness; but later on, perhaps during his lifetime, perhaps not, it sees the error of its ways. That happens here. Hans Christian Andersen is a village cobbler whose compulsive inventiveness is little thought of until he makes good in Copenhagen, after which...
But there's much more going on.
There's no doubt that Andersen was a great artist, in some sense. `The Ugly Duckling' and `The Emperor's New Clothes' are two of the greatest short stories - fables, folktales - all of these - ever composed. But he had his limitations. There were many kinds of stories he just couldn't write. His fertile talent for anthropomorphising was often a millstone. In many respects he seems to have been a childish and naive man. But get this: all of these limitations make it onto the screen. Both the story and Danny Kaye's performance (a great performance) make Andersen into a human being who is NOT the greatest storyteller since Shakespeare, but who can be admired for what he is.
The main story isn't the `unrecognised genius' bit: it's a story of unrequited love. While in Copenhagen Andersen spends most of his time banging his head against the wall over an unattainable ballerina, whose interest in him is, as they say, purely professional. He manages to be quite cruel to a close friend in the process, right up to the point where it's unclear that a reconciliation is possible. (Indeed, it's unclear whether or not one occurs.) When he realises what a fool he's been he just trudges back, defeated, to his village. And it's here we have the obligatory scene where the villagers realise how great he was after all, mainly by singing the highly memorable refrains of the movie's songs, one after the other. Well, the film needed some ending. I'm inclined to forgive this one.
There's also a lengthy Little Mermaid ballet - seven minutes long? more? - danced in its entirety. (We see a LOT of the ballerina's craft in Copenhagen.) This sort of thing wasn't too unusual in the 1950s but it's a genuine gamble in context - and one that I think pays off. By the time the ballet appears the cheery story of an eccentric village storyteller had become surprisingly dark. Vidor, it seems, would rather risk having people leave the cinema than insult those who remain. Good for him. I can't claim that this film works in every respect, and perhaps you won't like it, but I'm sure you won't feel cheated by it.