Hans Christian Andersen (1952)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Charles Vidor

Writers:

Myles Connolly (story)
Moss Hart (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

14 August 1953 (France)

Genre:

Biography | Family | Musical | Romance

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...

Plot Keywords:

Hans Christian Andersen | Ballet | Schoolgirl | Home | Sitting

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 4 nominations

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)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lee Aaker	...	Little Boy (uncredited)
Lonnie Burr	...	Townchild (uncredited)
Wheaton Chambers	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Barrie Chase	...	Ballerina (uncredited)
Jack Claus	...	Sea Witch (uncredited)
Noreen Corcoran	...	Little Girl (uncredited)
Michael Cowan	...	Boy (uncredited)
George Davis	...	Street Vendor (uncredited)
Edith Evanson	...	Mrs. Berta (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Jack Gargan	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Jack George	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Karolyn Grimes	...	Copenhagen match girl (uncredited)
Frank Hagney	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Tommy Ivo	...	Little Boy (uncredited)
Rudy Lee	...	Little Boy (uncredited)
Sylvia Lewis	...	Danseuse / Corps de Ballet (uncredited)
Betty Uitti	...	The Princess (uncredited)
Beverly Washburn	...	Girl Outside Jail Window (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Vidor

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Myles Connolly		story
Moss Hart		screenplay
Ben Hecht		uncredited

Produced by
Samuel Goldwyn	....	producer

Cinematography by
Harry Stradling Sr.		(as Harry Stradling)

Film Editing by
Daniel Mandell

Art Direction by
Clavé
Richard Day

Set Decoration by
Howard Bristol

Costume Design by
Mary Wills

Makeup Department
Del Armstrong	....	makeup artist
Helen Turpin	....	hair stylist

Sound Department
Fred Lau	....	sound recordist
Larry Gannon	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Clarence Slifer	....	special photographic effects
Daniel Hays	....	special effects (uncredited)
Russell Shearman	....	special effects (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Clavé	....	ballet costumes
Barbara Karinska	....	ballet costume execution (as Madame Karinska)

Editorial Department
Richard Mueller	....	color consultant: Technicolor

Music Department
Jerome Moross	....	orchestrator
Walter Scharf	....	musical director

Other crew
Roland Petit	....	choreographer

Production Companies

• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1952) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1967) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Pioneer Entertainment (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

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:

Samuel Goldwyn/Warner Hollywood Studios - 1041 N. Formosa Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Trivia:

This film marked the finish of producer Samuel Goldwyn's distribution pact with RKO, which resulted in 20 releases spanning 11 years, beginning with The Little Foxes (1941).

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When Hans Christien Andersen and Peter crosses the Great Belt Peter spots Copenhagen on the other side of the belt. But Copenhagen is located on the other side of Zealand and cannot be seen from a boat on the Great Belt.

Quotes:

Hans: You know I like to think that shoes have a mind of their own. The ones that squeak don't want to leave the shop, and the ones that don't fit don't like the person that's wearing them.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Heart & Soul: The Life and Music of Frank Loesser (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Little Mermaid Ballet

It's not a story of his life, just a fairytale about a spinner of fairy tales.

So the opening written words say to us the very thing that many across the site have failed to spot, namely they wasn't going for autobiographical, just a celebration of the name and his work.

Who better to bring the great Dane to the screen than Danny Kaye, his ebullient approach to the topic befits the glorious color that sparkles in each frame. The story tracks the Cobbler Andersen as he leaves his hometown of Odense to seek a new life in the beautiful city of Copenhagen. It is here that he becomes known for his stories that bring much joy to the children of Denmark and here that he writes his glorious Ballet version of The Little Mermaid. He gets into scrapes, he falls for a pretty girl, and most of all he discovers his vocation in life, this is indeed a delightful fairytale.

Sit back and enjoy The Emperor's New Clothes, Wonderful Copenhagen, Thumberlina and The Ugly Duckling, and then pray silence for the 15 minute showing of The Little Mermaid, smashingly buoyant film that may come wrapped up in treacle for some, but hey I got a sweet tooth and it works for me, 8/10.