The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947) starring Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Boris Karloff
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947) – not James Thurber’s story, but entertaining …
In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Danny Kaye is a natural to play the part. He’s a henpecked man who takes refuge from his boring life by engaging in a series of fantasies. These include a brave sea captain, fashion designer, surgeon, cowboy, etc.  Of course, the Samuel Goldwyn Company decided to make the movie fit the “romantic comedy” template. It took enormous liberties with the original short story by James Thurber … It changed the character of Walter Mitty from a middle-aged, henpecked husband. To a young man who’s living with his overprotective mother. He’s engaged to a young woman with an overbearing future mother-in-law. His boss oppresses him at work However, I don’t think that anybody besides James Thurber minded.
Danny Kaye plays eight different, funny, mini-characters. As well as telling the broader story. The broader story involves the daydreaming Walter Mitty (Danny Kaye) getting involved in a murder. And with a beautiful young woman named Rosalind (Virginia Mayo) who’s the beautiful woman from all of his daydreams.
Boris Karloff
The plot has to do with Nazi criminals. They’re tracking down valuables that were hidden from them during World War II. This includes a very menacing Boris Karloff as Dr. Hollingshead. Later in the film he plays the psychiatrist. One that’s trying to persuade Walter Mitty / Danny Kaye that he’s been imagining the entire thing. And very nearly convinces him that he is insane. In the end, as part of a very comic (and menacing) chase sequence, the criminals are caught. And Walter Mitty/Danny Kaye tells off his controlling mother, fiancee, and boss. And gains a new respect from them, as well as the love of Rosalind. And he lives happily ever after.
Conclusion
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a very funny film, and a great vehicle for Danny Kaye. For me, one of the highlights of the film is the fantasy-within-a-fantasy performance of Symphony For an Unstrung Tongue. It’s a hilariously funny Danny Kaye sketch, which can be viewed via YouTube. I highly recommended the movie. Be sure to check out the funny movie quotes from Walter Mitty as well.
Trivia for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, starring Danny Kaye (1947)
- Author James Thurber offered producer Samuel Goldwyn $10,000 to not make the film.
- Author James Thurber stated 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. Thurber is also on record as saying that he hated this version of the film. Also, that Danny Kaye’s interpretation of Mitty is nothing at all like Thurber intended the character to be.
- Danny Kaye’s wife, Sylvia Fine, wrote the lyrics to Anatole of Paris. It’s a song where Walter Mitty fantasizes that he’s a misogynist women’s hat designer. She was a musical theatre buff, and introduced a reference to the song Ol’ Man River (from Show Boat) into the lyrics of Anatole of Paris. Also a satirical reference to Show Boat in one of Mitty’s daydreams.
- Three Stooges foil Vernon Dent has an uncredited role as bartender. Another Stooges alumni, Christine McIntyre, has a role as Miss Blair – Lingerie Dept. Manager.
Songs in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty include:
- Anatole of Paris
- Beautiful Dreamer
- Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride)
- Listen to the Mockingbird
- Massa’s in de Cold, Cold Ground
- The Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)
- Symphony for an Unstrung Tongue (The Little Fiddle)
Cast of characters
- Danny Kaye (The Court Jester, The Inspector General) … Walter Mitty
- Virginia Mayo (The Kid from Brooklyn, The Princess and the Pirate) … Rosalind van Hoorn
- Boris Karloff (The Body Snatcher, The Comedy of Terrors) … Dr. Hugo Hollingshead
- Fay Bainter (State Fair) … Mrs. Eunice Mitty
- Ann Rutherford (Whistling in the Dark, Love Finds Andy Hardy) … Gertrude Griswold
- Thurston Hall (I Dood It) … Bruce Pierce
- Gordon Jones (The Abbott and Costello Show) … Tubby Wadsworth
- Florence Bates (Rebecca) … Mrs. Irma Griswold
- Konstantin Shayne (The Stranger) … Peter van Hoorn
- Reginald Denny (Cat Ballou, Batman the Movie) … Colonel
- Henry Corden (The Man Called Flintstone) … Hendrick
- Doris Lloyd (The Time Machine) … Mrs. Leticia Follinsbee
- Fritz Feld (Bringing Up Baby) … Anatole
- Frank Reicher (King Kong) … Karl Maasdam
- Milton Parsons (Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome) … Butler Tyler
- The Goldwyn Girls … Dancing Ensemble
Updated May 7, 2022