HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN

US, 1952, 112 minutes, Colour.
Danny Kaye, Farley Granger, Jeanmaire, Joey Walsh.
Directed by Charles Vidor.

Hans Christian Andersen was designed as a Danny Kaye vehicle. Kaye had emerged in films in the late 40s as a very successful comedian with such films as The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and The Inspector-General?. He made this biography of the famous Danish storyteller and brought to it some of his own comedy characteristics and routines and some musical numbers. French ballet dancer Zizi Jeanmaire was an added attraction with her dancing of some ballets of his fairy tales. There is a light sentimental touch about the whole film and it is quite an engaging, if sentimental, biography.

1. The appeal of this film, its qualities of entertainment and enjoyment? For what audience was it made. in the 50s? Impact now? Its declaration of being a fairy tale about Andersen? The kind of response that it wanted? Delight. suspension of a sense of realism? Insight in to the magic of Anderson himself?

2. The appropriateness of Danny Kaye in the role, Danny Kaye's style, his comic qualities. his singing, his ability with children? Which sequences best illustrated these talents?

3. The use of colour, the re-creation of Denmark last century, village life and its detail. the voyage to Copenhagen and the imaginative aspect of the city? The use of fantasy in Andersen's mind? The significant contribution of the ballet of The Little Mermaid? what style did this give to the fairytale?

4. The importance of the musical score and its use, the songs, especially Hans Christian Andersen, Copenhagen, The Ugly Duckling, No Two People could be so in Love. Thumberlina? The musical standard of the ballet. the choreography?

5. What did the film say about the character of Hans Andersen? His work as a cobbler and his neglect of it, the quality of his stories and his imagination, the fascination of the children, the reaction of the adults, especially the serious teacher? Andersen as susceptible to his friend's suggestion? His being persuaded to go to Copenhagen, the exhilaration of the journey? His fascination with the city, and the irony of his being in prison? His work for the ballet, his fascination with the ballerina, his writing The Little Mermaid for her and infatuation with her? His encounter with the children and especially the story of The Ugly Duckling? How pleasant and generous a character? An optimistic view of human nature?

6. The contrast with the ballet people, the reality, and Andersen's imagination? His response to the husband and wife feuding? His gallantry in defending the wife but not realising the temperamental clashes? The importance of his infatuation, his imagining himself as singing and dancing with the ballerina? The effect on his life? The importance of her return and her disillusionment with his infatuation?

7. The importance of the character of Peter, his devotion to Andersen, his persuasiveness in getting him to Copenhagen and away from the village, sharing his experiences helping in his work? Getting him a job with the ballet company, with the people of Copenhagen? The importance of Peter's insight into the infatuation, their clash and its pathos? The happiness of their reunion on the way home?

8. Comment on the particular fairy tales of Andersen and the morals that they drew eg. The Little Mermaid,, Thumberlina, The Ugly Duckling? How was the moral of the fairy story clear from the ballet? The illustration towards the end of the titles of Andersen's stories? what was his achievement?

9. The fairytale nature of his return, reconciliation, acceptance by the children, by the villagers, especially the teacher? The repetition of the stories and the songs to end the film?

10. The quality of this kind of entertainment? Light family fables with optimism about human nature?