The Kid from Brooklyn (1946)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Norman Z. McLeod

Writers:

Frank Butler (1936 screenplays)
Richard Connell (1936 screenplays)
(more)

Release Date:

21 March 1946 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Shy milkman Burleigh Sullivan accidentally knocks out drunken Speed McFarlane, a champion boxer who was flirting with Burleigh's sister...

Plot Keywords:

Boxer | New York City | Beautiful Woman | Boxing | Irish American

Cast

Danny Kaye	...	Burleigh Hubert Sullivan
Virginia Mayo	...	Polly Pringle
Vera-Ellen	...	Susie Sullivan
Steve Cochran	...	Speed McFarlane
Eve Arden	...	Ann Westley
Walter Abel	...	Gabby Sloan
Lionel Stander	...	Spider Schultz
Fay Bainter	...	Mrs. E. Winthrop LeMoyne
Clarence Kolb	...	Wilbur Austin
Victor Cutler	...	Photographer
Charles Cane	...	Willard - Reporter
Jerome Cowan	...	Fight announcer
Don Wilson	...	Radio announcer
Knox Manning	...	Radio announcer
Kay Thompson	...	Matron
Johnny Downs	...	Master of Ceremonies
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fred Aldrich	...	Handler Carrying Hogan from Ring (uncredited)
Betty Alexander	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Rudolph Andrean	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Larry Anzalone	...	Fighter being knockedout (uncredited)
Shirley Ballard	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Bobby Barber	...	Enthusiastic Ringsider (uncredited)
Virginia Belmont	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict	...	Garden Party Guest (uncredited)
William 'Billy' Benedict	...	Newsboy #2 (uncredited)
Jody Black	...	Acrobatic dancer (uncredited)
Betty Blythe	...	Mrs. LeMoyne's friend (uncredited)
Mabel Boehlke	...	Acrobatic dancer (uncredited)
Jan Bryant	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Alfred Burke	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Betty Cargyle	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
James Carlisle	...	Mrs. LeMoyne's friend (uncredited)
Nora Cecil	...	Woman in Window (uncredited)
George Chandler	...	Reporter in hotel room (uncredited)
Robert Wade Chatterton	...	Man who lifts up Susie (uncredited)
Jack Cheatham	...	Milkman Joe Eddelson (uncredited)
Dorothy Clarke	...	Acrobatic dancer (uncredited)
Michael Collins	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Tony M. Conde	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Jean Cronin	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Eddie Cutler	...	Dancer in'Old Fashioned' number (uncredited)
Hal K. Dawson	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Gill Dennis	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Tom Dillon	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Lester Dorr	...	Reporter at train (uncredited)
Dan Drake	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	Sullivan's handler (uncredited)
Jay Eaton	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Dorothy Ellers	...	Polly Pringle (singing voice) (uncredited)
Jim Farley	...	(uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Garden Party Guest (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Ringsider at first fight (uncredited)
Mary Forbes	...	Garden Party Guest (uncredited)
William Forrest	...	Guest (uncredited)
Almeda Fowler	...	Bystander (uncredited)
Jack Gargan	...	Milkman Getting Water (uncredited)
Gertude Gault	...	Acrobatic dancer (uncredited)
Karen X. Gaylord	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Bob Gompers	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Frank Hagney	...	Fight Stadium Usher (uncredited)
Ben Hall	...	Newpaper Vendor (uncredited)
Donna Hamilton	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Fight Spectator (uncredited)
Eddie Hart	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Al Hill	...	Bit part (uncredited)
John Indrisano	...	Title fight referee (uncredited)
Harvey Karels	...	Dancer in 'Old Fashioned' number (uncredited)
Jimmy Kelly	...	Dancer in 'What's Your Name' number (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Garden Party Guest (uncredited)
Tom Kennedy	...	Referee #1 (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Helen Kimball	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Nolan Leary	...	Ackerman - the Milkman (uncredited)
Vonne Lester	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Arthur Loft	...	Joe, Stage Manager (uncredited)
Joyce Mackenzie	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Kenneth McAndish	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Torben Meyer	...	Garden party guest (uncredited)
Martha Montgomery	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Frank Moran	...	Hogan - Fighter Carried from Ring (uncredited)
Diana Mumby	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Billy Nelson	...	Ringside retainer to Sullivan (uncredited)
William Newell	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Jack Norton	...	Garden party guest (uncredited)
William J. O'Brien	...	Milkman (uncredited)
Spec O'Donnell	...	Arena call boy (uncredited)
Charles Perry	...	Handler (uncredited)
'Snub' Pollard	...	Man who reacts to lion (uncredited)
Tom Quinn	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Frank Riggi	...	Killer Kelly (uncredited)
Jack Roper	...	Kelly's fight manager (uncredited)
Al Ruiz	...	Dancer in 'Old Fashioned' number (uncredited)
Betty Russell	...	Susie Sullivan (singing voice) (uncredited)
Syd Saylor	...	Taxi driver (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Milkman Prankster with Ink (uncredited)
Harry Semels	...	Ringsider at first fight (uncredited)
Shirley Sharon	...	Acrobatic dancer (uncredited)
George Sherwood	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Rudolph Silva	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Mary Simpson	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Larry Steers	...	Well-Wisher at Train Station (uncredited)
Kismi Stefan	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Robert Stevenson	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Robert Strong	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	First timekeeper (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook	...	Policeman at Train Station (uncredited)
Virginia Thorpe	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Ruth Valmy	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Tyra Vaughn	...	Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Pierre Watkin	...	E. Winthrop LeMoyne (uncredited)
Billy Wayne	...	Reporter in hotel room (uncredited)
Ulysses Williams	...	Hogan, prelim fighter getting knocked out (uncredited)
Eric Wilton	...	LeMoynes' butler (uncredited)
Betty Yeaton	...	Acrobatic dancer (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Z. McLeod

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Frank Butler		1936 screenplay The Milky Way
Harry Clork		play "The Milky Way"
Richard Connell		1936 screenplay The Milky Way
Don Hartman		adaptation
Grover Jones		1936 screenplay The Milky Way
Lynn Root		play "The Milky Way"
Melville Shavelson		adaptation

Produced by
Samuel Goldwyn	....	producer

Cinematography by
Gregg Toland

Film Editing by
Daniel Mandell

Art Direction by
Stewart Chaney
Perry Ferguson

Set Decoration by
Howard Bristol
Clifford Porter

Costume Design by
Miles White

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

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

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arthur S. Black Jr.	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
McClure Capps	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Fred Lau	....	sound recordist

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jean Louis	....	clothes

Music Department
Carmen Dragon	....	musical director
Louis Forbes	....	music supervisor
Kay Thompson	....	music arranger: vocal arrangements

Other crew
Samuel Goldwyn	....	presenter
John Indrisano	....	technical advisor
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color director
Mitchell Kovaleski	....	associate technicolor color director
Bernard Pearce	....	choreographer

Production Companies

• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The
• Trinity Productions

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1946) (USA) (theatrical)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (VHS)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (VHS)

Other Companies

• The Goldwyn Girls  group cast members

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #11291) | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Trivia:

The Milky Way (1934). Comedy. Written by Lynn Root and Harry Clork. Directed by William W. Schorr. Cort Theatre: 8 May 1934- Jul 1934 (closing date unknown/63 performances). Cast: John Brown, Brian Donlevy (as "Speed McFarland"), Leo Donnelly (as "Gabby Sloan") [final Broadway role], Edward Emerson, William Foran, Gladys George (as "Anne Westey"), Emily Lowry, Hugh O'Connell (as "Burleigh Sullivan"), Bernard Pathe. Produced by Sidney Harmon and James R. Ullman. Note: Considering it did not recoup it's investment, this play proved surprising durable on film. It was purchased rather cheaply by Paramount - recently out of receivership - and produced as a Harold Lloyd vehicle as The Milky Way (1936) (a flop) and reworked a decade later by Samuel Goldwyn as The Kid from Brooklyn (1946) (a hit) with Danny Kaye in the starring role.

Movie Connections:

Remade as The Calcium Kid (2004)

Soundtrack:

Pavlova

Kaye Knocks The World Out

If you are looking to see Danny Kaye in his absolute prime, look no further than "The Kid from Brooklyn". This film was the third made by Kaye during his first filming contract (MGM) and it's fresh and funny even now in 2006 for so many reasons. Having cut his teeth in "Up In Arms" and "Wonder Man", he appears more polished and his act has found its place. This is the film where he would "find his mark" and then subsequently hit a grand-slam with "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty".

Here is the Kaye most beloved by all -- the nervous, lovable milquetoast with a secret extrovert/entertainer side, incredible physical comedy and exuberance; a funny, fast-paced almost screwball script featuring the best on-screen partners Kaye would ever work with (particularly his unscrupulous manager and wonderfully deadpan Eve Arden); the always lovely Virgina Mayo as his love interest; and spectacular music/dance numbers, including his tongue-twisting "Pavlowa". This is Kaye bursting with energy, youth and vitality, on-top-of the world (literally) and knowing it. Kaye could literally do no wrong from 1940 - 1950, and this film captures the confidence and joie de vivre that can only come from knowing that the entire world worships every move you make and word you say. This was Kaye's time in the sun and he soaks up every ray and sends it into the camera.

In addition, this film benefits greatly from a more ensemble feel. Kaye is clearly the star, but there is balance with songs and dancing from other members of the cast. It's my opinion that his best work (if not the most memorable) came when he was still on the rise and had to take orders from the studio bosses. In his later films -- such as "Hans Christian Andersen" -- Kaye would have more control and would even exercise this control to eliminate "competition" from other actors by singing the songs written for other characters. In the "Kid from Brooklyn", we see a humbler, hungrier Kaye.

Also -- this is often overlooked -- the historical context of this film adds much to your enjoyment of it. Not only was Kaye on top of the world, but America was, having emerged victorious from WWII and with a booming economy. The optimism shines through in the songs, the dance, and especially the incredibly saturated, gorgeous color photography. This was a Technicolor picture when most films were shot in black and white (and would continue to be for the next 15-20 years!) and you sense that MGM wanted not just color on the screen, but C-O-L-O-R! Check out some of the outfits, particularly worn by Eve Arden -- they are almost overwhelming in their colorfulness and this adds to the fun. It's almost like watching a Disney cartoon, it is that colorful.

Add to it the period flavor -- the incredible costumes, the inherent dash and style of a bypassed era when even a milkman looked eye-catching -- and you can't help but brim over with fun watching this film. I have watched this many times in my life and here I am, a world-weary Generation Xer hitting 36 and I still let out a pure, spontaneous laugh at the non-cynical humor. This film is just funny and fun -- period.