On the Riviera

source: On the Riviera

Trailer—On the Riviera

On the Riviera

Only Danny Kaye can pull of a double role while keeping both characters interesting and different.

There is nothing new about Danny Kaye playing a dual role, however, there is nothing wrong about it either. To observe the delightful manner in which he almost distorts the language, while playing a puppet is always a joy. The added charms of Silvia Fine's skill at twisting the words while allowing her husband to remain twisted in the puppet strings is fun. Only Danny possessed the tongue to deliver such new-fangled words. Watch out, did you recognize Gwen Verdon? She is there all right! Those legs can not be missed, although her beautiful voice is dubbed right out of the movie. The best line of this film has to be, "Mnnnn" with the impersonator unable to say either yes or no to the business mogul's demands, thus increasing the bid ever higher. Did Gene sleep with her husband or with the actor? To this day, I still don't know, and that was a sexy idea to develop. Three cheers for it.

First of all, I must confess that I haven't seen the original Chevalier film on which "On the Riviera" is based. However, Fox recycled the plot before this film for "That Night in Rio" with Don Ameche, Alice Faye, and Carmen Miranda in the Danny Kaye, Gene Tierney, and Corinne Calvet roles. I think "Rio" is far superior to "Riviera." The plot is much better paced, less frantic and frenetic (although that may simply be the difference between Ameche and Kaye as performers). For me, a little Kaye "shtick" goes a long way, and the more he uses it, the less amused I get. In this film, he lays it on with a trowel. Fox dipped into the well once too often. The only saving grace is the lustrous Tierney in luscious color.

Danny Kaye has made many good movies, but "On the Riviera" and "White Christmas" are my favorites. Danny Kaye plays two men who look alike but have different personalities and lives. One is a philandering industrialist, who is elegant, and the other is an entertainer, who is silly. Each man has a beautiful woman in his life: the industrialist's wife (Gene Tierney) and the entertainer's girlfriend (Corinne Calvet). Both women are funny and this is their best comedy.

Predictable Danny Kaye farce with the beauty Gene Tierney attempting to leave drama and go to comedy for a change. Ms. Tierney probably knew that her forte was the former. We know what's going to happen when Kaye impersonates a debonair look-alike who is having financial difficulties. We know the latter will show up and cause some comic complications. The cinematography is beautiful and the songs, some of them written by Kaye's wife Sylvia Fine, are flamboyant. Kaye does brief take-offs on Carmen Miranda and Jimmy Durante. They would have been hilarious had he been allowed to pursue them.

When i was young i was a great fan of Danny Kaye.I even remember being taken to see him at the London Palladium.I saw all of his films and watched his TV shows when they were aired as BBC2s prime variety show when it opened in 1964.Now i look at films like these and wonder why.This is a tepid remake of Follies Bergere which starred Maurice Chevalier.The original was far funnier and had a couple of marvellous musical numbers.Unfortunately one has to say that one let alone two Kaye performances in this remake is too much.Lets be honest he just isn't funny.All of his routines we have already seen many times before this GE Walter Mitty.The musical numbers are long and drawn out and with more perspiration and inspiration.There must have been a reason why i liked him but i cant imagine why now.

Kaye won a Golden Globe for his great performance in dual roles as a military giant and an entertainer who tries to win the love of Gene Tierney. A fun filled musical comedy with great dancing and the always unstoppable Kaye, doing what he does best.