Wonder Man *** (1945, Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Vera-Ellen, Donald Woods, S Z Sakall, Allen Jenkins, Edward Brophy, Otto Kruger, Steve Cochran) – Classic Movie Review 13,362

The 1945 fantasy Technicolor comedy musical film Wonder Man stars Danny Kaye in two roles, as a bookish student and his murdered club entertainer identical twin. The special effects won an Oscar, and it was nominated for Best Original Song (‘So in Love’).

Director H Bruce Humberstone’s 1945 Technicolor supernatural comedy film Wonder Man stars Danny Kaye, along with Virginia Mayo, Vera-Ellen, Donald Woods, S Z Sakall, Allen Jenkins, Edward Brophy, Otto Kruger, and Steve Cochran.

The short story by Arthur Sheekman is adapted by Jack Jevne and Eddie Moran and turned into a screenplay by Don Hartman, Melville Shavelson and Philip Rapp. It is produced by Samuel Goldwyn, so obviously The Goldwyn Girls appear.

Wonder Man is an amusing fantasy comedy musical with two roles for Kaye, as a bookish student called Edwin Dingle and his murdered club entertainer identical twin Buster Dingle, who goes by the stage name of Buzzy Bellew. The latter comes back as a ghost and gets the former to take his place to round up the killers.

The fine character acting support helps – especially Otto Kruger as the district attorney, Allen Jenkins as hood Chimp, and Steve Cochran as mob boss Ten Grand Jackson.

For all those who think that Kaye is a comedy wonder man, this is a guaranteed laughter raiser.

The then ingenious special effects by John P Fulton (photographic effects) won an Oscar. And there is a cute hit song: ‘So in Love’ by David Rose (Music) and Leo Robin (Lyrics).

The film won an Academy Award for Best Special Effects at the 18th Academy Awards in 1946 (Photographic Effects by John P Fulton; Sound Effects by Arthur Johns), and was nominated for Best Original Song (‘So in Love’: Music by David Rose; Lyrics by Leo Robin), Best Scoring of a Musical Picture (Lou Forbes and Ray Heindorf), and Best Sound Recording (Gordon E. Sawyer).

It is shot in Technicolor by Victor Milner and William Snyder. The music plays a big part in it – thanks to Kaye’s wife Sylvia Fine (music and lyrics); Ray Heindorf (musical orchestration and conducting) and Louis Forbes (musical director). So does the choreography by John Wray.

June Hutton provides the singing voice for Vera-Ellen.

The cast

The cast are Danny Kaye as Edwin Dingle and Buzzy Bellew, Virginia Mayo as Ellen Shanley, Vera-Ellen as Midge Mallon, Donald Woods as Monte Rossen, S Z Sakall as Schmidt, Allen Jenkins as Chimp, Edward Brophy as Torso, Otto Kruger as District Attorney, Steve Cochran as Ten Grand Jackson, Richard Lane as Assistant District Attorney, Natalie Schafer as Mrs Hume, Gisela Werbezirk as Mrs Schmidt, Alice Mock as Prima Donna, The Goldwyn Girls as Themselves, Huntz Hall as Sailor, and Virginia Gilmore as the Sailor’s Girlfriend.

Wonder Man is directed by H Bruce Humberstone, runs 98 minutes, is made by Samuel Goldwyn Productions, is released by RKO Radio Pictures, is written by Don Hartman, Melville Shavelson and Philip Rapp, based on the short story by Arthur Sheekman, adapted by Jack Jevne and Eddie Moran, is shot in Technicolor by Victor Milner and William Snyder, is produced by Samuel Goldwyn, is scored by Sylvia Fine (music and lyrics); Louis Forbes (musical director) and Ray Heindorf (musical orchestration and conducting), is designed by Ernst Fegté, with special effects by John Fulton and costumes by Travis Banton and Mary Grant.

Danny Kaye

Danny Kaye starred in 17 films, notably Wonder Man (1945), The Kid from Brooklyn (1946), The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), The Inspector General (1949), Hans Christian Andersen (1952), White Christmas (1954), Knock on Wood (1954), and The Court Jester (1955).

The Goldwyn Girls

Samuel Goldwyn modelled his movie musical stock company of female dancers the Goldwyn Girls on the stage show Ziegfeld Follies around 1929. Famous Goldwyn Girls include Lucille Ball, Virginia Bruce, Claire Dodd, Paulette Goddard, Betty Grable, Virginia Grey, June Kirby, Joi Lansing, Barbara Pepper, Marjorie Reynolds, Pat Sheehan, Gail Sheridan, Ann Sothern, Larri Thomas, Tyra Vaughn, Toby Wing, Vonne Lester, and Jane Wyman.

Goldwyn explained: ‘I have always insisted that every Goldwyn Girl look as though she had just stepped out of a bathtub. There must be a kind of a radiant scrubbed cleanliness about them which rules out all artificiality.’

How lovely to have dancing girls named after you!

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,362

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com

Danny Kaye in White Christmas.