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There's little question that the brilliant Danny Kaye did some of his finest--and most memorable--work in the lush and lavish Samuel Goldwyn musicals that he made both during and immediately after World War II.
The Kid from Brooklyn, based on the play
The Milky Way, is no exception. The plot concerns Burleigh Sullivan, a kindly milkman who is duped into thinking he's championship-boxer material, and Kaye is again paired with Virginia Mayo, who teamed with him (ever so briefly) in
Up in Arms, then as his leading lady in
Wonder Man, and later in
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and
A Song Is Born.
The performances from Kaye and his supporting cast are topnotch. Notable are Walter Abel as the comically manic fight promoter Gabby Sloan; a wry Eve Arden as Gabby's long-suffering gal pal; Steve Cochran as Speed, the "real" boxer who's actually a nice guy; Lionel Stander (later of Hart to Hart) as Spider, the put-upon trainer; and a truly sensational Vera-Ellen--who has completely amazing dance numbers (notably "What's Your Name?"). The underrated Vera-Ellen plays Burleigh's sweet sister, who falls for Speed. Familiar Kaye collaborators Sammy Cahn, Sylvia Fine (Kaye's wife), Max Liebman, and Jule Styne provide the film with catchy, lively tunes that still sound fresh. Legendary cinematographer Gregg Toland gives the colorful film a lovely look. --N.F. Mendoza
