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Hans Christian Andersen

Play trailer Poster for Hans Christian Andersen 1952 2h 0m Kids & Family Musical Play Trailer Watchlist
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83% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Imaginative cobbler Hans Christian Andersen (Danny Kaye) is asked to leave his hometown because his frequent stories are distracting the children from school. From there he moves to Copenhagen, Denmark, where he sees and falls in love with Doro (Jeanmaire), a ballerina. He writes "The Little Mermaid" for her, and it becomes the ballet's latest work. However, Doro is already married to Niels (Farley Granger), meaning Hans must content himself with producing popular children's stories.
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Hans Christian Andersen

Critics Reviews

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Bob Thomas Associated Press 07/24/2019
Danny Kaye is refreshingly re strained in the title role, and Jeanmaire is excellent while dancing. Go to Full Review
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 06/07/2012
B-
This largely fictionalized musical biopic of the famous writer was one of Danny Kaye's most popular films, nominated for multiple Oscars. Go to Full Review
Carol Cling Las Vegas Review-Journal 01/23/2004
4/5
Philip Martin Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 12/30/2002
3/5
Ken Hanke Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) 08/22/2002
2/5
As with all Danny Kaye movies my response is to wish for a tranqulizer gun Go to Full Review
Bob Grimm Las Vegas Mercury 08/01/2002
3/5
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Audience Reviews

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01/02/2022 Stop complaining that it’s not a true biography. It tells you it is not right at the start. Yes, there was a time when children and adults could sit through a beautiful ballet piece (as in the film). There was a time when children had an attention span longer than a gun shot in a video game. The score is brilliant and an entire generation grew up singing to it. Wonderful sets, cinematography and acting. If you are too contemporary to not respond warmly to Danny Kaye and the boy in The Ugly Duckling, your fellow humans can do without you. This is a fantastic, classic, and beautiful film. See more 09/07/2021 Amazing movie love it See more 03/01/2021 The funniest musical about Hans Christian Anderson ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more steve d 07/21/2020 A complete waist of time. See more 02/01/2019 The best musical movie ever made! With the best movie song ever sung: Thumbelina! See more bill t 06/09/2018 A bit of an annoying "biography" of Hans Christian Andersen, played by the ever annoying Danny Kaye. "Biography" in quotes, as this is a total reimagining of his life here, and it's not very good, him falling in love with a ballerina, and then we get song after song, and yes, BALLET NUMBERS. Oh god, just shoot me now. See more Read all reviews
Hans Christian Andersen

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Movie Info

Synopsis Imaginative cobbler Hans Christian Andersen (Danny Kaye) is asked to leave his hometown because his frequent stories are distracting the children from school. From there he moves to Copenhagen, Denmark, where he sees and falls in love with Doro (Jeanmaire), a ballerina. He writes "The Little Mermaid" for her, and it becomes the ballet's latest work. However, Doro is already married to Niels (Farley Granger), meaning Hans must content himself with producing popular children's stories.
Director
Charles Vidor
Producer
Samuel Goldwyn
Screenwriter
Moss Hart
Distributor
RKO Radio Pictures
Production Co
Samuel Goldwyn Company, The See
Genre
Kids & Family, Musical
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 25, 1952, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 28, 2017
Runtime
2h 0m
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