The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Released Sep 1, 1947

1h 48m

Comedy

List

82%

Tomatometer

11 Reviews

80%

Audience Score

2,500+ Ratings

A mild-mannered pushover, Walter Mitty (Danny Kaye) longs to be free of his mundane existence, where has to contend with his pushy mother (Fay Bainter) and flighty fiancée (Ann Rutherford), among others. Indulging in elaborate daydreams, Walter finds himself on a real adventure when the lovely and enigmatic Rosalind van Hoorn (Virginia Mayo) ropes him into a situation involving valuable jewels, a little black book, and a sinister criminal named Dr. Hugo Hollingshead (Boris Karloff).

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Noel Murray

The Dissolve

The best parts of the movie Mitty are the ones that hew closer to Thurber, because they put the cartoonish Kaye in a world every bit as nutty.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 16, 2013

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

Danny Kaye reveals a greater smoothness and polish thespically and a perfection of timing in his slapstick than has ever been evident in the past.

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Thomas M. Pryor

New York Times

"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" is a big, colorful show and a good one.

Aug 8, 2006

Full Review

Moira Walsh

America Magazine

The blend of fantasy, slapstick, Technicolor spectacle and wild melodrama which results is disjointed and rather monotonous but serves adequately as a showcase for the zany comic antics of star Danny Kaye.

Jul 15, 2021

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Based on the story by James Thurber, adapters Ken Englund and Everett Freeman attempt to include too much, throwing off the pacing.

Rated: 5/10

Aug 14, 2020

Full Review

Steve Crum

Video-Reviewmaster.com

Great Danny Kaye fantasy-comedy, making far turns from Thurber story basis.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 23, 2008

Full Review

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Tim M

Worthy of our most fanciful daydreams, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty gets plenty of pep in its step thanks to a reliably physical comedic performance from Danny Kaye.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/09/24

Full Review

Jarrod R

A laugh riot! Thrills and chills!  Twists and turns on every page!  Such is life for Walter Mitty, a man working for a pulp fiction magazine and moving through life hopping from daydream to daydream. It's so severe that he actually is served up milk toast to attempt to keep him calm.  Danny Kaye is perfect for this role and he's able to showcase his multiple characters as well as his musical numbers and physical comedy. Speaking of, his timing is impeccable and puts him in the upper echelons of comedy stars.  I was also impressed by Virginia Mayo, who plays Rosalind van Hoorn, who follows Walter Mitty around through the daydreams without missing a beat.  All in all, this one holds up nicely, and would be a nice addition to anyone's wish list.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/09/24

Full Review

joel h

If you're already a fan of Danny Kaye, you'll enjoy The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. This movie is basically a playground for the actor, allowing him to showcase all sorts of characters and talents during the various fantasy sequences. If you're not a fan of Danny Kaye, you might find the goofier parts a little off-putting, as comedy has changed a bit since the 1940s. Nevertheless, this is a light-hearted, likable movie, though it does deal with some darker plotlines, which I didn't expect. Still, I found myself smiling as I watched it, and it was amusing to see Boris Karloff in a comedic film.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

robert p

It's a good movie but a little rediculous that Danny Kaye is such a good dancer and singer but he carries a bit to long in this movie which is why I give this film a *3 & 1/2* star review!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

dustin d

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a charming and imaginative film with an original premise. The fantasy sequences sort of throw off the pace of the film, but they also showcase Danny Kaye's range and comedic abilities nicely. Also great performance from Boris Karloff. One of the interesting aspects for me was to see a 1940s film in color that wasn't a cartoon or historical film. It was neat to see what the 1940s looked like.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

What a tuppucka tuppucka tuppucking good film this is. The women look amazing, the irreverent day dreams are great and there's no Ben Stiller around time ruin it. No need to remake this film, thank god they've never tried tuppucka tuppucka tuppucka

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

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Norman Z. McLeod

Director

Danny Kaye

Walter Mitty

Virginia Mayo

Rosalind van Hoorn

Boris Karloff

Dr. Hollingshead

Fay Bainter

Mrs. Mitty

Ann Rutherford

Gertrude Griswold

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Synopsis

A mild-mannered pushover, Walter Mitty (Danny Kaye) longs to be free of his mundane existence, where has to contend with his pushy mother (Fay Bainter) and flighty fiancée (Ann Rutherford), among others. Indulging in elaborate daydreams, Walter finds himself on a real adventure when the lovely and enigmatic Rosalind van Hoorn (Virginia Mayo) ropes him into a situation involving valuable jewels, a little black book, and a sinister criminal named Dr. Hugo Hollingshead (Boris Karloff).

Director: Norman Z. McLeod
Screenwriter: Ken Englund, Everett Freeman, Philip Rapp, James Thurber
Distributor: Embassy Pictures, RKO Radio Pictures, Home Box Office Home Video
Production Co: RKO Radio Pictures Inc., Samuel Goldwyn Films
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 1, 1947, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 22, 2017
Runtime: 1h 48m

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