Hans Christian Andersen (1952)

Set in 19th century Denmark, a cobbler (Danny Kaye) in a small village ventures to Copenhagen along with his apprentice (Joseph Walsh). It's there he gets infatuated with a ballerina (Zizi Jeanmaire), who he believes is stuck in an unhappy marriage to her abusive choreographer husband (Farley Granger). Directed by Charles Vidor (GILDA) with songs by Frank Loesser (GUYS AND DOLLS). The film is upfront that this is not a factual biography of the famous Danish storyteller but rather an imaginative fantasy of his life. The film is colorful, the songs are good and the choreography by Roland Petit is lovely, highlighted by THE LITTLE MERMAID ballet. The film was a huge hit and received 6 Oscar nominations. Danny Kaye is surprisingly subdued in his performance rather than his usual manic persona. So much so that I'm tempted to call it a movie for people who dislike Danny Kaye. I'm a huge Kaye fan myself but I found the film too mawkish and sentimental. But clearly the film was aimed toward the wholesome family market. With John Qualen and John Brown.