On the Double (1961)

Simply Perfect

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Danny Kaye is an American private in 1943 who is pressed into posing as a British General in order to deceive the Nazis about a coming invasion. Kaye struts about in his British uniform, slapping his swagger stick on the furniture, getting mixed up about which eye his patch should cover, being captured by the Germans, escaping after a frenzied chase through a German night club, and winds up with Dana Wynter, the lovely widow of the real British General, in his arms.It's a kind of farcical version of a real historical incident, shown in the feature film "I Was Monty's Double," but although it's fast, although it's zany, it's not much of a laugh riot. Rather more of a smile demonstration.The film is a pleasant enough diversion, and Dana Wynter is a knockout, but Kaye's nonsensical gibberish isn't too well folded into the plot and the impersonations of Marlene Dietrich and others have a slapdash quality, as if they were written into the plot because the writers figured the audience expected them to be written into the plot.Nothing to be avoided. Nothing to write home about either.

I was 14 and saw On The Double when it first came out and was impressed then by the regal beauty of Dana Wynter who was always playing Lady this or Mrs. that and always in the upper class of the United Kingdom. I also thought Danny Kaye was pretty funny.On The Double gives Kaye his usual stage for patter and mimicry. The mimicry is most important because Kaye is asked to impersonate a one eyed British general who he bares a resemblance to. Kaye does other imitations like Churchill and Hitler. I'll bet could have come up with a mean FDR had he the occasion to. The one he doesn't fool is the general's wife played by Dana Wynter who has put up with his frequent infidelities. Something about Kaye does touch her. It's always that we with movie comedians who play nebbishes, but funny nebbishes whether it's Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis or Danny Kaye.Wynter gets into the spirit of things and at a very posh society party in an incident precipitated by Margaret Rutherford turns into an old fashioned food fight that John Belushi couldn't have handled better.Britain's Marilyn Monroe, Diana Dors is also on hand as the shapely sergeant that the general is having his current fling with. On The Double is not the best of Danny Kaye films, yet his legion of fans will find it suits their taste admirably.

Danny Kaye has to be one of the greatest of the giggle creators of all time. With instinct that is uncanny, he can unleash a torrent of laughter on either side of the ocean. Using that amazing voice, and unique body language all of his own, Danny Kaye becomes whomever he desires to be, in any language. He knew how to create, without the need of crudity, and it remains a beautiful fashion, forty years after the fact. Seldom lacking that twinkle in his eye, anything could and usually did happen in his films, especially On the Double. It has always made me wonder how ofter might this have happened, for it is said that each of us has a direct mirror opposite wandering about on this planet. The list of possibilities is endless. Hopefully, each will have the same bad eye, so that the patch which covers it will be permitted to remain in place, and not confuse family members. Beware to all our beloved Aunts. This is one in the top 5 list I have for Danny Kaye, and it needs to be up and out there on VIDIO if not DVD.

I can remember seeing this film on T.V.and it made me laugh,the type of film i look for.I am not sure why i did not record it.It does not seem that long ago,but my memory could be playing tricks.Perhaps the T.V.showing was before i owned a video in the 1980s.However,there are plenty of films which have been shown several times.Why not this one?