Wonder Man
It's Gala-Gala with Girls, Gaiety and that Goldwyn Glamour!
1945 | 98m | English
Popularity: 2 (history)
| Director: | H. Bruce Humberstone |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Melville Shavelson, Don Hartman, Philip Rapp, Jack Jevne, Eddie Moran, Arthur Sheekman |
| Staring: |
| Boisterous nightclub entertainer Buzzy Bellew was the witness to a murder committed by gangster Ten Grand Jackson. One night, two of Jackson's thugs kill Buzzy and dump his body in the lake at Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Buzzy comes back as a ghost and summons his bookworm twin, Edwin Dingle, to Prospect Park so that he can help the police nail Jackson. | |
| Release Date: | Jun 08, 1945 |
|---|---|
| Director: | H. Bruce Humberstone |
| Writer: | Melville Shavelson, Don Hartman, Philip Rapp, Jack Jevne, Eddie Moran, Arthur Sheekman |
| Genres: | Comedy, Fantasy |
| Keywords | dance, comedian, musical, possession, murder, twins, hoodlum |
| Production Companies | Samuel Goldwyn Productions |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Aug 03, 2024 Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Danny Kaye | Edwin Dingle / Buzzy Bellew |
| Virginia Mayo | Ellen Shanley |
| Vera-Ellen | Midge Mallon |
| Donald Woods | Monte Rossen |
| S.Z. Sakall | Schmidt |
| Allen Jenkins | Chimp |
| Edward Brophy | Torso |
| Steve Cochran | Ten Grand Jackson |
| Otto Kruger | District Attorney |
| Richard Lane | Assistant District Attorney |
| Natalie Schafer | Mrs. Hume |
| Huntz Hall | Sailor |
| Virginia Gilmore | Sailor's Girl Friend |
| Edward Gargan | Policeman in Park |
| Alice Mock | Prima Donna |
| Gisela Werbisek | Mrs. Schmidt |
| Bess Flowers | Pelican Club Extra / Opera Patron (uncredited) |
| Franklyn Farnum | Pelican Club Patron (uncredited) |
| Sam Harris | Pelican Club Paron (uncredited) |
| Byron Foulger | Deli Customer (uncredited) |
| Gloria Delson | Goldwyn Girl (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Melville Shavelson | Screenplay |
| H. Bruce Humberstone | Director |
| Travis Banton | Costume Design |
| Daniel Mandell | Editor |
| David Rose | Songs |
| Victor Milner | Director of Photography |
| William E. Snyder | Director of Photography |
| Don Hartman | Screenplay |
| Philip Rapp | Screenplay |
| Ernst Fegté | Art Direction |
| Howard Bristol | Set Decoration |
| Nina Roberts | Hairstylist |
| Robert Stephanoff | Makeup Artist |
| Jack Jevne | Adaptation |
| Eddie Moran | Adaptation |
| Arthur Sheekman | Original Story |
| Ray Heindorf | Orchestrator, Conductor |
| Louis Forbes | Music Director |
| John Wray | Choreographer |
| John P. Fulton | Special Effects |
| Fred Lau | Sound Recordist |
| Sylvia Fine | Original Music Composer, Lyricist |
| McClure Capps | Assistant Art Director |
| Leo Robin | Songs |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Samuel Goldwyn | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 10 | 20 | 5 |
| 2024 | 5 | 11 | 21 | 6 |
| 2024 | 6 | 9 | 24 | 3 |
| 2024 | 7 | 8 | 19 | 4 |
| 2024 | 8 | 8 | 22 | 3 |
| 2024 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 2 |
| 2024 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 2 |
| 2024 | 11 | 5 | 11 | 2 |
| 2024 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 2 |
| 2025 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 3 |
| 2025 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Trending Position
Danny Kaye is "Dingle" - a charismatic, if slightly annoying, nightclub entertainer who, after witnessing an hit, falls foul of some mobsters. His ghost returns to try and inspire his rather timid twin to help deliver his killers to the cops. The split-personality approach allows for plenty opportun ... ities for light comedy. "Dingle" must reconcile the attentions of his fiancée "Midge" (Vera-Allen) - engaged to the murdered man, and of the shy and retiring librarian "Ellen" (Virginia Mayo) who prefers the quieter man. This love triangle thread is a bit wearisome, to be honest, and concludes in a rather predictable way - indeed, the whole storyline is pretty unremarkable. Kaye is at his best when he is ostensibly "possessed" by his twin - and the flower-allergy number "Otchi Tchorniya" is the highlight of the film. Also quite notable are the visual effects. Both "Dingle" characters frequently and imperceptibly appear in the same shot, the ghostly apparition even walking through objects. Fans of the star may get more from this, but I found his performance just a bit too dominating, the rest of the film is as nothing to his appearances and the songs are all pretty lacklustre, save for Leo Robin & David Rose's "So in Love". It's quirky, colourful and well paced, so fans should enjoy it - it just over-did it for me.