Wonder Man

"It's Gala-Gala with Girls, Gaiety and that Goldwyn Glamour!"

1945 1h 38m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 45

ComedyFantasyMusic

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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.

“It's Gala-Gala with Girls, Gaiety and that Goldwyn Glamour!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

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

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: H. Bruce Humberstone
Writers: Don Hartman, Melville Shavelson, Philip Rapp
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

81 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, shot by William E. Snyder. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Sylvia Fine. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Daniel Mandell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo and Vera-Ellen carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "It's Gala-Gala with Girls, Gaiety and that Goldwyn Glamour!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0038260 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 45 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

H. Bruce Humberstone directs. William E. Snyder behind the camera. Sylvia Fine scores. Daniel Mandell cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

181 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, shot by William E. Snyder. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Sylvia Fine. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Daniel Mandell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo and Vera-Ellen carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "It's Gala-Gala with Girls, Gaiety and that Goldwyn Glamour!".
7IMDB entry: tt0038260 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 45 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: William E. Snyder
Original score: Sylvia Fine
Editing: Daniel Mandell
Costume design: Travis Banton
Makeup / hair: Robert Stephanoff
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Wonder Man (1945)

Awards

Academy Award for Best Special Effects

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

H. Bruce Humberstone

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-07-01
★ 6/10
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 opportunities 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.

Production companies