O Homem de Duas Cabeças

Having recently attempted straight roles in 'Me and the Colonel' and 'The Five Pennies', Danny Kaye's film career was taking a back seat to his activities on stage and TV by the time he returned to comedy to make this, set back in 1944 when he had made his own film debut in the services comedy 'Up in Arms'. Paramount continued to lavish top notch production values (and two Oscar-winning cameramen) and an impressive supporting cast on this as they had on their Bob Hope films. (It also marks one of Diana Dors' last glamorous bad girl roles in Hollywood as a second world war Mata Hari.) But like most Kaye vehicles it does go on.

More farcical than most Kaye fare, the basic plot dates back at least as far as 'Folies Bergere' in 1935 (and probably the silent era), and Kaye himself had already made a version himself ten years before this as 'On the Riviera'. Other comedians ranging from Will Hay to Jerry Lewis have also played their doppelgängers for laughs. The war gave a new lease of life to this situation, with even real life getting in on the act with 'I Was Monty's Double'.

The tempo is unusually fast here for a Danny Kaye film, as you had learned to take it more easy with his films like "Me and the Colonel" and the very serious "Five Pennies", but apparently he agreed to return to professional hilarious farce again and with a vengeance. It's all British although there are a few Americans in it as well, but the relief of the film and what saves it is the lovely Dana Wynter, wife of the monstrous general he has to impersonate, who hated her husband and came back home just to divorce him, but found Danny Kasye instead as something of her husband's better alter ego. They both appear together in the beginning of the film in the first of many hilarious scenes, but he is never heard of again, while the fake conquers the scene. The top hilarious scene is when he gets kidnapped to Germany and has to go through all kinds of ordeals, turning them to great slapstick fun, until he faces his own assassins. Actually, you miss the serious Danny Kaye here from his two previous films, to which genre he never returned. He was funniest as a clown but he proved his artistic worth best in those two changeling films.

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've been a big Danny Kaye fan from an early age. I've seen all of his movies, minus one or two. But I will have to say with all honesty, that "Double Time" is without a doubt, one of his best works. I was lucky enough to catch this one on the AMC channel (American Movie Classics) and to this day is the funniest movie I have ever seen. I laughed until I couldn't even see the T.V. screen through the tears. But unfortunately, this one is not available on video, which I really don't understand because it was one of his later films. (1960's) I do wish someone, somehow would make ths happen.

I stopped being a Danny Kaye fan several years ago which probably coincided with my teenage years. This came up on TV and I decided to give it a little time, as reviews were half decent. It was also a 1960's film which I often "like the feel of". Perhaps reminiscing, I admit.

You know the plot line from elsewhere on this page, and I wanted to add, that from the first few minuted it had me laughing out aloud at the humour, and I knew this was going to have something here that I would like. I can't say that laughter was sustained continually throughout, but there is certainly more than enough to keep you amused through.

There is even one excellent scene, which was pure Danny Kaye, and then I remembered why I use to like him (who can forget the "The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle, the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true from the Court Jester? - Danny Kaye could!).

The brand of humour put me in mind of It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World and even the MAD Magazine from the 60's. Yes, it's zany, unrealistic, but being Danny Kaye that's what you can can expect.

On the other side there were some moments where the target was missed entirely. But overall there were more good things in this movie than bad and certainly worth a watch. Even the obligatory love interest is sensitively handled and my toes never curled up once.

For the British connection it has Wilfred Hyde-White (more voice than character), Diana Dors (not enough seen of her!), Margaret Rutherford (a cameo role really, but fell a little flat).

At the end of it, I'm glad I stayed and indulged.