The Kid from Brooklyn

1946 film

The Kid from Brooklyn

Directed by| Norman Z. McLeod
Produced by| Samuel Goldwyn
Starring| Danny Kaye
Virginia Mayo
Vera-Ellen
The Goldwyn Girls
Walter Abel
Eve Arden
Steve Cochran
Fay Bainter
Lionel Stander
Cinematography| Gregg Toland
Edited by| Daniel Mandell
Music by| Carmen Dragon (uncredited)

Production
company

Samuel Goldwyn Productions

Distributed by| RKO Radio Pictures

Release date

* March 21, 1946 (1946-03-21)

Running time

| 113 minutes
Country| United States
Language| English
Budget| $1,450,000[1] or over $2 million[2]
Box office| $5,490,000 (worldwide rentals)[3]

The Kid from Brooklyn is a 1946 American musical comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod and starring Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Vera-Ellen, Steve Cochran, Walter Abel, Eve Arden, and Fay Bainter. Virginia Mayo's and Vera-Ellen's singing voices were dubbed by Betty Russell and Dorothy Ellers, respectively.[4]

Produced by Samuel Goldwyn, it is a remake of the Harold Lloyd film The Milky Way (1936) about a milkman who becomes world boxing champion. Lionel Stander plays the role of "Spider" Schultz in both versions of the movie.

## Plot

[edit]

Well-meaning and mild-mannered milkman Burleigh Sullivan (Kaye) meets Polly Pringle (Mayo), a beautiful, but out-of-work, singer, whilst on his rounds early in the morning. He tries to get her a job at the club where his sister Susie (Vera-Ellen) is performing, but gets the sack for his trouble. Whilst meeting Susie after the show, he sees her being molested by drunken boxer 'Speed' McFarlane and his bodyguard 'Spider'. In the fracas, Speed is knocked out and his manager, Gabby Sloan, is furious.

The newspapers pick up the story and photographers catch Burleigh 'knocking out' Speed again. In fact, as before, Speed is accidentally knocked out by Spider as a result of Sullivan's quick foot-work and propensity for ducking. Gabby decides to turn Burleigh into a fighter to turn the publicity to his advantage.

Burleigh goes on tour, but doesn't realize that all his fights have been fixed and his opponents have been asked to 'take a dive' to build up his image. He comes to think that he really is a great fighter, and develops a swollen head. Polly and Susie are not pleased with the turn of events. Meanwhile, Speed and Susie have become an item themselves.

Burleigh's contract is bought by Mr Austin, his former boss at Sunflower Milk, for $50,000, and he is set up to fight Speed for a charity fundraiser organised by socialite Mrs. E. Winthrop LeMoyne. Minutes before their bout, Speed is knocked out by Burleigh's miniature horse and is accidentally given medicine for insomnia rather than "ammonia" and falls asleep during the fight, giving Burleigh the win. Burleigh is reluctant to retire without having been KO'd, but Mrs. LeMoyne accidentally does just that. Now Burleigh can retire with a clear conscience. As promised by Mr Austin, he is given a partnership in the dairy company, with his former rival and new friend, Speed, as one of the district managers. But Gabby and Spider wind up working as milkmen.

## Cast

[edit]

* Danny Kaye as Burleigh Sullivan
* Virginia Mayo as Polly Pringle
* Vera-Ellen as Susie Sullivan
* Steve Cochran as Speed McFarlane
* Eve Arden as Ann
* Walter Abel as Gabby
* Lionel Stander as Spider
* Fay Bainter as Mrs. LeMoyne
* Clarence Kolb as Mr. Austin
* The Goldwyn Girls as Themselves

## Reception

[edit]

The film earned theatrical rentals of $3,960,000 in the United States and Canada and $1,530,000 overseas for a worldwide total of $5,490,000.[3]

## See also

[edit]

* List of boxing films

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Variety 12 September 1945 p 12
2. ^ "Audience penetration". Variety. 17 April 1946. p. 32.
3. ^ a b Jewell, Richard B. (1994). "RKO Film Grosses, 1929-1951: the C.J. Tevlin ledger". Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television. 14 (1): 37–49\. doi:10.1080/01439689400260031.
4. ^ Despite modern awareness of these uncredited singers, even some professional authors continue to ascribe singing to the actors, e.g. "capitalized on the stylized vocals of the radiant Virginia Mayo", in Frederick V. Romano, The Boxing Filmography: American Features, 1920-2003 (Jefferson NC: McFarland, 2004), 108; ISBN 9780786417933

## External links

[edit]

* The Kid from Brooklyn at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Norman Z. McLeod

* Taking a Chance (1928)
* Along Came Youth (1930)
* Finn and Hattie (1931)
* Monkey Business (1931)
* Touchdown (1931)
* The Miracle Man (1932)
* Horse Feathers (1932)
* If I Had a Million (segments "China Shop" and "Road Hogs", 1932)
* A Lady's Profession (1933)
* Mama Loves Papa (1933)
* Alice in Wonderland (1933)
* Melody in Spring (1934)
* Many Happy Returns (1934)
* It's a Gift (1934)
* Redheads on Parade (1935)
* Here Comes Cookie (1935)
* Coronado (1935)
* The Milky Way (1936, uncredited)
* Early to Bed (1936)
* Pennies from Heaven (1936)
* Mind Your Own Business (1936)
* Topper (1937)
* Merrily We Live (1938)
* There Goes My Heart (1938)
* Topper Takes a Trip (1938)
* Remember? (1939)
* Little Men (1940)
* The Trial of Mary Dugan (1941)
* Lady Be Good (1941)
* Jackass Mail (1942)
* Panama Hattie (1942)
* The Powers Girl (1943)
* Swing Shift Maisie (1943)
* The Kid from Brooklyn (1946)
* The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947)
* Road to Rio (1947)
* Isn't It Romantic (1948)
* The Paleface (1948)
* Let's Dance (1950)
* My Favorite Spy (1951)
* Never Wave at a WAC (1953)
* Casanova's Big Night (1954)
* Public Pigeon No. 1 (1957)
* Alias Jesse James (1959)

* v
* t
* e

Films produced by Samuel Goldwyn

* The Pest (1919)
* Slave of Desire (1923)
* Potash and Perlmutter (1923)
* The Eternal City (1923)
* Cytherea (1924)
* In Hollywood with Potash and Perlmutter (1924)
* A Thief in Paradise (1925)
* His Supreme Moment (1925)
* The Dark Angel (1925)
* Stella Dallas (1925)
* The Winning of Barbara Worth (1926)
* Partners Again (1926)
* The Night of Love (1927)
* The Magic Flame (1927)
* The Devil Dancer (1927)
* Two Lovers (1928)
* The Awakening (1928)
* Condemned (1929)
* The Rescue (1929)
* This Is Heaven (1929)
* Bulldog Drummond (1929)
* Raffles (1930)
* Whoopee! (1930)
* The Devil to Pay! (1930)
* One Heavenly Night (1931)
* Street Scene (1931)
* Palmy Days (1931)
* The Unholy Garden (1931)
* Arrowsmith (1931)
* Tonight or Never (1931)
* The Greeks Had a Word for Them (1932)
* The Kid from Spain (1932)
* Cynara (1932)
* The Masquerader (1933)
* Roman Scandals (1933)
* We Live Again (1934)
* Nana (1934)
* Kid Millions (1934)
* The Dark Angel (1935)
* The Wedding Night (1935)
* Barbary Coast (1935)
* Splendor (1935)
* These Three (1936)
* Dodsworth (1936)
* Come and Get It (1936)
* Strike Me Pink (1936)
* Beloved Enemy (1936)
* Woman Chases Man (1937)
* Stella Dallas (1937)
* Dead End (1937)
* The Hurricane (1937)
* The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)
* The Cowboy and the Lady (1938)
* The Goldwyn Follies (1938)
* They Shall Have Music (1939)
* Wuthering Heights (1939)
* The Real Glory (1939)
* The Westerner (1940)
* The Little Foxes (1941)
* Ball of Fire (1941)
* The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
* They Got Me Covered (1943)
* The North Star (1943)
* Up in Arms (1944)
* The Princess and the Pirate (1944)
* Wonder Man (1945)
* The Kid From Brooklyn (1946)
* The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
* The Bishop's Wife (1947)
* The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947)
* A Song Is Born (1948)
* Enchantment (1948)
* Roseanna McCoy (1949)
* My Foolish Heart (1949)
* Our Very Own (1950)
* Edge of Doom (1950)
* I Want You (1951)
* Hans Christian Andersen (1952)
* Guys and Dolls (1955)
* Porgy and Bess (1959)

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