Watch On the Riviera For Free

Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

There is probably more remakes left in The Red Cat, the play on which Folies Bergere, That Night In Rio, and now On The Riviera is based. Danny Kaye in this film steps into the shoes of first Maurice Chevalier and Don Ameche and they fit well.Like his predecessors Kaye plays dual roles, an American entertainer who includes impressions in his act and a French industrialist who was an air ace a World War ago. The entertainer has Corinne Calvet in his act as an assistant and the industrialist is married to Gene Tierney.When the industrialist makes a secret trip to Great Britain for some financing his associates are left holding the bag with another French industrialist. They hire Kaye the entertainer to impersonate the industrialist and the results, especially with the interaction between the women are hilarious.I'm surprised that Danny Kaye never thought to play the Dromios in a film version of A Comedy Of Errors. With his friend Laurence Olivier as Antipholus it would have been a classic.On The Riviera got two Oscar nominations for Art&Set Direction and for musical scoring by Alfred Newman. Sylvia Fine also known as Mrs. Kaye wrote most of the score and Popo The Puppet got Kaye a lot of success with his children fans. But the hit was the oldtime ragtime song Ballin' The Jack revived for On The Riviera.This film holds up well and one of these days Robin Williams will see this as a property for him. As it is three fine films have been made already.

I'm afraid I couldn't get with the program here. Danny Kaye is responsible for some of the funnier movies ever made, but this plot is a weak comedy of manners. It has Kaye as Jack Martin, a nightclub impersonator, being called on to pretend he's a celebrated, aristocratic French aviator. There is a mix up with the aviator's wife, Gene Tierney, and Kay's girl friend, Corinne Calvet, gets jealous.It's in glorious Technicolor but it's all been done elsewhere, often better, as in "The Prisoner of Zenda." Sometimes worse, as in "The Front." There's little in the way of physical comedy. Kaye doesn't take any pratfalls. He rarely seems as rattled as he does in his usual screen persona -- more embarrassed than neurotic and cowardly. He doesn't sing a gibberish song. The location needn't have been the French Riviera. Kaye's part could easily have been given to anyone else.It's as much a musical as it is a comedy. Kaye plays a showman and does his musical numbers straight. None are memorable ("Ballin' the Jack") and Kaye wears a tuxedo. Kaye is energetic enough, on stage and off stage, and his voice is pleasant, but that's about it. One of his songs' best features is that it used (unless I'm mistaken) Gwen Verdon for one of the lead dancers. She should have had more screen time.If this was an attempt to broaden the style of Kaye's performances, it really doesn't work. As a comedian, with a good script, he's superb. As a singer and dancer, he's mediocre.

When i was young i was a great fan of Danny Kaye.I even remember being taken to see him at the London Palladium.I saw all of his films and watched his TV shows when they were aired as BBC2s prime variety show when it opened in 1964.Now i look at films like these and wonder why.This is a tepid remake of Follies Bergere which starred Maurice Chevalier.The original was far funnier and had a couple of marvellous musical numbers.Unfortunately one has to say that one let alone two Kaye performances in this remake is too much.Lets be honest he just isn't funny.All of his routines we have already seen many times before this GE Walter Mitty.The musical numbers are long and drawn out and with more perspiration and inspiration.There must have been a reason why i liked him but i cant imagine why now.

Kaye won a Golden Globe for his great performance in dual roles as a military giant and an entertainer who tries to win the love of Gene Tierney. A fun filled musical comedy with great dancing and the always unstoppable Kaye, doing what he does best.