What makes it different from others?

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

I am a fan of Danny Kaye and have been a long time tracking down this, one of his first starring features. Sad to say it wasn't really worth the wait. The constituent ingredients are there, a fine supporting cast of Virginia Mayo, Vera Ellen and Lionel Stander, Marx Brothers director Norman Z MacLeod at the helm, the filming is in glorious colour, the songs by Jules Styne and Sammy Cahn, even the story of Kaye's 98 pound weakling being set up for a world title fight based on his ability to avoid rather than actually throw a punch all augured well.Somehow though it doesn't come together. At 1 hour 50 minutes it's way too long and you can see the padding, the songs are mediocre and even Kaye himself becomes somewhat irritating in his puffed-up swell mode. I also don't think I've seen such an odd and prepossessing start to a feature as the Goldwyn Girls singing an advertising ditty around a full-grown cow and it doesn't really get much better from there. Sure, Danny boy clowns and mugs his way through the film but you can almost see him being directed in this, which can't be a god thing. Vera Ellen comes off better with her elfin appearance and dancing exuberance, Virginia Mayo can't do much with her part of the pretty singer who in rather unlikely fashion falls for Kaye's clutzy character but Walter Abel and Eve Arden make a good team as the manager on the make and his acid-tongued P.A. The comedy mainly centres on Kaye's antics in the boxing ring but I've seen funnier skits in silent movies on the same subject. The same team of Kaye, Mayo and Macleod would soon reunite for Kaye's next feature, the classic "Secret Life Of Walter Mitty". Let's just say that with this inconsistent film they were sparring for the main event further down the line.

Everyone in THE KID FROM BROOKLYN is at their best--thanks to a zestful comedy based on "The Milky Way" with Harold Lloyd, only this time the timid milkman is DANNY KAYE, who goes from lovable, funny Kaye to totally extroverted Kaye who thinks he really won all those fights that he was signed up for by crooked manager WALTER ABEL.VIRGINIA MAYO, looking her most luscious in Technicolor, is Kaye's partner again and the great supporting cast includes VERA-ELLEN (as Kaye's dancing sister), EVE ARDEN, LIONEL STANDER and STEVE COCHRAN, who steps away from his usual serious role (as a heavy) to show that he had a flair for slapstick comedy.The story is nonsense, of course, and even the usually repressed FAY BAINTER gets into the spirit of things as a woman Kaye teaches some boxing pointers to. It's all very lightweight, easy to take and pleasant to watch, especially if you enjoy Kaye's special brand of comedy. Included are some specialty numbers for Vera-Ellen, surrounded by chorus boys and The Goldwyn Girls and a nice song number for Virginia Mayo, all emphasizing some dazzling Technicolor hues.Kaye does only one of his tongue-twisting routines, but it's a gem--a Russian number called "Pavlova" written for him by Sylvia Fine, his wife.Summing up: Light-hearted entertainment impossible to dislike and all of it is photographed in gorgeous Technicolor.

If you are looking to see Danny Kaye in his absolute prime, look no further than "The Kid from Brooklyn". This film was the third made by Kaye during his first filming contract (MGM) and it's fresh and funny even now in 2006 for so many reasons. Having cut his teeth in "Up In Arms" and "Wonder Man", he appears more polished and his act has found its place. This is the film where he would "find his mark" and then subsequently hit a grand-slam with "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty".Here is the Kaye most beloved by all -- the nervous, lovable milquetoast with a secret extrovert/entertainer side, incredible physical comedy and exuberance; a funny, fast-paced almost screwball script featuring the best on-screen partners Kaye would ever work with (particularly his unscrupulous manager and wonderfully deadpan Eve Arden); the always lovely Virgina Mayo as his love interest; and spectacular music/dance numbers, including his tongue-twisting "Pavlowa". This is Kaye bursting with energy, youth and vitality, on-top-of the world (literally) and knowing it. Kaye could literally do no wrong from 1940 - 1950, and this film captures the confidence and joie de vivre that can only come from knowing that the entire world worships every move you make and word you say. This was Kaye's time in the sun and he soaks up every ray and sends it into the camera.In addition, this film benefits greatly from a more ensemble feel. Kaye is clearly the star, but there is balance with songs and dancing from other members of the cast. It's my opinion that his best work (if not the most memorable) came when he was still on the rise and had to take orders from the studio bosses. In his later films -- such as "Hans Christian Andersen" -- Kaye would have more control and would even exercise this control to eliminate "competition" from other actors by singing the songs written for other characters. In the "Kid from Brooklyn", we see a humbler, hungrier Kaye.Also -- this is often overlooked -- the historical context of this film adds much to your enjoyment of it. Not only was Kaye on top of the world, but America was, having emerged victorious from WWII and with a booming economy. The optimism shines through in the songs, the dance, and especially the incredibly saturated, gorgeous color photography. This was a Technicolor picture when most films were shot in black and white (and would continue to be for the next 15-20 years!) and you sense that MGM wanted not just color on the screen, but C-O-L-O-R! Check out some of the outfits, particularly worn by Eve Arden -- they are almost overwhelming in their colorfulness and this adds to the fun. It's almost like watching a Disney cartoon, it is that colorful.Add to it the period flavor -- the incredible costumes, the inherent dash and style of a bypassed era when even a milkman looked eye-catching -- and you can't help but brim over with fun watching this film. I have watched this many times in my life and here I am, a world-weary Generation Xer hitting 36 and I still let out a pure, spontaneous laugh at the non-cynical humor. This film is just funny and fun -- period.

This is a complete scene by scene remake of a 1934 Harold Lloyd film called "The MilkyWay" directed by Leo McCarey. It even features some of the same supporting characters the Lloyd version did! (notably Lionel Stander as Spider) Norman Z. McLeod who directed some scenes in "The Milky Way" was even called in to direct this remake. The big difference is the addition of the songs, Danny Kaye and color....and of course the original with Lloyd and McCarey was crisper and funnier. This was made only 10 years after the release of the original, (producer Samuel Goldwyn destroyed the original and many of the copies) which I think has got to be some sort of record. Was anything else ever remade so quickly?