The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is one of my all-time favorite movies, and with the Ben Stiller remake now in theaters, it seemed the perfect time for a refresher, especially one that has been remastered. The loveable Danny Kaye stars as Walter Mitty, a copy editor for a publisher of pulp fiction detective novels and adventure stories. More importantly, Mitty is a consummate daydreamer. He daydreams all the time – during meetings at work, while his mother (Fay Bainter) rambles on about her shopping list, and even while his fiancée, Gertrude Griswold (Ann Rutherford) prattles on about their impending wedding and her beloved dog. It doesn’t matter, really. Walter’s life is so boring and so controlled by those around him that in his dreams, he is a hero to all. Sometimes it’s a fantasy that he is a world famous surgeon, other times an ace fighter pilot against the Germans, still others he’s an eccentric professor or Parisian hat designer. The leading lady in every one of his fantasies is a blonde bombshell (Virginia Mayo) who is always smitten by Mitty. Then one day, the real deal walks into his life…

While on a bus ride, a beautiful and mysterious blonde named Rosalind Van Hoorn (Virginia Mayo) shocks Mitty by pretending to be his wife, kissing him to avoid a creepy man who is chasing her. While Walter loves it, he can’t believe his eyes. Rosalind is truly the woman in all of his many daydreams. As it turns out, she is involved in some international intrigue and requests his help. Never one to turn a lady in distress away (at least in his dreams), he acquiesces and ends up angering his boss, mother and fiancée, while finding himself smack in the middle of one of his classic daydream capers. It seems Rosalind and her uncle are trying to protect a black book that contains the whereabouts of the Dutch crown jewels that have been hidden since WWII. A really dangerous group of criminals led by a mystery man known only as "The Boot" will stop at nothing to get their hands on this literal treasure map and somehow, Mitty has landed smack dab in the middle of the whole mess. Being chased by the likes of Dr. Hugo Hollinshead (Boris Karloff), a psychiatrist who claims to be able to kill a man while leaving no trace, among The Boot’s other henchman, Walter will be lucky if he makes it out alive. Meanwhile, he’s also under constant watch and never-ending nagging from his mother and fiancée. Can Mitty rescue the girl of his dreams or is he doomed to live the life of a henpecked wussy his entire life? You’ll just have to watch and see for yourself.

One of my favorite aspects of this hilarious film is the way The Goldwyn Girls seemed to make it into several of Mitty’s fantasies. Song and dance numbers were popular during that time period and they just make The Secret Life of Walter Mitty that much more fun and colorful. The film has a phenomenal cast of characters and actors and I simply love the duo of Kaye and Mayo. They are great together. Visually, the film has been cleaned up a good deal, but sound-wise, it’s still showing its age. I had to turn it up pretty loud to be able to hear it properly. As far as special features go, there is only the Theatrical Trailer and a brief interview with Virginia Mayo. However, I had never had the pleasure of seeing the interview before, so I enjoyed it and was glad it was included.

This is a film that lovers of classic Danny Kaye films will want to pick up. It’s not filled with CG and incredible action sequences, just good old-fashioned comedy genius. Danny Kaye is hilarious and truly was a master of his craft and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty showcases his brilliance quite well. Highly recommended if you enjoy a good classic comedy film.