Me and the Colonel (1958)
Golden Globes
Danny won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actor in a Comedy/Musical
The movie was also nominated for Best Film Promoting International Understanding
and Best Motion Picture -
Me and the Colonel is Danny's first dramatic role. While there's definitely some
humor in the movie, it is mainly a dramatic movie as both Danny's character, S. L.
Jacobowsky, and Colonel Prokoszny are attempting to leave France as the Germans move
in. People were so moved by Danny's performance that he won a Golden Globe award
for this movie. In fact, early on it was rumored that he was going to be nominated
for an Oscar but unfortunately he never was. This isn't an easy movie to find, and
it is not one of his more well-
Film Information
Filmed: Nov. 18, 1957 -
Released: August 26, 1958
(Koenig, David. Danny Kaye: King of Jesters, pg 186)
This movie is based off a play by Franz Werfel. (Oct. 16, 1958)
This movie is Danny’s first black-
Danny’s comment on Me and the Colonel from Kurt Singer’s book: “I liked the script. I’d been away from the screen for a long time and suddenly here was an excellent part. So I’m doing it. Particularly, I like this Jacobowsky. I don’t know how it will do as a picture–there’s no great violence in it, no love story. It’s really just the story of two men–vastly different men thrown together. In some ways I guess it’s the story of people in general, of how they can get along with others when they must. You know, there was a time when I couldn’t see myself playing a part like this. It would have been wrong for me. I really think until I made the tour for the United Nations children that I would not have been able to do this part. I think it was what I learned about myself that made me ready for a role like Jacobowsy. Before that UNICEF tour, I would have had to reach–to play this part. Now I think I can understand him a little more because I have more understanding of myself.” (The Danny Kaye Story, pg 200)
Articles
“Why Danny Kaye is Laughing…” -
“Oscar for Danny Kaye Big Rumor in Filmland” -