The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

James Thurber's classic short story was first adapted for the big screen in this energetic if oddball 1947 film, charmingly anchored by Danny Kaye as the titular daydreamer who rises above his humdrum life by imagining himself the hero of countless adventures. Thurber's clever—if narrow—premise doesn't boast enough material for a full-scale movie, so the screenwriters and director Norman Z. McLeod build up Walter Mitty's world. This Walter is a mild-mannered proofreader at a pulp-fiction publishing house, where he timidly allows his boss, Mr. Pierce (Thurston Hall), to appropriate his creative ideas without acknowledgment or reward. Not that Walter minds: his energy is entirely channeled toward pleasing his dominating mother (Fay Bainter) and engaging in fantasies that always involve the same dream girl. When that lovely blonde turns up in real life as Rosalind Van Hoorn (Virginia Mayo)—a young woman seeking Walter's help in fighting an art-theft conspiracy—reality and imagination collide. Boris Karloff is very effective and funny as Dr. Hugo Hollingshead, one of the villains trying to make Walter doubt his own sanity. Despite a determined effort, however, the film still feels like a collection of random sketches highlighting Kaye's comedic antics. DVD extras include an interview with Mayo. The recent remake starring Ben Stiller may generate some interest in the original, so this should be considered a strong optional purchase. (T. Keogh)