The Inspector General: Henry Koster

Henry Koster's The Inspector General left me feeling very, very angry. As soon as the end credits began to roll, I started to furiously ask questions: Why hadn't I ever heard of this film? Why isn't Danny Kaye remembered as one of the great musical talents of American cinema? And why isn't The Inspector General praised as one of the very finest musicals of the 1940s? The film, a musical adaption of Nikolai Gogol's play of the same name, follows a down-on-his-luck gypsy named Georgi who is mistaken by the corrupt officials of the small town of Brodny for an inspector general from the First French Empire. Terrified that their rampant corruption will result in their execution, the politicians give the starving Georgi the star treatment. At first merely happy that he finally has something to eat, Georgi continues the charade and milks it for all it's worth. However, as time goes by, he begins to realize how crooked the officials are. He decides to earnestly adopt his label as inspector general and proceeds to clean up the town...at least until the real inspector general arrives. Danny Kaye's performance as Georgi is nothing short of legendary. He dances, sings, and performs with all of the gusto, talent, and timing of Charlie Chaplin and Fred Astaire. The music (which thankfully won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Score) is memorable and captivating. And so, we return to my anger: I shouldn't just be hearing about The Inspector General for the first time in my life now, when I'm 23. I should have heard of it a long, long time ago.

8/10