Created by James Thurber Played by Ben Stiller, Danny Kaye | Creator James Thurber | |
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Portrayed by Danny Kaye (1947)
Ben Stiller (2013) Occupation unknown; various fantasy occupations Spouse(s) unnamed except as "Mrs. Mitty" Nickname(s) "The Old Man" (in one fantasy) First appearance "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"; The New Yorker, March 18, 1939 Title Commander, Doctor (in fantasies) Movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty People also search for Cheryl Melhoff, Sean O'Connell, Major Tom, Todd Maher, Edna Mitty | ||
The secret life of walter mitty extended trailer 6 minutes hd
Walter Mitty is a fictional character in James Thurber's short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty", first published in The New Yorker on March 18, 1939, and in book form in My World and Welcome to It in 1942. Thurber loosely based the character, a daydreamer, on his friend Walter Mithoff. It was made into a film in 1947 starring Danny Kaye, with a remake directed by and starring Ben Stiller released in 2013.
Contents
Character and plot
Mitty is a meek, mild man with a vivid fantasy life. In a few dozen paragraphs he imagines himself a wartime pilot, an emergency-room surgeon, and a devil-may-care killer. Although the story has humorous elements, there is a darker and more significant message underlying the text, leading to a more tragic interpretation of the Mitty character. Even in his heroic daydreams, Mitty does not triumph, several fantasies being interrupted before the final one sees Mitty dying bravely in front of a firing squad. In the brief snatches of reality that punctuate Mitty's fantasies the audience meets well-meaning but insensitive strangers who inadvertently rob Mitty of some of his remaining dignity.
Films
The character was first played by Danny Kaye in the 1947 film version. Thurber opposed this 1947 production.
Ben Stiller directed and starred in a 2013 adaptation of the Walter Mitty story.
Music
Walter Mitty is referenced in the lyrics of these songs:
