Danny Kaye | On The Riviera

On the Riviera (1951)

This is the second movie in which Danny plays two different characters (the first being Wonder Man). In On the Riviera, Danny plays an American performer, Jack Martin, who is about to lose his job at the local night club. And he also plays a French pilot, Henri Duran, who is attempting to make a financial deal selling some airplanes. Neither character is related to the other, yet they bare a canny resemblance to each other. In order to keep his job, Jack Martin decides to step up his act and impersonates the French pilot. Later, Captain Henri Duran leaves the country suddenly to visit with some acquaintances in an attempt to earn some much-needed money. Meanwhile, Henri's wife, Lili, has been planning a large party at their mansion that night and unknowingly invited a man named Periton, an important man in the financial deal that Henri Duran is trying to seal. Unfortunately, Lili and Henri's two associates are unaware that Henri had suddenly left the country.

The two associates decide to call upon the services of Jack Martin, who was impersonating Henri Duran at the night club the previous night, in an attempt to keep Periton fooled. Jack agrees since he needs the money they are offering him. The associates inform Lili of their plan but encourage her not to let Jack know that she is aware of the deception. Likewise, the associates inform Jack that Lili is unaware of the deception. All goes well until Henri arrives home early and unexpected. The associates are left trying to keep the two men straight and not let the guests or Periton know there are "two" Henri Duran's running around the mansion. Once Jack finds out that the real Henri Duran is back he sneaks out.

The next day Henri Duran is depressed. He tells his two associates that the previous night, after the party, he went up to Lili's room to romance her. But he thinks that Lili thought it was Jack Martin impersonating him, and she seemed to enjoy "Jack's" company more than his. The associates convince him that she was most likely playing a trick, trying to make him jealous, which she was. Henri feels much better but decides to pay her back by tricking her into believing that he's really still gone and that it really was Jack last night.

Lili buys into the trick and firmly believes that it was Jack she slept with last night and not Henri. So when Jack returns that morning to return the Captain's clothes and retrieve his own, Lili is quite ticked off at him. This scene is a hilarious one simply because of the miscommunication. Considering this movie came out in 1951, it's quite amazing that the studio was able to get away with some of the quite-obvious innuendos in this scene. Jack is asking Lili about his performance last night at the party as Captain Henri Duran, but Lili thinks that Jack is speaking of his supposed romantic performance in the bedroom.

JACK MARTIN: Oh, good morning.

LILI DURAN: What are you doing here?

JACK MARTIN: I came to get my clothes.

LILI DURAN: How did you get in?

JACK MARTIN: Sneaked in through the library. Oh, don't worry. Nobody saw me.

LILI DURAN: I'm surprised you have the gall to face me!

JACK MARTIN: Why not?

LILI DURAN: What you did last night was utterly contemptible. You knew I thought you were my husband.

JACK MARTIN: Well, sure I did. We had a lot of fun, didn't we?

LILI DURAN: Fun?

JACK MARTIN: Yeah. You know, I wasn't too keen about it at first. But then when I realized the situation, you know with the Captain gone and how desperate you were...

LILI DURAN: (disgusted) Really!

JACK MARTIN: Oh, I'm not saying I can't use the money.

LILI DURAN: Oh!

JACK MARTIN: And I was wondering if I could ask you a favor.

LILI DURAN: (angry) What kind of a favor?

JACK MARTIN: Well, if it isn't too much trouble, I'd like a letter of recommendation.

LILI DURAN: Recommendation?! After what you did?!

JACK MARTIN: What's a matter with what I did? Didn't you like my performance?

LILI DURAN: I certainly did not!

JACK MARTIN: Well I'd like to know anyone who could have done better!

LILI DURAN: Oh, you vulgar, insufferable--

JACK MARTIN: Wait a minute. If you weren't satisfied, why didn't you tell me before this?

LILI DURAN: Because your performance was too good! (walks away)

JACK MARTIN: (he follows her) I don't mind saying you gave a pretty good performance yourself.

LILI DURAN: Will you get out of here! You conceited--

JACK MARTIN: It's not conceit. I did a good job last night, and I'm proud of it, that's all. I just thought you might know some other homes where I could do the same thing. My charges would be very reasonable.

LILI DURAN: Monsieur Martin, I must ask you to leave.

JACK MARTIN: Okay. But if the Captain's ever away again I'll be very happy to oblige.

LILI DURAN: Is that why you came here? To make cheap, disgusting--

JACK MARTIN: No, no. I told you why I came. I came to get my clothes.

LILI DURAN: Why didn't you take them when you left this morning?

JACK MARTIN: What?

LILI DURAN: Why didn't you take your clothes when you left this morning?

JACK MARTIN: (confused) Left this morning? I left last night.

LILI DURAN: You left last night?

JACK MARTIN: Sure. As soon as I found out the Captain was back, I beat it out of here as fast as I could go.

LILI DURAN: (happily surprised) Then the Captain was here last night.

JACK MARTIN: Sure he was. Didn't you see him?

LILI DURAN: Oh, yes! Yes, of course I did. Oh, thank you. Thank you very much! I can't tell you how relieved I am. I'm delighted you came back this morning.

JACK MARTIN: I don't get it. You certainly haven't been acting that way.

LILI DURAN: Oh I am sorry. I'm afraid I was confused. But I'm not any more. It's all very clear to me now. Jack, I wonder . . . would you do me an enormous favor?

JACK MARTIN: Sure. Anything.

LILI DURAN: But we must act quickly before my husband gets here.

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