We open with the news that Buzzy Bellew is about to testify against gangster Ten Grand Jackson (played by the same actor, Steve Cochran, who plays Speed in 'The Kid from Brooklyn' as well as Tony Crow in 'A Song is Born', in his movie debut) about a murder that Buzzy witnessed. There's threats been made on Buzzy's life if he talks and fingers Ten Grand, but Buzzy doesn't care. Buzzy is a cocky, confident performer at the Pelican Club (a play on the very successful Stork Club of the times) and refuses to go into hiding before the trial, preferring to be on stage with an adoring audience lapping up his singing, dancing, comedic show.

Buzzy is a terrible flirt, and is very friendly with many of the chorus girls, however he says his heart belongs to Midge (Vera Ellen), the long suffering fellow performer who tolerates Buzzy's philanderings in the hopes that he'll eventually grow up and they might finally get married. Buzzy proposes to Midge, but as he's done this several times before, complete with standing her up at the church, she threatens to marry his manager, Monte, if he doesn't show this time, next Tuesday. She's only half kidding around..... Buzzy tells Midge about his bookworm identical twin brother he has, she didn't know he had any relatives until now. They go off to do their big number, which is a wild one featuring a very fit Danny and Vera being Indonesian dancers and singers along with the inevitable Goldwyn Girls.

After the show is over, Monte hears about the engagement. Little do Midge or Buzzy know, but Monte holds a long flaming torch for Midge, and he's quite happy to hear of her threat to Buzzy about consequences of being stood up again. Meanwhile, Buzzy goes off to change out of his Balinese costume. He's getting dressed when there's a knock at the door - some kind well wisher is delivering flowers, or is he? The delivery man pulls out a gun when he gets inside the dressing room and shoots Buzzy. He throws Buzzy's body out the window to an awaiting car and accomplice, and they take Buzzy off to a lake in Prospect Park to toss him in.

Edwin, Buzzy's twin, is studying in a library when he gets a funny feeling. He asks Ellen Shavley (Virginia Mayo) if she can hear music, a very ethereal, angelic melody that's haunting him. He can't stop thinking of the word 'buzzy' either, and is completely puzzled. She works at the library, and is familiar with Edwin's absent minded quirks, but she can't hear anything. Natalie Shafer (Mrs Howell from Gilligans Island) is in a small role as a society woman looking for a book in the library, who shrieks with shock when she sees Edwin working away, writing with both hands. He gets twice the work done and can't see why she's so stunned by it. Edwin has more things on his mind. He asks Ellen if she would like to have dinner with him when he is paid at the end of the month, so that he'll have the budget to pay for it. She suggests they have dinner that evening, at her place, instead. (Bit racey for these times eh!)

Next scene, Ellen's apartment. She suggests to Edwin that he change his hairstyle, and plays with it. He tells her of his twin brother, and how changing his hair changed his life. They're opening cans for dinner and discover they need some potato salad, so Edwin volunteers to go to the local deli for a can of it. At the deli he asks for potato salad but that ethereal music returns, and Edwin is in a daze as he listens to it, with an overwhelming urge to go to Prospect Park. He starts babbling to the kindly German deli owner and rushes off to the Park. Ellen is concerned when Edwin doesn't return and calls the deli, only to be told that Edwin left in a confused state. Meanwhile, Edwin gets to Prospect Park. and arrives at the bridge where his brother's body was tossed in the water the night before. He hears someone calling his name, and suddenly Buzzy/Buster appears. Edwin didn't know his brother Buster had changed his name and become a performer called Buzzy, and he doesn't believe it when Buzzy tells him he witnessed a murder and is now dead. Buzzy convinces him by walking thru stone walls, and a patrolling policeman thinks Edwin's quite insane and talking to himself. Buzzy tells Edwin he needs Edwin's help to put Ten Grand away. Noone knows Buzzy is dead, so Edwin can pretend to be Buzzy and testify at the trial! Buzzy can step inside Edwin and tell the truth, and the bad guy goes to jail. He gets inside Edwin to demonstrate, who starts dancing and singing, surprising the confused cop who think's he stumbled over a lunatic and runs for it. Edwin/Buzzy also manage to insult a woman who is there with her sailor boyfriend who doesn't appreciate the smart mouthing and punches Edwin.

Edwin remembers the potato salad and sets off to get some for Ellen, when he's overcome with an urge to go to the Pelican Club. When he walks in everyone greets him as Buzzy, and Monte tells him he's a schmuck for all the things he's done to Midge and whether he can be relied on to turn up at the church for the wedding tomorrow. Edwin suddenly remembers Ellen and calls her to explain. She's remarkably ok about him disappearing hours ago, and Edwin attempts to cover up the disappearance and his location (complete with showgirls and a chimp) by claiming he's gotten a job at an all night pet shop. He tries to make all the animal noises to convince her, but only angers Ellen who hangs up.

[Cut to big song and dance number with Vera Ellen and the Goldwyn Girls.]

Ten Grand is in the audience at the Pelican Club, and his two heavies arrive to tell him the job on Buzzy is done. They joke over the fact that they did the job so fast the Club hasn't been able to change the hoarding out front or the programs advertising Buzzy when Edwin appears on stage. Edwin is terrified, and pleading for Buzzy to appear, as the crims stare in stunned disbelief, all the while telling Ten Grand that they know they capped him and threw him in the drink last night! How could he be standing there? Edwin is really sweating from stagefright, and starts quoting poetry out of desperation when Buzzy appears with glee and takes over, singing a great song. Ten Grand remembers that Buzzy has a mole under his left ear, and tells his heavies to go check for it, that may prove this isn't Buzzy up there.

After the show, Edwin is at a table with his fellow performers. Midge tells him that if Buzzy is late by even five minutes tomorrow, she'll marry Monte, who is pleased at this news. The heavies come over seeking an autograph so they can check 'Buzzy's' ear. Being identical twins, it's there on Edwin too. The heavies can't understand it. Meanwhile, Edwin gets drunk (thereby getting Buzzy drunk who tries to get a hangover cure from a fellow drinker) and ends up proposing a toast to Ellen. Ellen! He'd forgotten about her again! He rushes off to see her and try explain but she doesn't believe him.

Edwin waits for Ellen outside the library the next day, to take her to City Hall and show Midge that he's not who she thinks he is. The heavies are there, and they draw aim at Edwin, but their plans are spoiled by the arrival of the police. To Ellen's astonishment, Edwin is taken into protective custody and hustled off in a van. The cops need his statement on what he witnessed, but as Buzzy didn't tell him, he can't tell the police! He tries bluffing a statement, all the while calling Buzzy's name, pleading for him to come take over his body and the performance. At the same time Midge is at City Hall again, waiting for Buzzy. She's sick of always waiting, and asks Monte to marry her. Meanwhile the cops get sick of Edwin's gibberish and throw him out, and well as the charges on Ten Grand. No witness, no trial. Ellen calls the police to try to tell them that Edwin is an absent minded academic, and not to mind his behaviour, and discovers that the DA will be at the opera that evening. Edwin goes to Ellen's apartment to try explain again, but she kicks him out. But Ten Grand's heavies arrive looking for Buzzy/Edwin, fully armed.

Ellen realises, with guns in her face as they search her apartment for Buzzy/Edwin, that Edwin was telling the truth and tries to get the hoods to leave with a fake tale about Edwin's location. Edwin has climbed up the fire escape and accidentally breaks Ellen's window trying to get her attention, but getting the heavies attention instead. They chase him down the alley and Edwin runs to the deli to hide. Buster finally shows up, he had a hangover and was unable to help Edwin before. He's there to tell Edwin all the details of the murder so he can make the statement. Buster can't do it himself, he's run out of ectoplasm and therefore can't jump into Edwin any more. Buster tells Edwin about the murder, then the heavies arrive. They give chase and Edwin flees.

Next scene: Ellen goes to the opera to speak to the DA, as does Edwin. The heavies are still following. Edwin disguises himself as the tenor in order to avoid being shot by the heavies before he can tell the DA the statement, and the opera crew think he's the real Mac Coy and hustle him onstage. The problem is he doesn't know WHAT to sing, and this fat lady keeps shrieking in his ear while tugging at his arm. It's a hysterical moment in the film as Edwin tries to get the DA's attention, who is in a box, by singing his name in time to the opera. Edwin sings the details of the murder to the DA who is hanging on every note, as the heavies watch from the wings while Edwin mimes and sings every detail. Meanwhile the soprano is a real trooper, and keeps on singing her parts while looking puzzled at the tenor, who isn't singing or doing what he should be. She endevours to finish the opera as Ellen gets to the DA to back up Edwin, the DA catches on and the cops arrive and bedlam erupts as heavies, crooks, opera singers and Edwin are all charging around the stage.

Ten Grand gets convicted and sent away up river, and Edwin marries Ellen. Ellen asks Edwin if they'll ever see Buzzy again, just as a jack in the box on a sideboard pulls a wicked grin on an oddly familiar face.........

Buy Wonder Man for a gem in your Danny collection. This movie won an Oscar for the amazing special effects, and they've held up quite impressively. Danny is gorgeous in this double role, with a fun plot and great songs. I give 'Wonder Man' 5 stars for hilarity and sheer genius film making!

Watch the trailer for Wonder Man