# Is Walter Mitty a well-known character in US culture? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 30, 2013, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-walter-mitty-a-well-known-character-in-us-culture/677504 "2013-12-30T19:42:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-walter-mitty-a-well-known-character-in-us-culture/677504/101 "2014-01-02T01:53:07Z")
I suspect most Americans under 40 or so would be unfamiliar with Mitty. I never had Thurber as assigned reading, but knew of him because my grandfather was a fan, and because some friends did excerpts from _A Thurber Carnival_ for a prep school play. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-walter-mitty-a-well-known-character-in-us-culture/677504/102 "2014-01-02T02:03:24Z")
…and I never knew there was a Danny Kaye movie before now. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-walter-mitty-a-well-known-character-in-us-culture/677504/103 "2014-01-02T03:07:13Z")
I only know him from my literature textbook last year. While we didn’t cover the story it in class, I read the story out of curiosity. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-walter-mitty-a-well-known-character-in-us-culture/677504/104 "2014-01-02T07:49:07Z")
I’m 62. I didn’t read any Thurber in school. I think the first Thurber story I read was [The Figgerin’ of Aunt Wilma](http://www.wolaver.org/humor/AuntWilma.htm) in my older brother’s HS English lit textbook. We had one collection of his stories, “Thurber Country”, and I read some of those stories. I also heard some tracks from the [original cast LP](http://www.amazon.com/A-Thurber-Carnival-Don-Elliott/dp/B000X3UA1I) (“Walter Mitty” not included) of [A Thurber Carnival](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Thurber_Carnival). I believe I first read “Walter Mitty” in an old issue of “Reader’s Digest”. ---
**Author:** ![vontsira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/51bf81/32.png) [@vontsira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vontsira)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-walter-mitty-a-well-known-character-in-us-culture/677504/105 "2014-01-02T08:58:50Z")
> [@vontsira](#): > > From your name on the board, though; do I guess rightly, that you’re a fan of Harry Turtledove’s “Darkness” novel series? > [@gladtobeblazed](#): > > Nope, I was a big pot head when I joined the board, hence the name. I don’t really smoke anymore though, so it might be time for a change. Thanks ! I seem to be one of the few lovers of that series: even most Turtledove fans appear to reckon it far from “his finest hour”. ---
**Author:** ![Iggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Iggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggins)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-walter-mitty-a-well-known-character-in-us-culture/677504/106 "2014-01-02T19:05:38Z")
I’m 41, American Educational System graduate, and I knew of the character, though I was a voracious reader in my youth. Portlanders also have this to keep the name alive… > **[Waltermitty's Restaurant & Bar Home away from home](https://waltermittys.com/)** > > Walter Mitty's Restaurant and Bar is your home away from home since 1982. Located across from Portland Community College and nestled in the Mountain Park Plaza, Waltermitty's Restaurant and Bar is easy to access and provides ample parking. ---
**Author:** ![QueenOfClubs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/53a042/32.png) [@QueenOfClubs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QueenOfClubs)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-walter-mitty-a-well-known-character-in-us-culture/677504/107 "2014-01-02T23:35:53Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > …and I never knew there was a Danny Kaye movie before now. Danny Kaye was awesome. I grew up with the movie “Hans Christian Anderson” which starred Danny Kaye. I haven’t seen it since I was a child, but I bet it held up as entertainment value for children and families. I wonder if it is findable now. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-walter-mitty-a-well-known-character-in-us-culture/677504/108 "2014-01-03T01:23:12Z")
> [@Iggins](#): > > …Portlanders also have this to keep the name alive… > > [http://www.waltermittys.com/](http://www.waltermittys.com/) Hmm. Was the owner named that? If not, do you think the Thurber Estate OK’d the name? > [@QueenOfClubs](#): > > Danny Kaye was awesome. I grew up with the movie “Hans Christian Anderson” which starred Danny Kaye. I haven’t seen it since I was a child, but I bet it held up as entertainment value for children and families. I wonder if it is findable now. I have a feeling it is: [Amazon.com: Hans Christian Andersen (DVD) : Danny Kaye, Farley Granger, Zizi Jeanmaire, Charles Vidor: Movies & TV](http://www.amazon.com/Hans-Christian-Andersen-Danny-Kaye/dp/B00AATV050/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388712118&sr=8-1&keywords=hans+christian+andersen+danny+kaye) ---
**Author:** ![QueenOfClubs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/53a042/32.png) [@QueenOfClubs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QueenOfClubs)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-walter-mitty-a-well-known-character-in-us-culture/677504/109 "2014-01-03T03:36:20Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I have a feeling it is: [Amazon.com: Hans Christian Andersen (DVD) : Danny Kaye, Farley Granger, Zizi Jeanmaire, Charles Vidor: Movies & TV](http://www.amazon.com/Hans-Christian-Andersen-Danny-Kaye/dp/B00AATV050/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388712118&sr=8-1&keywords=hans+christian+andersen+danny+kaye) Awesome! Thank you! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-walter-mitty-a-well-known-character-in-us-culture/677504.md?page=5)