A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court/The Emperor Waltz - Double Feature

Rating:
Summary: With all it has going for it...
Review: ...you'd think this would be a winner -- Bing Crosby at the height of his film popularity, Billy Wilder as director, and the lush scenery of Canada's Japser National Park. However, despite the truly beautiful restoration by Universal, this is a yawn...and I'm a bit of a Crosby fan. Here, Bing plays a phonograph salesman trying to sell his wares to Austrian royalty. He falls in love with Joan Fontaine, a countess, while his dog falls in love with her dog, who is supposed to mate with the Emperor's dog. The scenery is just beautiful. The script is ho hum. I sat thinking how could this be Billy Wilder??? Well, I guess the concept is rather anti-class system, so perhaps that's what attracted Wilder. Aside from that, it's fluff...albeit pleasant fluff.

On the other hand, "A Connecticutt Yankee In King Arthur's Court" is much nicer. A nice turn on the old story, with a hoot of a supporting performance by William Bendix ("Life Of Riley"). Crosby is in fine voice and this film has a bit of a heart to it. A nice diversion with Crosby in his cinematic heydey.

Rating:
Summary: With all it has going for it...
Review: ...you'd think this would be a winner -- Bing Crosby at the height of his film popularity, Billy Wilder as director, and the lush scenery of Canada's Japser National Park. However, despite the truly beautiful restoration by Universal, this is a yawn...and I'm a bit of a Crosby fan. Here, Bing plays a phonograph salesman trying to sell his wares to Austrian royalty. He falls in love with Joan Fontaine, a countess, while his dog falls in love with her dog, who is supposed to mate with the Emperor's dog. The scenery is just beautiful. The script is ho hum. I sat thinking how could this be Billy Wilder??? Well, I guess the concept is rather anti-class system, so perhaps that's what attracted Wilder. Aside from that, it's fluff...albeit pleasant fluff.

On the other hand, "A Connecticutt Yankee In King Arthur's Court" is much nicer. A nice turn on the old story, with a hoot of a supporting performance by William Bendix ("Life Of Riley"). Crosby is in fine voice and this film has a bit of a heart to it. A nice diversion with Crosby in his cinematic heydey.

Rating:
Summary: Right up Bing's alley.
Review: These two films feature Bing at his "Average American" best. Though handsome enough, Bing was no Cary Grant. With ears sticking out and rug a-top head, he oozed a certain comfortable "normal-ness" which at the same time was never mediocrity. For no one did it like Bing. Made it look so easy, that is.

In Mark Twain's tale we have the Average American of the early 20th century-- a time when automobiles and other inventions were replacing the old ways of a yonder time and place. So how would this hard-working fellow from Connecticut fare in the Arthurian age? Quite well, judging from Bing's adventure. He uses every trick up his sleeve to win over the very charming old king, the beautiful Rhonda Fleming, and William Bendix as a loveable oaf of a knight. This is all tongue-in-cheek fun, complete with wonderful songs, "When Is Sometime?" "If You Stub Your Toe on the Moon" and a favorite of mine, "We're Busy Doing Nothing" ( . . . "working the whole day through/Trying to find lots of things not to do/We're busy doing nothing/Isn't it just a crime?/We'd like to be unhappy/But we never do have the time.")

Can you believe the director who gave us "Double Indemnity," "Sunset Boulevard" and "The Apartment" also gave us the fun Crosby musical "The Emperor Waltz"? Billy Wilder obviously put a lot of joy and love into this picture, which has a certain Austrian-German sweetness to it. The cinematography is gorgeous, the songs are lovely, and lovely too is the great Joan Fontaine. Bing must really pull off the "Average American" thing here-- again at the start of the 20th century, as a travelling salesman (of phonograph machines!). He must be a regular guy, a charmer, a cold businessman (on the surface anyway), and have a warm child-like spirit too-- all at the same time. And there's just about the cutest dog you'll ever see in a movie-- and a nice moral that rings very true.

So these are two colorful musical feasts, lots of fun with humorous performances from all concerned, and two good stories to boot. But the success of these pictures rests in the hands of Bing Crosby, who is very much at home in settings which showcase his cozy virtuosity.

Rating:
Summary: Right up Bing's alley.
Review: These two films feature Bing at his "Average American" best. Though handsome enough, Bing was no Cary Grant. With ears sticking out and rug a-top head, he oozed a certain comfortable "normal-ness" which at the same time was never mediocrity. For no one did it like Bing. Made it look so easy, that is.

In Mark Twain's tale we have the Average American of the early 20th century-- a time when automobiles and other inventions were replacing the old ways of a yonder time and place. So how would this hard-working fellow from Connecticut fare in the Arthurian age? Quite well, judging from Bing's adventure. He uses every trick up his sleeve to win over the very charming old king, the beautiful Rhonda Fleming, and William Bendix as a loveable oaf of a knight. This is all tongue-in-cheek fun, complete with wonderful songs, "When Is Sometime?" "If You Stub Your Toe on the Moon" and a favorite of mine, "We're Busy Doing Nothing" ( . . . "working the whole day through/Trying to find lots of things not to do/We're busy doing nothing/Isn't it just a crime?/We'd like to be unhappy/But we never do have the time.")

Can you believe the director who gave us "Double Indemnity," "Sunset Boulevard" and "The Apartment" also gave us the fun Crosby musical "The Emperor Waltz"? Billy Wilder obviously put a lot of joy and love into this picture, which has a certain Austrian-German sweetness to it. The cinematography is gorgeous, the songs are lovely, and lovely too is the great Joan Fontaine. Bing must really pull off the "Average American" thing here-- again at the start of the 20th century, as a travelling salesman (of phonograph machines!). He must be a regular guy, a charmer, a cold businessman (on the surface anyway), and have a warm child-like spirit too-- all at the same time. And there's just about the cutest dog you'll ever see in a movie-- and a nice moral that rings very true.

So these are two colorful musical feasts, lots of fun with humorous performances from all concerned, and two good stories to boot. But the success of these pictures rests in the hands of Bing Crosby, who is very much at home in settings which showcase his cozy virtuosity.