The Court Jester

Rating:
Summary: Jest Wonderful
Review: Possibly the funniest musical comedy ever made. Even if you are not a Danny Kaye fan, you should try this movie. Don't be put off by the opening sequence, which looks rather dated now. The film contains some excruciatingly funny scenes, including the classic "Flagon with the dragon" routine. This is Kaye at his brilliant best.

The story (set in a mediaeval England which cheerfully makes no attempt at historical accuracy) is remarkably solid and complex, which helps maintain the film's brisk pace. In the theatrical version that I saw many years ago there was a rather gruesome torture scene which I felt was out of place. In the DVD version I watched, that scene was omitted. That leaves a hole in the plot (you may be puzzled as to why a significant character simply disappears half way through) but it's probably just as well - no sense in giving the kids nightmares.

So when you are in the mood for some good old-fashioned fun, put your feet up and summon "The Court Jester".

Rating:
Summary: The whole family will laugh 'til it hurts
Review: If you haven't encountered the unbelievably talented Danny Kaye yet, this film is an excellent introduction. It moved him to the top of my list! He sings, dances, and delivers the most difficult dialogue with ease and grace in this marvelous comedy spoof of the entire swashbuckling genre.

When we say the whole family enjoys this film, we're not saying it's a children's movie with some adult humor; we mean a film appropriate for everyone, with dialogue, characters, slapstick, and situations actually worth laughing at. It raises your standards for all other movies.

Same for the singing and dancing. Not your typical Broadway musical numbers, but relevant and entertaining music. Kaye and his costars breeze through the entire film, apparently effortlessly. And what a cast! You'll be amazed at the young Angela Lansbury, and Basil Rathbone delivers a thoroughly convincing and enjoyable performance as the scheming villain.

Why hasn't this film eclipsed Monty Python's "Holy Grail"? It's certainly better. Even the quotes are funnier (although I don't want to ruin any of them for you.) If the film even has a weakness, it's the first 20 minutes before the plot gets moving. But it manages to hold your attention with -- of all things -- midget acrobats until you're so involved with the characters that you can't stop watching.

So get it, already! You can't afford to miss this one!

Rating:
Summary: One of Danny Kaye's best
Review: The Court Jester and Hans Christian Andersen are two of Danny Kaye's most memoable roles. The Court Jester is no. 98 on the AFI's list of top comedies. Court Jester is about the attempt the rightful heir to the throne. A lttle infant with a tatoo on his back side. This movie is basically a spoof of all of the Erroll Flynn swasbucklers. This is a great movie that the entire family can enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: You will go and buy this movie and do it like that (snap)!
Review: This is my favorite movie of all time. When I was a kid Danny Kaye movies played every Sunday morning and we would wait the few months until it came around again.

I have never stopped laughing at the scenes, the funny interplay between Danny Kaye and the court and his continual buffonery.

Even kids will love this movie. It starts with a dance routine which is almost like Robin Hood Men in Tights. That is quaint, yet the next scene will take you in and take you on the funniest rides of all time.

Kaye, disquised as an old man who is hard of hearing having a scream fest with the captain of the guard. This few minutes is one of the funniest scenes I have ever witnessed. Then there are just funny scenes that will make you split your sides with laughter from there on out.

The wit it took to bring together this cast and the concept of the movie seems that it will never be outdated.

What Danny Kaye and the rest do here is ascend age and time making this movie appeal to any age group, young or old. I have seen a young family start off thinking this was a silly movie then, taken by the first comedic interaction, launch into continuous laughter. I laugh getting a kick out of watching everyone else laugh too.

This movie is a must for any DVD or VHS library. Share it with your friends, watch it when you are a little too stressed out to do anything else to lighten up your day.

The plays on words, the different fast paced situational scenes that will have you thinking; 'how clever...,' even when you think that Hawkins/Giacommo is at his end, then it gets even funnier. The Chalis with the poisly has the pellet with the pesly......

This movie is so fast paced that you cannot believe you have sat there and laughed for the better part of 90 minutes. The great thing about the DVD, you do not have to worry about watching this over and over again and wearing it out.

This movie has great color and scenery. The imagery is wonderful. You wonder if they really were in a castle.

Laugh and love this movie......I recommend it for school, church and family activities. It is a classic that may become more well known with time.

Rating:
Summary: "the perfect storm" of farces
Review: Danny Kaye is a classic example of a wildly talented performer who was not well-served by the movie industry. Sam Goldwyn knew to shoot Kaye in Technicolor to show off his red hair, but not to give Kaye first-rate material. In most of Kaye's films he plays some sort of congenital [dounce]. If you think stupidity came to movies only recently, you've never seen "The Kid from Brookly," "On the Riviera," and similar Kaye [stuff].

"The Court Jester" is a wonderful exception. Panama and Frank were at their peak with a wildly convoluted send-up of Robin Hood and similar derring-do. In addition to the clever wordplay, they aren't afraid to descend to the deliriously dumb -- when Glynis Johns, pretending to be a deaf-mute, makes 15 seconds worth of hand gestures that Kaye interprets as "No," he explains it's because she stutters.

The Panama-Frank direction is also on-target. When Kaye and Johns clobber John Carradine, it's shown as shadows on the wall, in the best Michael Curtiz fashion.

Danny Kaye's wife, Sylvia Fine, wrote a lot of specialty material for him. Her comic songs are often modeled on Gilbert & Sullivan; "The Maladjusted Jester" is her take on "Oh, a private buffoon" from "The Yeomen of the Guard." (I suspect she wanted to use Sullivan's music, but couldn't, as it was still under British copyright.)

Basil Rathbone reprises Sir Guy from "The Adventures of Robin Hood," and Panama-Frank gave him plenty of screen time, both as an actor and as a fencer -- Rathbone is the consummate slick villain. And what can one say about Glynis Johns but "delicious," or Mildred Natwick but "inimitable," or Angela Lansbury but "chunky"? (Sorry about that.)

Pretty much a perfect entertainment -- the ideal film to chase away the blues.

Rating:
Summary: A spoof of kings, and the King Of All Spoofs!
Review: Even if you haven't seen (or heard of) "The Court Jester", I'll bet you've seen at least one of its clones..."Start The Revolution Without Me", "Love And Death", "The Princess Bride","The Corsican Brothers", "Robin Hood: Men In Tights" and countless others owe at least part of thier inspiration to this masterpiece. A veritable one-man version of the Marx Brothers, star Danny Kaye glides effortlessly through song, dance, rapid-fire elocution and swashbuckling physical stunts, all delivered with flawless comedic timing. Basil Rathbone is perfectly cast as a scheming member of the King's court, and a very young Angela Lansbury displays quite a knack for physical comedy (especially when she's repeatedly kicking Kaye in the shins while looking "casual" during a memorable song number). Credit must also go to the screenwriter and director for assembling a textbook-perfect blend of comedy, music, adventure and romance. I envy you if you're watching this one for the first time!

Rating:
Summary: So funny your cheeks will ache from laughing!!
Review: This is one of Danny Kaye's best. He was so talented and his comic timing is impeccable. The "chalice from the palace" scene is so funny that I have not forgotten it over the years. This movie will get you out of the blues in no time.

Rating:
Summary: Perfect
Review: This movie is a gem. Danny Kaye plays Hubert Hawkins, Who joins up with a band of Robin Hood Clones in order to place the Real king (The baby with the Birthmark on his bottom) on the throne. He ends up getting into the palace, where he meets Sir Ravenhurst (Basil Rathbone), the Evil Bad guy. The Whole movie is a jumble of hilarious medeival misunderstandings The songs are awesome. The best part in the whole movie is the fencing scene at the end. I laughed SO hard!
I highly reccommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Charming and Hilarious Re-telling of the Robin Hood Story
Review: I am not a great Danny Kaye fan, but this movie is one the the very funniest I've ever seen. Everything about it is excellent, from the production values to the songs & lyrics, from the fine quality of actors to the charm and wit of the dialogue and the story. There is literally nothing wrong with this movie. It is fit for all audiences, from the youngest to the oldest members of your family. I remember the first time I saw it, being struck by the fact that all the actors seemed to be having an absolutely marvellous time. Particularly during the Jester's first call at entertaining the court...unforgettable and sheer delight. Every single person on camera looked like they were having a wonderful time just being there. I hadn't seen anything like such a fine emsemble cast since 'All About Eve.' I think it must have been because there were no bad lines, no bad parts, no scenes that didn't work, and everyone had a chance to shine. Having a good material to work with really does make a world of difference. Stars Danny Kaye, Angela Landsbury, Basil Rathbone, and a host of marvellous British actors whose names are right now escaping my memory. Buy it. Keep it. Enjoy it for years.

Rating:
Summary: Comedy Could Not Better Be!
Review: In the history of the movies, fewer things are more amusing than watching Danny Kaye behave as Danny Kaye. Watching his films was a wonderful part of my childhood,and I remember being at home from High School on the day of his passing. I'm very glad for the legacy he has left us to enjoy.
In "The Court Jester" he couldn't be more in his element as he amuses us with his usual patter numbers and clever, tounge-twisting lyrics and sword play, and moves us with his loving care of the orphaned infant heir to the English throne. The scene of his lullabying the baby was shown as a tribute to him at the end of "Entertainment Tonight" the weekend after his death and it was a fitting tribute to him, his love of children, and the childlike sense of wonder he brought to all of his films.
As Kaye's love interest, Jean, a charismatic Glynis Johns is highly complimentary.She is not the sterotypical woman of medieval times, but having been raised as a boy, has a lot of cunning, ingenuity, and an occassional bit of brawn as the leader of those in rebellion against Cecil Parker's evil King.
Angela Lansdbury's Princess Gwendolyn longs for true love rather than an arranged marriage. She is firm and decisive in many ways, as she helps bring the tale to a positive conclusion.
As the sourceress, Mildred Natwick leads into some of the film's funniest scenes, including the notorious "Pellet with the poison is in the vessel with the pestle" routine that has become a classic.
Hubert Hawkins' cleverness in seizing the real Court Jester,(John Carradine, a man whom I could never really think of as funny) who was very arrogant, disguising himself in his clothes, and using his tounge-twisting dialogue with the King to cover his tracks is also a riot.
Basil Rathbone as the evil henchmen is a refined villian. It's amusing the way Kaye kept pushing his name out of the way during the opening credits, and I have wondered how often Hawkins' accelerated Knighthood ceremony had to be rehearsed before those on the set could stop laughing.

Although the film overlooks the fact that a person can't be hypnotized against their will, the way Hubert Hawkins is, the comedy is generally light, and goofy, doesen't get any saucier than the exposure of an infant's backside, and children will love it.
And as Hawkins reassures us at the beginning,"What starts like a scary tale ends like a fairy tale, and life couldn't possibly better be!"