Danny Kaye made a couple of amusing comedies in the 1940s. He always played himself, the bumbling, stuttering coward. He's the same here, although the setting is now Medieval England and his character is mistaken for a court jester or, at times, for a Robin Hood figure called The Black Fox. The plot is too complicated and dumb to be detailed, but the story is successful because of isolated, almost incidental, comic moments.
The writers -- Panama and Frank -- must have had a good time dreaming up some of the gags. They don't stem organically from the plot or the characters. Let me put it this way. "Some Like It Hot" is a comedy from beginning to end. It has continuity. What's funny about it grows out of situations that, seen in context, look inevitable. "The Court Jester" has, instead, amusing scenes that aren't really anything much more than skits.
There's no particular reason to introduce the hypnotic trance that transforms Kaye from a phony and a coward into a confidant warrior and passionate lover except that it's good for laughs. Ditto with the scenes of combat mortal. And WITHIN the combat scene, Kaye's armor happens to be struck by lightning and magnetized, leading to a few ludic incidents that are quickly thrown away when used up.
That doesn't mean it's not a funny movie, because it really is just about the equal of Kaye's best, although it comes late in his oeuvre. He's ten years older than he was at his peak but it hasn't affected his playing or his appearance. (There are several songs, but no gibberish.) Basil Rathbone, as Lord Ravenhurst, looks considerably more aged that he had when he played the same role with Errol Flynn on the other end of the swords. He's a less robust figure, and a comic movie wouldn't suit him if he weren't the hammy heavy, yet he's fit and dances around convincingly in his swordplay. Cecil Parker does well with his usual dithering persona. Glynnis Johns is magnificent, a tiny buxom girl with the biggest blue eyes in the business. Angela Lansbury tosses off her part with panache, as always. She's an extremely good actress.
If there are any clichés in the genre of medieval movies, you'll probably find them here. The battle between knights on horseback, with mace and chain; the good guys disguised as hooded monks; the desperate struggle to lower the drawbridge; the castle overrun by attacking midgets. Wait a minute. The castle overrun by attacking MIDGETS? Well, okay -- that's not exactly a perfect cliché, but if you've seen "Robin Hood" or "The Flame and the Arrow," you'll know what I mean.
Some of the scenes are quite amusing. The hurried marching of Kaye through the ceremony in which he is knighted. The chalice with the palace is the brew that is true. The kids ought to get a kick out of it, as mine did.
The writers -- Panama and Frank -- must have had a good time dreaming up some of the gags. They don't stem organically from the plot or the characters. Let me put it this way. "Some Like It Hot" is a comedy from beginning to end. It has continuity. What's funny about it grows out of situations that, seen in context, look inevitable. "The Court Jester" has, instead, amusing scenes that aren't really anything much more than skits.
There's no particular reason to introduce the hypnotic trance that transforms Kaye from a phony and a coward into a confidant warrior and passionate lover except that it's good for laughs. Ditto with the scenes of combat mortal. And WITHIN the combat scene, Kaye's armor happens to be struck by lightning and magnetized, leading to a few ludic incidents that are quickly thrown away when used up.
That doesn't mean it's not a funny movie, because it really is just about the equal of Kaye's best, although it comes late in his oeuvre. He's ten years older than he was at his peak but it hasn't affected his playing or his appearance. (There are several songs, but no gibberish.) Basil Rathbone, as Lord Ravenhurst, looks considerably more aged that he had when he played the same role with Errol Flynn on the other end of the swords. He's a less robust figure, and a comic movie wouldn't suit him if he weren't the hammy heavy, yet he's fit and dances around convincingly in his swordplay. Cecil Parker does well with his usual dithering persona. Glynnis Johns is magnificent, a tiny buxom girl with the biggest blue eyes in the business. Angela Lansbury tosses off her part with panache, as always. She's an extremely good actress.
If there are any clichés in the genre of medieval movies, you'll probably find them here. The battle between knights on horseback, with mace and chain; the good guys disguised as hooded monks; the desperate struggle to lower the drawbridge; the castle overrun by attacking midgets. Wait a minute. The castle overrun by attacking MIDGETS? Well, okay -- that's not exactly a perfect cliché, but if you've seen "Robin Hood" or "The Flame and the Arrow," you'll know what I mean.
Some of the scenes are quite amusing. The hurried marching of Kaye through the ceremony in which he is knighted. The chalice with the palace is the brew that is true. The kids ought to get a kick out of it, as mine did.