Kaye is outstanding and entertaining as the central character, and carries the film well. Poor old Hawkins is pulled from pillar to post and has to do some fancy footwork to keep his head on his shoulders. What follows is a classic farce plot, replete with mistaken identities, hypnotism and false identities. This is a classic brew of classic comedy, which will suit the whole family.ĭanny Kaye stars as Hawkins, a freedom fighter who, due to a set of improbable circumstances, has to infiltrate the King's Court disguised as Giacomo, a world renowned Jester.
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Unfortunately much of it occurs at the outset of the movie as the plot is introduced so STICK WITH IT! All the fabulous stuff is twenty minutes into the film and well worth waiting for. But we hardy Brits can turn away from such sick-making drippery and return to the film when it has passed like an unwanted cloud. Though this in my opinion is the best of his movies and the least infected, it's a feature of many American films of the period and genre (even worse today). Danny Kaye (like many of his contemporaries) was prone to outbursts of whimp-cringing, bottom clenching sentimentality. I love the hypnotic lady in waiting.īut a word of warning. Glynis Johns still ticks all my boxes and all the minor parts are played (and over-played) superbly. He's supported by an excellent Rathbone and a brilliant Cecil Parker as the King - a performance never given the credit it deserves. A couple of great melodies, steeped in the craft of the fifties musical songwriters and some lightning, virtuoso verbal gallops, Danny's trademark deliveries which delighted kids of the fifties and which have lost none of their sparkle. And Danny Kaye delivers with such jaw-dropping skill - sometimes you watch in disbelief. The writing is top drawer, wonderfully funny wordplay and rhyme, great little one-liners and tongue in cheek parody of its Errol Flynn origin. The plot is excellent, a maze of twists and turns, unexpected turn-ups - farce at its best. Look out for the fabulous disposal of the king's soldiers into the moat. The amazing fencing scene with Basil Rathbone, the hilarous courting sequence with the princess and the glorious finale are just as good. The Knighting Ceremony is to my mind in the top ten comic scenarios ever filmed. The famous joust with it's glorious build up is just one of them. It's cram-packed with comic sequences of mind-blowing quality. And the film outplays most modern equivalents in every area, even the best of them. Like comparing Russell Brand with Peter Sellers - completely different league. I can think of no one else who combined them so skilfully.
So am I guilty of nostalgia? Well, I bought the DVD at Amazon's wonderfully silly price, sat back to watch with intent objectivity and ended up (yes, you guessed it) wet-eyed and aching with laughter.ĭanny Kaye was unique in that he combined sublime, razor-sharp physical comedy with hilarious tongue-twisting wordplay.
My sis and I, dragged off the rainy streets into a fleapit cinema, sat back enthralled as a blaze of colour flashed before us, a lavish, comic romp which left us wet-eyed and aching with laughter. THE COURT JESTER is a childhood treasure. Treat yourself and your family to a work of comic genius.
Your kids no doubt dote on THE WIZARD OF OZ which is yonks older and THE COURT JESTER has many of its attributes. Don't worry about the style of the movie. And even worse, your kids will never get to see him.
If you have young kids there's a horrible possibility that you've never heard of Danny Kaye.
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