Review of The Court Jester (1955) by Storytellershannon M — 30 Jun 2012

In 2000 the American Film Institute put this picture into it's top 100 Laughs.

A tale with some similarities to the Robin Hood mythology in which a band of rebels fight the evil king in favor of a baby king with the royal symbol on his buttock. The rebel leader is known as the Black Fox and at first you think it's Danny Kaye during a musical opening but then you find out he's just wearing the leader's outfit. No surprise there but as you watch more and more of this film you realize that Danny Kaye's character is the Black Fox in all but name. It eventually ends up with Kaye's character impersonating a famous jester and infiltrating the usurper king's castle.

The humor and set effects are good but a bit off as this is an old film from 1956. You also have to get that musicals were the thing at the movies back then and some people seeing it today won't have the patience to go through it. A few things were just off or goofy but it is an action comedy of sorts (see spoilers below).

Also starring a âyoungâ? Angela Lansbury, Basil Rathbone, Glynis Johns (she played a Mary Poppins role long ago) and a tiny role by John Carradine.

This was considered one of Danny Kaye's finest performances and if you watch the many roles he had to play, as well as his singing performances, you might understand why.

Songs (from Wiki).

"(You'll Never) Outfox the Fox" (words by Sammy Cahn, music by Sylvia Fine).

"My Heart Knows a Lovely Song" (words and music by Sammy Cahn & Sylvia Fine).

"Pass the Basket" (words by Sammy Cahn, music by Sylvia Fine).

"Where Walks My True Love?" (words by Sammy Cahn, music by Sylvia Fine).

"Maladjusted Jester" (words and music by Sylvia Fine).

"Life Could Not Better Be" (words and music by Sammy Cahn & Sylvia Fine).

"I Live to Love" (words by Sammy Cahn, music by Sylvia Fine, deleted from the film but included on the soundtrack album).

Note: Sylvia Fine was Danny Kaye's wife.

My favorite song goes something like this: âOnly the sharpest eye, the keenest nose, the quickest ear and fleetest toes can ever outfox the fox! (They'll never outfox the fox!)â? There were a lot of others but this one always stood out for me.

MUSIC & PERFORMANCES: A minus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B plus to A minus; STORY/PLOTTING: B plus; HUMOR: B to B plus; CINEMATOGRAPHY: B plus to A minus; WHEN WATCHED: end of June 2012; OVERALL GRADE: B plus to A minus.

SPOILERS.

A few hundred dudes dressed as monks with their hoods over their head and coming down your road don't look suspicious? Not sure how they got through the gates so easily but hey give it some slack since it's a comedy.

The midget legs to the catapult and into the sea was a nice touch but makes no logical sense.

Some of the fight scenes, like the midgets taking on full sized knights and the likes were silly.

The sword fight between Kaye and Bathbone was fun but the types of blades being used were just off (they had thicker blades in England back then if we're talking Medieval England). I like how the blades bend while being used. That's fiber glass for you.

I will not rate this in historical authenticity since it wasn't trying to be authentic, even though Danny Kaye says differently in the opening musical sequence.