4/11/2023 0 Comments The court jester danny![]() ![]() He gets a chance to prove himself when he and Maid Jean (Glynis Johns) encounter a famous jester, Giacomo (John Carradine), en route to the king’s palace. In this adventure, Hawkins is an unlikely hero, having spent most of his time with the outlaws entertaining the men and taking care of the royal infant. ![]() Rathbone, of course, had played the heavy in both The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Mark of Zorro (1940), which makes Hawkins’ final duel with Sir Ravenhurst as inevitable as it is fun to watch.īasil Rathbone stars as the villainous Sir Ravenhurst, who thinks Hubert Hawkins is the real Giacomo, a deadly assassin who only pretends to be a harmless court jester. Instead of Robin Hood’s archery contest, Hawkins enters a more traditional tournament against Sir Griswold, creating a comical version of the climactic tournament fought by Ivanhoe. The rightful heir to the throne is a baby with a distinctive purple pimpernel birthmark on his posterior, a nod to the Scarlet Pimpernel and his calling card. Kaye’s character, Hubert Hawkins, has joined up with a band of fighters who live in the forest under the leadership of the Black Fox (Edward Ashley), a hero of the Robin Hood stamp whose name and mask also recall Zorro. The story draws heavily from familiar swashbucklers, a relationship underlined by Basil Rathbone’s presence in the picture. Leading ladies Angela Lansbury and Glynis Johns give Danny Kaye’s hero plenty of opportunities for romance and misadventure. Finally, the ensemble group billed as “Hermine’s Midgets” makes its only screen appearance as the protagonist’s loyal carnival friends. Michael Pate, Alan Napier, Cecil Parker, Robert Middleton, Herbert Rudley, and Edward Ashley fill out the cast, with Middleton particularly imposing as the ursine Sir Griswold. Other instantly recognizable stars include Mildred Natwick as the mesmerist lady in waiting Griselda and John Carradine in a brief but notable appearance as the real Giacomo. We get Kaye, of course, topping the bill, but his two leading ladies are Glynis Johns and Angela Lansbury – a hard pair to choose between, indeed! Basil Rathbone heads up the villains’ side as the scheming Sir Ravenhurst, a role that echoes his performance as Sir Guy in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). Written and directed by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank, The Court Jester packs in a mind-boggling number of memorable stars, which makes it required viewing for anybody interested in classic movies. “The Court Jester” is available on Amazon Instant Video for $2.99 or free for Amazon Prime members.Īndrew Akers is a columnist for The Times.Hubert Hawkins (Danny Kaye) performs the “Maladjusted Jester” song for the king and his court. Though it ends in much the way you would expect, after a climactic brawl between a troupe of dwarves and a group of knights, “The Court Jester” will put a smile on your face. ![]() The foolish king, flamboyant rebel, self-obsessed princess and her witch-in-waiting, grizzled suitor and undercover wench bring their own brand of silliness to the foolishness. The antics are complemented by a colorful cast of characters. Each time he does, it is with a song and a snappy remark that had me guffawing. Whether it is memorizing tongue twisters lest he drink poison or falling in and out of hypnosis at the snap of a finger, Kaye somehow bumbles his way through every ridiculous challenge to equally ridiculous solution. The best part of “The Court Jester” is the simple joy of watching Kaye cope with each absurd situation. But when the king’s daughter falls for the lowly born Giacomo, Hawkins finds himself pulled into three different plots. Unknown to Hawkins, a group of conspirators summoned the real Giacomo to help kill its political rivals. Leaving the babe with fellow rebel Jean (Glynis Johns), he assumes the role of the Giacomo, king of jesters and newly appointed jester to the king of England, in an effort to infiltrate the castle. Shortly after, Hawkins sees an opportunity to save the day. ![]() Played by distinguished funnyman Danny Kaye, Hawkins is tasked with transporting the royal babe to safety after King Roderick learns of the rebels’ location. Thus enters Hubert Hawkins, the gentle-but-glory-hungry entertainer of the Black Fox’s band. The rebels are the last defenders of the “baby with the purple pimpernel,” an infant child who bears the flower-shaped birthmark of royalty. The brutal tyrant Roderick usurped the throne of England by killing all of the royal family except for one small babe.īut while Roderick consolidates power, a ragtag group of woodland bandits lead by the Black Fox challenges his reign. ![]()
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