The musical numbers are short and to the point, and while there certainly are musical traits to the film, I’d be hard pressed to call it a true musical. His scenes opposite Danny Kaye really are brilliant, and their sword fight near the end of the film is simply astonishing. Basil Rathbone is such an elegant villain smart and sophisticated in his plot of hiring an assassin, and equally skilled in swordplay. Despite Hawkins’ perceived ability to not be able to handle himself when it comes to fighting alongside his fellow outlaws, Johns’ character sees the qualities that he does have that allows him to be successful in infiltrating the castle, qualities that provide a lot of laughs: such as the old man in the beginning of the film. A strong woman holding her own in a band of outlaw men, vowing to restore the rightful heir to the throne by any means necessary. Glynis Johns as Maid Jean provides the love interest. The supporting cast doesn’t disappoint either, which is able to round out Kaye’s exceptional performances by delivering additional aspects to the story. These situations are brilliantly written and superbly acted by Kaye, whose ability to instantly switch characters and provide not only clever and quick dialogue, but perform impressive physical comedy is what makes the film so memorable after 65 years. The Court Jester provides a lot of laughs thanks to the mistaken-identity theme that plays out as Hawkins is mistaken for Giacomo, a court jester/assassin, but also hypnotized to think he is this assassin that has arrived at the palace to sweep the princess off her feet before her father can marry her off for political gain. His wit and natural charisma is contagious on-screen as Hubert Hawkins, whose delightful tongue-twisting lyrics and dialogue give the film a certain charm that you don’t quite often see in film these days. This hilarious musical is just as funny 65 years later, breathing new life into the film that will surely find an audience in a new generation.ĭanny Kaye’s comic skill was greatly undervalued during his time, and one of the biggest tragedies is that he wasn’t more well-known or had more quality roles during his life. Paramount’s next installment in their Paramount Presents line features a signature class, The Court Jester, for the first time on Blu-ray. The stellar supporting cast includes Glynis Johns, Angela Lansbury, Mildred Natwick, Cecil Parker, and John Carradine.” Alternating identities at the snap of a finger, between swordplay and wordplay, Kaye’s comic genius shines through. Hawkins infiltrates the court of an evil villain (Basil Rathbone), but when a sorceress hypnotizes him, royal chaos ensues. In this swashbuckling comic farce, star Danny Kaye is kind-hearted entertainer Hawkins who disguises himself as the legendary king of jesters, Giacomo. “Celebrating its 65 th Anniversary, Paramount’s beloved madcap musical debuts on Blu-ray beautifully remastered from a 6k film transfer of the original VistaVision negative.
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