Customer Reviews

Connecticut Yankee [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a major Will fan, this movie is my favorite. The charm of Will Rogers shows through more than in other films. The random politcal jokes that pop up do not seem so ancient
( farm relief, freedom for Ireland......). My children were entertained by it as well. If you are into Will Rogers, this is his best. If you want to meet him, this is the place.

Will Rogers was hugely popular during his time, but the years have not been kind to him and he is largely forgotten today. Thankfully, years ago there was a VHS series of Rogers' films released available for viewing. Here we have one of the most famous of his films, A Connecticut Yankee, the story of a man sent back to the Middle Ages when King Arthur ruled. The Mark Twain story has been made many times, but this one deserves recognition.

Rogers plays a radio man who is sent to a dark, scary house to deliver a battery for a radio. When he gets there, he finds there are strange goings on and the man of the house wants to use the battery to transmit sounds from the past into modern times. Suddenly, a flash, and Rogers is being discovered by a knight of Camelot. Believed to be a demon, he is sentenced to death, but Rogers manages to convince the king of his power by "causing" an eclipse of the sun. Merlin is quite jealous, but Rogers is knighted as "Sir Boss." He introduces many inventions like telephones, automobiles, and automatic rifles which come in handy when the king's sister (Myrna Loy) decides to kidnap the princess (Maureen O'Sullivan) and wage war against them.

The whole cast is great, but Rogers is the true star. He delivers his lines with a nonchalance that makes everything he says even funnier. His average-man persona makes him enjoyable to absolutely everyone. He has a sense of humor and confidence, but he isn't pretentious in the least.

I saw this in 1931, and it may be what got me started on a long career of reading science fiction. It's terribly corny, but they all were in 1931. Don't get it if you're looking for great dramatic values, but do get it if you want to chuckle a lot and remember what movies used to be like. You'll fall in love with Myrna Loy as Morgan le Fay, and will wish she wasn't such a baddy.

A Connecticut Yankee, 1931 film

The movie begins at radio station WRCO where singers perform. Will Rogers provides entertainment (a standup comedian). "Times are Hard but So is Your Old Man" is the next song. There is a spooky place that has a cash customer for a radio battery [as opposed to store credit]. It is a dark and stormy night with thunder and lightning. A young woman wants to get out of the house. Another woman asks Hank Martin questions. Radios then operated from large batteries. Great weather? Can old sounds be recovered from the past? [No.] Will Hank have a strange dream? He is back in the Days of King Arthur! We see a castle on a hill. [Painted scenery.] Hank is brought in at the point of a lance. A condemned man is led away. [No defense lawyer?] Hank is chained to a wall. King Arthur inspects Hank, who is not well-spoken. A cigar lighter produces fire! Sorcery? "Burn him." Hank is condemned.

Hank has a pocket notebook with the dates of eclipses and uses this to impress his captors. Merlin offers his wise advice to the King. Hank's incantation is followed by an eclipse of the sun! The King beseeches him to restore sunlight. Hank is dubbed "Sir Boss". This spoof shows telephone operators. The magic of advertising will make people spend money they don't have for products they don't need. [Still true?] Sitting next to the King? Sir Boss speaks strangely. Sir Sagamore throws down his gauntlet to challenge Sir Boss. The people watch the battle. A lasso against a lance? Now Sir Boss will be sent to rescue the captive Princess. The page is dubbed Sir Roger de Claremore! They will ride against Morgan Le Fay. Merlins shows his trickery in betraying King Arthur! Knights in armor are lifted onto their horses. They ride off on their mission. First Sir Boss will try negotiations. But they are ambushed and captured.

They are brought before Morgan Le Fay. Arthur is thrown into the dungeon, Sir Boss will get a different treatment. [His outfit is from the 16th century. King Arthur and his daughter are imprisoned and won't be released. Sir Boss is handy with his six-shooter. They are captured and sent to the gallows. Clarence was asked to come to their rescue with jalopies and tommy guns. Morgan begins the hanging, one at a time to prolong this gala festival. But an autogyro in the sky drops bombs on the castle. The invaders attack with rifles and tommy guns to defeat the enemy. "Whither thou goest?" An explosion saves Sir Boss. Then Hank Martin awakes from his dream! The radio broadcast about King Arthur ends. Hank runs away from this old house. He helps two people to get away, and walks in the rain.

One advantage of this fantasy comedy is seeing Will Rogers acting and commenting on current events. He is not as good as professional actors, but has unpolished charm. It is an example of what entertained people in the early 1930s. Have changing tastes affected its appeal? Some might quibble about the story, but it is worth watching once.

This was has its moments. I was back and forth between 3-stars or 4-stars. If you want to see a better version of Mark Twain's tale, see the one with BING COSBY. It has much more charm and personality. The way Mark Twain delivered this great story.

Not a good version of mark Twain's tale at all. Rogers gags are badly dated and the ending with the modern tanks in the Middle ages war are a bit much. This is bad as it's (unacknowledged) 2001 remake "Black Night."