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The Court Jester (1956)

Starring: Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns Director: Melvin Frank, Norman Panama Rating: NR (Not Rated) Format: DVD

4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (173 customer reviews)

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	96% buy the item featured on this page: The Court Jester 4.8 out of 5 stars (173) $6.99
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Product Details

Actors: Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, Angela Lansbury, Cecil Parker
Directors: Melvin Frank, Norman Panama
Writers: Melvin Frank, Norman Panama
Producers: Melvin Frank, Norman Panama
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number of discs: 1
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: March 30, 1999
Run Time: 101 minutes

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (173 customer reviews)

ASIN: 079215519X
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,333 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
Popular in these categories: (What's this?)
#9 in Movies & TV > Comedy > Slapstick
#15 in Movies & TV > Comedy > Satire
#22 in Movies & TV > Classics > Classic Comedies

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For more information about "The Court Jester" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Danny Kaye spoofs Robin Hood and Scaramouche in this inventive slapstick swashbuckler. Portraying the clownish but good-hearted entertainer Hawkins, he infiltrates the court of the corrupt Basil Rathbone (up to his usual brand of cruel villainy) disguised as the legendary king of jesters, Giacomo. After a court sorceress hypnotizes Hawkins into believing he is also a legendary assassin, Hawkins has more identities than he can keep straight, and Kaye zips back and forth between them at, literally, a snap of the fingers. Comic highlights include a wonderful sword fight with Rathbone in which he constantly switches identities, and the classic "chalice from the palace/vessel with pestle" wordplay as Hawkins plays "hide the poison" and forgets where it is. With comely Glynis Johns as his spy-in-arms love interest, Angela Lansbury as the scheming princess, and Mildred Natwick as the dotty spellcaster, this is Danny Kaye at his comic best. --Sean Axmaker

Product Description

A 12th century court jester in England becomes involved with a desperate band of outlaws who are attempting to overthrow the king. A delightful comedy which features a particularly fine cast.

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Customer Reviews

173 Reviews

5 star:		(144)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

Average Customer Review

4.8 out of 5 stars (173 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jest Wonderful, February 10, 2004

By	Peter Reeve (Thousand Oaks, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

Possibly the funniest musical comedy ever made. Even if you are not a Danny Kaye fan, you should try this movie. Don't be put off by the opening sequence, which looks rather dated now. The film contains some excruciatingly funny scenes, including the classic "Flagon with the dragon" routine. This is Kaye at his brilliant best.

The story (set in a mediaeval England which cheerfully makes no attempt at historical accuracy) is remarkably solid and complex, which helps maintain the film's brisk pace.

So when you are in the mood for some good old-fashioned fun, put your feet up and summon "The Court Jester".

Update: I recently watched this movie again and I think my original 4-star rating was wrong. This is a 5-star classic.

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59 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "the perfect storm" of farces, May 29, 2003

By	William Sommerwerck "grizzled geezer" (Renton, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Danny Kaye is a classic example of a wildly talented performer who was not well-served by the movie industry. Sam Goldwyn knew to shoot Kaye in Technicolor to show off his red hair, but not to give Kaye first-rate material. In most of Kaye's films he plays some sort of congenital [dounce]. If you think stupidity came to movies only recently, you've never seen "The Kid from Brookly," "On the Riviera," and similar Kaye [stuff].

"The Court Jester" is a wonderful exception. Panama and Frank were at their peak with a wildly convoluted send-up of Robin Hood and similar derring-do. In addition to the clever wordplay, they aren't afraid to descend to the deliriously dumb -- when Glynis Johns, pretending to be a deaf-mute, makes 15 seconds worth of hand gestures that Kaye interprets as "No," he explains it's because she stutters.

The Panama-Frank direction is also on-target. When Kaye and Johns clobber John Carradine, it's shown as shadows on the wall, in the best Michael Curtiz fashion.

Danny Kaye's wife, Sylvia Fine, wrote a lot of specialty material for him. Her comic songs are often modeled on Gilbert & Sullivan; "The Maladjusted Jester" is her take on "Oh, a private buffoon" from "The Yeomen of the Guard." (I suspect she wanted to use Sullivan's music, but couldn't, as it was still under British copyright.)

Basil Rathbone reprises Sir Guy from "The Adventures of Robin Hood," and Panama-Frank gave him plenty of screen time, both as an actor and as a fencer -- Rathbone is the consummate slick villain. And what can one say about Glynis Johns but "delicious," or Mildred Natwick but "inimitable," or Angela Lansbury but "chunky"? (Sorry about that.)

Pretty much a perfect entertainment -- the ideal film to chase away the blues.

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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming and Hilarious Re-telling of the Robin Hood Story, December 28, 1999

By	Lesley M. Schultz "msthoth" (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Court Jester (Clam) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I am not a great Danny Kaye fan, but this movie is one the the very funniest I've ever seen. Everything about it is excellent, from the production values to the songs & lyrics, from the fine quality of actors to the charm and wit of the dialogue and the story. There is literally nothing wrong with this movie. It is fit for all audiences, from the youngest to the oldest members of your family. I remember the first time I saw it, being struck by the fact that all the actors seemed to be having an absolutely marvellous time. Particularly during the Jester's first call at entertaining the court...unforgettable and sheer delight. Every single person on camera looked like they were having a wonderful time just being there. I hadn't seen anything like such a fine emsemble cast since 'All About Eve.' I think it must have been because there were no bad lines, no bad parts, no scenes that didn't work, and everyone had a chance to shine. Having a good material to work with really does make a world of difference. Stars Danny Kaye, Angela Landsbury, Basil Rathbone, and a host of marvellous British actors whose names are right now escaping my memory. Buy it. Keep it. Enjoy it for years.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars THERE'S A CHALACE IN THE PALACE WITH A BREW THAT IS TRUE
When I was five years old I remember meeting a man who put an eiderdown around my shoulders and he made me laugh so much. Read more

Published 3 months ago by Author

5.0 out of 5 stars Best movie we've seen this year
I love Danny Kaye! This movie has everything - witty music, great dancing, funny repartee, and Danny Kaye at his best. Lyrics by Sylvia Fine kept us in stitches. Read more

Published 4 months ago by P. Kemp

5.0 out of 5 stars Kaye's Best
Dazzling wit, charm and comedic timing to spare. All aided by gorgeous color and other topnotch production values. Read more

Published 4 months ago by Vincent Reda

5.0 out of 5 stars Sylvia does Fine as usual
I like Danny Kaye all right, but I'm a Sylvia Fine fan as well, and she shines here, not only in the very clever title sequence and even cleverer "Maladjusted Jester", but all the... Read more

Published 6 months ago by Carol Dumond

5.0 out of 5 stars King of Jesters and Jester of Kings
"The Court Jester" (my favorite movie in the whole world) makes a great gift. It is a romantic comedy with adventure and fencing. Read more

Published 6 months ago by D. Smith

5.0 out of 5 stars clever
This movie is a classic! Constant witty entertainment. It's a great show for people of all ages. My seven year old boys even like watching it.

Published 7 months ago by Mutterdrei

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable
I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Danny Kaye is great with the speed and pronunciation of his specialty pieces. Fun story line.

Published 8 months ago by Amorosi love

4.0 out of 5 stars The Court Jester
The Court Jester

Danny Kaye's role as the court jester was great. The movie is so clean that my own children and even grandchildren will enjoy it. Read more

Published 8 months ago by W. Gaffney

5.0 out of 5 stars The Court Jester
An old favorite of mine, so I highly recommend this movie. I also love working with Amazon, never been disappointed.

Published 8 months ago by D. Coldwell

4.0 out of 5 stars The Court Jester
Danny Kaye did his part well and the film was alot of laughs for which we are always looking for. Swash buckling sword play which made the movie exciting.

Published 8 months ago by T. Chapman

› See all 173 customer reviews...

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