The Court Jester (1955)

Intro.
I am lucky enough to work with some awesome people.  Sometimes we borrow each other's DVDs - TV shows, movies, you name it.  I just found out that our art director loves old movies too, and brought in The Court Jester for me to watch.  I have to admit (a bit shamefully) that I hadn't seen any Danny Kaye movies.  Honestly, now I have no idea what took me so long!

Overview
The plot in this story is pretty interesting - an evil ruler has just overthrown the palace and killed the royal family.  The only survivor is an infant who bears the royal birthmark and who has been rescued by a group of "outlaws" - think Robin Hood and his merry men.  Two members of the team, Hubert (Danny Kaye) and Maid Jean (Glynis Johns) take the baby in disguise and try to get him to a convent for safety.  On the way they meet Giacomo the court jester, and decide to send Hubert in his place.  By gaining access to the palace, Hubert can then open the secret passageway and let the rest of the gang in for an attack.  Hubert makes it in okay as Giacomo, but once there he is hypnotized by one of the ladies of the court, who is determined to make him fall in love with the Princess (Angela Lansbury).  While in this spell, he believes he truly is Giacomo the great lover, scoundrel and assassin hired by someone in the court to kill the king!  The only thing that will bring him back to sweet, good-natured Hubert is the snap of someone's fingers.  As you can imagine, all three storylines carry onward with lots of snapping!  Hubert finds himself knighted, dueling for the hand of the Princess, trying to avoid the cup of poison and finally calling on his acrobat friends to save the day. 

Highlights
Danny Kaye is outstanding in this film.  I wasn't sure how I felt about a comedy with some singing and lots of clowning.  But if anyone could do this role, it's him.  His timing is the most remarkable part.  I've never, ever seen someone so sharp and so fast on their lines.  I read up a little on him online, and he was famous for his ability to recite tongue-twisters like the now-famous one in this film - the "pellet with the poison" bit.  Not only that, but this role required him to switch very quickly between two "characters," often in the middle of a sword fight.  While this is a film driven very much by Danny Kaye, his costars are also wonderful.  Angela Lansbury is both enchanting and powerful as the Princess, and Glynis Johns becomes a great foil for Danny.  Not to mention a beautiful love interest too! 

Review
I believe that in some films, there is one moment that just captivates you.  From that point on you are sucked in, completely immersed.  For me it was the point where Danny Kaye sings a lullaby to the infant prince.  There is something so gentle, wholesome and pure about that scene that made me fall in love with this movie even when I wasn't sure if I'd like it.  It's innocent and kid-friendly, so if you're looking for a lot of drama and intrigue, you won't find it.  You also won't find a whole lot of stale slap-stick.  Another great family comedy, The Court Jester is a delightful film that will introduce you (if you haven't already seen him) to the incredibly talented Danny Kaye.     

As always, check it out on IMDb!  There's a much better write-up there posted by jhclues in December of 01.