May 15th: The Court Jester

Well, This movie is a great way to start off the summer. The Court Jester stars one of the greater comedians of all time: Danny Kaye. The movie came out in 1958 in technicolor, lasts but an hour and forty-one minutes, and proves Kaye as the original master of disguise. Don't let the slow start fool you, because this unrated movie is full of physical and mental comedy, but a real adventure fairy tale at heart.


The movie starts out, like most older movies, starts with the credits, and also the first of three songs in the movie, sung by Danny Kaye.(don't worry, they're not that corny). The story starts with the knowledge that a massacre of the royal family of England occurred, and a new (man whore) king took the throne. But, a rebellion against the new king is taking place by the Black Fox who found a baby with the royal birthmark. A plan to get that baby on the throne is how our characters come into play. Hubert Hawkins ran away from the carnival (where he worked) to join the Fox's cause, but doesn't like the jobs hes assigned until he must go undercover in the palace. His accomplice is his Captain, Jean, who is very much a strong tom-boy, and respected as such to a point where those she is superior too will forget she is a woman at all. Our other main character is a very young Angela Lansbury (the lady in Bed knobs and Broomsticks and the original Mrs. Lovette) as the new kings
's daughter, a typical teenager who refuses to marry who her father wishes with sarcasm and whitty one liners, manipulating to get what she wants.

Through the movie Hawkins is hypnotized, disguised, knighted, fought,singing, entertaining, and rather confused, being tricked and keeping himself safe with skills of convincing and comedic charm, also starting the short dialog often used today: "Get it." "Got it" "Good". The language, though convincingly mid-evil, is easy to understand and the story leads us to a climactic and adventurous ending.

Here is one of the most famous scenes ever, that happens to be in this movie. well, a lot happens and Hawkins in challenged to a battle by the man who the king wants his daughter to marry. Its played out here very well.






Don't get me wrong. I promise this isn't the only funny scene.....its just the one YueTube had....hehe.This is a great family movie for anytime, and is on DVD and Turner classic movies often.

The Chick of Flicks signing off