NFR Project: 'The Court Jester' (1955)

 

NFR Project: “The Court Jester”

Dir: Norman Panama, Melvin Frank

Scr: Norman Panama, Melvin Frank

Pho: Ray June

Ed: Tom McAdoo

Premiere: Dec. 24, 1955

101 min.

“The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle; the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true!”

Norman Panama and Melvin Frank got their start as gag writers in 1935. Gradually, they worked their way up the food chain, becoming screenwriters – and finally getting a contract to write and direct films in tandem. Their third film in this collaboration was The Court Jester.

It is an amusing starring outing for Danny Kaye (1911-1987), a multitalented comedic presence in the American culture in the mid-20^th Century. Kaye was renowned for his tongue-twisting Tverbal acrobatics and his ability to improvise using all manner of accents. He got his start in clubs in the Catskills and rapidly moved into stage work, more club work, radio, and finally film. Much of his material was written by his brilliant wife, Sylvia Fine.

This film is a vehicle for Kaye, who plays Hubert, a noodnik in medieval England. A follower of a Robin Hood-style crusader named the Black Fox, he is ordered to safeguard the travel of a baby who is the rightful King of England. By way of various machinations, Hubert takes on the identity of Giacomo, a jester who is also a secret assassin. Hubert must negotiate his way between the forces of the usurper (Cecil Parker), a haughty princess (Angela Lansbury), an evil lord (Basil Rathbone), and a witch (Mildred Natwick).

This he does with his usual Kaye goofiness – stuttering, double-taking, gasping, and gulping. Naturally a coward, he is hypnotized by the witch into thinking of himself as a great lover and swordsman. Her spell can be broken and re-applied through the snapping of fingers; needless to say, there is a lot of amusing back and forth on this premise.

Is it a classic? It’s OK.

The NFR Project is one writer’s attempt to review all the films listed in the National Film Registry in chronological order. Next time: Disneyland Dream.