THE COURT JESTER BLACK FOX FULL

RELATED POST – Vintage Film Review: I Was a Male War Bride (1949) – A Saucy Romantic Comedy with Slapstick There is wordplay, slapstick, farce and much more. Both women are excellent in their roles with excellent comedic timing. The Court Jester also stars Glynis Jones and Angela Lansbury who are much younger than we are used to seeing them.

THE COURT JESTER BLACK FOX FULL

His performance is versatile and full of heart. Danny Kaye is the talented center of the film and carries it well. This is largely due to the writing and the performance of the stars. Seizing the opportunity to place a spy in the King’s court, Jean knocks him out and convinces Hawkins to impersonate him. On the way, they run into Giacomo, a Jester who is traveling to serve King Roderick. Hubert and Captain Jean are instructed to bring the baby safely to an Abbey where he can be protected. Hubert Hawkins is an ordinary man following The Black Fox, an outlaw hero fighting to return the true heir to power. The baby prince survived and was smuggled away by loyalists. King Roderick has usurped the throne of England, killing the entire royal family, save one. The whole thing is played tongue-in-cheek, however, for maximum comedy. There are dashing swordfights, romantic trysts, and devious plots. It is a good-natured comedy that takes full advantage of the trappings of the genre. Regular appearances on television throughout the years and current availability on DVD and streaming have introduced it to several new generations.The Court Jester is a musical parody of popular old swashbuckling films starring the likes of Errol Flynn.

But since then it’s achieved the happy fate of becoming a beloved classic. Ultimately, The Court Jester was too expensive to be a box office “hit,” only earning $2.2 million in total. Rathbone even got a chance to use his fencing skills during a duel scene with Kaye, with assistance from the choreographer who doubled for him in some shots. The rest of the cast also seem to enjoy their roles, their screen time being balanced well with everyone getting opportunities for laughs. It’s been pointed out how well-suited The Court Jester is to Kaye’s talents–arguably no other comedian could’ve taken his place. Complications ensue, of course, especially when the king’s daughter falls in love with Giacomo and an enchantress casts a hypnotizing spell on him. Hawkins decides to impersonate him in order to find the key. While Hawkins and Jean are traveling, however, they encounter the new court jester Giacomo heading to the castle. Hawkins and rebel captain Maid Jean are tasked with protecting the royal infant while the Fox makes plans to steal the king’s key to a secret tunnel. The throne of England has been taken over by a usurper, and the Fox and his followers are trying to restore the rightful heir to the throne–who is currently still a baby. Kaye plays the former circus performer Hubert Hawkins, who (despite his timidity) has joined a rebel group headed by the Robin Hood-esque outlaw the Black Fox. The plot may sound complicated on paper, but onscreen it has delightful twists and turns. The highlight was certainly the famous “chalice from the palace” sequence, likely based on similarly tongue-twisting old vaudeville routines. And he couldn’t have been given better material to work with than Sylvia’s light-hearted songs and the abundance of witty wordplay. But from the moment he appears onscreen, singing “Life Could Not Better Be” and cavorting with the animated opening credits, Kaye is the heart and soul of the film. This time around Kaye was surrounded by a capable British cast, including Glynis Johns as the attractive rebel captain Maid Jean, Basil Rathbone as the false king’s wiley advisor, Angela Lansbury as a haughty princess, and Robert Middleton as the beefy, villainous Sir Griswold. All in all, the film’s budget went from $2.5 million dollars to $3.7 million, making it the most expensive comedy ever produced at the time. Location shooting was done in Palos Verdes, where its wave-swept coast and rugged cliffs stood in for the shores of medieval England. The film’s two largest sets, the interior of the castle and the courtyard, were constructed on Paramount’s sound stages to the tune of $200,000.

The court jester black fox