But it's also apparent that care was put into casting even the smaller parts. It should come as no surprise that marvelous actors such as Lansbury, Rathbone, Natwick, and Johns possess impeccable comic timing.
When I think of movies in which every role is ideally cast, three films come to mind: The Wizard of Oz, The Adventures of Robin Hood.and The Court Jester. Simply put, it's the best part ever for the multi-talented Kaye. The most famous, of course, is the "Chalice from the Palace", but almost equally as funny are: Hawkins portraying an old man who is hard of hearing the romancing of Princess Gwendolyn as Hawkins snaps in and out of his hypnotic trance Hawkins' "get it, got it, good" exchanges with Ravenhurst, and the climatic sword fight. Danny Kaye's physicality, quick delivery of dialogue, and exaggerated facial expressions are masterfully exploited in at least five classic comic routines.
Danny kaye the court jester how to#
Written and directed by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, The Court Jester is a textbook example of how to tailor a film to fit its star's skills. To ensure that Hawkins/Giacomo meets the princess's expectations, Griselda (Mildred Natwick) hypnotizes him into thinking he's the medieval version of Rudolph Valentino. Nor could they anticipate that Princess Gwendolyn's lady-in-waiting, Griselda, has promised that a handsome stranger will rescue the princess from an undesirable marriage. They don't know, of course, that the villainous Sir Ravenhurst (Basil Rathbone) has hired Giacomo to assassinate three of the king's advisors. Learning that no one in the king's court has ever seen Giacomo, they hatch a quick scheme that has Hawkins assuming the identity of the jester.ĭanny Kaye and Basil Rathbone: "Get it? Got it. Of course, Hawkins is not entrusted with this mission alone he is accompanied by Jean (Glynis Johns), one of the Black Fox's senior officers.Įn route to the palace, Hawkins and Jean encounter the new royal jester Giacomo ("King of jesters and jester of kings"). Danny Kaye plays Hawkins, a minor member of the Black Fox's gang, who is given the mission of smuggling the baby into the palace and getting the key to a secret passageway to the Black Fox. But I'm hard pressed to think of a classic film comedy that's as nearly perfect as The Court Jester.įor the uninitiated, it's a medieval tale in which the Black Fox (a sort of Robin Hood) plots to restore the rightful heir to the throne: a royal baby with a purple pimpernel birthmark on his posterior. I realize comedy is very subjective as some folks prefer broad laughs and others opt for dark humor. I recently watched The Court Jester (1955) for perhaps the tenth time-and laughed just as much as the first time.
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