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The Court Jester

  • 19551955
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 41m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
13K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Danny Kaye, Angela Lansbury, and Glynis Johns in The Court Jester (1955)
Watch {VideoTitle}
Play trailer2:26
2 Videos
40 Photos
  • Adventure
  • Comedy
  • Family

A hapless carnival performer masquerades as the court jester as part of a plot against an evil ruler who has overthrown the rightful King.A hapless carnival performer masquerades as the court jester as part of a plot against an evil ruler who has overthrown the rightful King.A hapless carnival performer masquerades as the court jester as part of a plot against an evil ruler who has overthrown the rightful King.

IMDb RATING
7.8/10
13K
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Melvin Frank
    • Norman Panama
  • Writers
    • Norman Panama
    • Melvin Frank
  • Stars
    • Danny Kaye
    • Glynis Johns
    • Basil Rathbone
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Melvin Frank
    • Norman Panama
  • Writers
    • Norman Panama
    • Melvin Frank
  • Stars
    • Danny Kaye
    • Glynis Johns
    • Basil Rathbone
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 132User reviews
    • 44Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination

    Videos2

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:26
    Trailer
    The Court Jester
    Trailer 2:25
    The Court Jester

    Photos40

    Danny Kaye in "Court Jester," Paramount 1955.
    Danny Kaye, Angela Lansbury, and Glynis Johns in The Court Jester (1955)
    Danny Kaye and Angela Lansbury in The Court Jester (1955)
    Danny Kaye in The Court Jester (1955)
    Danny Kaye in The Court Jester (1955)
    Basil Rathbone, Alan Napier, Cecil Parker, and Michael Pate in The Court Jester (1955)
    Danny Kaye and Glynis Johns in The Court Jester (1955)
    Danny Kaye and Glynis Johns in The Court Jester (1955)
    Danny Kaye and Basil Rathbone in The Court Jester (1955)
    Basil Rathbone and Michael Pate in The Court Jester (1955)
    The Court Jester (1955)
    Danny Kaye and Glynis Johns in The Court Jester (1955)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Danny Kaye
    Danny Kaye
    • Hubert Hawkinsas Hubert Hawkins
    Glynis Johns
    Glynis Johns
    • Maid Jeanas Maid Jean
    Basil Rathbone
    Basil Rathbone
    • Sir Ravenhurstas Sir Ravenhurst
    Angela Lansbury
    Angela Lansbury
    • Princess Gwendolynas Princess Gwendolyn
    Cecil Parker
    Cecil Parker
    • King Roderick Ias King Roderick I
    Mildred Natwick
    Mildred Natwick
    • Griseldaas Griselda
    Robert Middleton
    Robert Middleton
    • Sir Griswoldas Sir Griswold
    Michael Pate
    Michael Pate
    • Sir Locksleyas Sir Locksley
    Herbert Rudley
    Herbert Rudley
    • Captain of the Guardas Captain of the Guard
    Noel Drayton
    Noel Drayton
    • Fergusas Fergus
    John Carradine
    John Carradine
    • Giacomoas Giacomo
    Edward Ashley
    Edward Ashley
    • Black Foxas Black Fox
    Alan Napier
    Alan Napier
    • Sir Brockhurstas Sir Brockhurst
    Lewis Martin
    • Sir Finsdaleas Sir Finsdale
    Patrick Aherne
    • Sir Pertweeas Sir Pertwee
    Richard Kean
    • Archbishopas Archbishop
    Hermine's Midgets
    • Ensembleas Ensemble
    The Jackson Michigan Zouave Drill Team
    • Marching Knights - Knighthood Ceremonyas Marching Knights - Knighthood Ceremony
    • (as The American Legion Zouaves Of Richard F. Smith Post No. 29 Jackson Michigan)
    • Directors
      • Melvin Frank
      • Norman Panama
    • Writers
      • Norman Panama
      • Melvin Frank
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    The throne of rightful King of England, the small baby with the purple pimpernel birthmark, has been usurped by the evil King Roderick I (Cecil Parker). Only the Black Fox (Edward Ashley) can restore the true King to the throne - and all he needs is the King's key to a secret tunnel. And while he's trying to steal it, someone has to change the King's diapers. The task falls to Hubert Hawkins (Danny Kaye), the gentlest member of the Fox's band. The Fox's Lieutenant, Maid Jean (Glynis Johns), guards Hawkins and the baby while they travel, but when they meet the King's new jester on the road, they decide to initiate a daring plan for Hawkins to replace him, become an intimate at the court, and steal the key. So, humble Hawkins becomes Giacomo: the King of jesters and jester to the King. But things begin to get zany when the King's daughter falls for Giacomo, the King falls for Jean, people randomly sing what are supposed to be recognition codes, and a witch with very effective spells (and poison pellets) begins to interfere. —Kathy Li
    • little person
    • king
    • jester
    • key
    • birthmark
    • 76 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • The Musical Romantic Adventure Of This Or Any Year!
    • Genres
      • Adventure
      • Comedy
      • Family
      • Musical
    • Certificate
      • Approved
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Danny Kaye's daughter, Dena Kaye, said for the rest of his life, when people recognized Danny in a restaurant, they would walk up and spout the entire "brew that is true" speech.
    • Goofs
      When Hubert and Maid Jean are nearing King Roderick's castle, Sir Ravenhurst and Sir Locksley watch their arrival through telescopes, an invention of the 17th century.
    • Quotes

      Hawkins: I've got it! I've got it! The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle; the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true! Right?

      Griselda: Right. But there's been a change: they broke the chalice from the palace!

      Hawkins: They *broke* the chalice from the palace?

      Griselda: And replaced it with a flagon.

      Hawkins: A flagon...?

      Griselda: With the figure of a dragon.

      Hawkins: Flagon with a dragon.

      Griselda: Right.

      Hawkins: But did you put the pellet with the poison in the vessel with the pestle?

      Griselda: No! The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon! The vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true!

      Hawkins: The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon; the vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true.

      Griselda: Just remember that.

    • Crazy credits
      The opening credits are a musical number where Hawkins dances around the credits as they appear. This is also the manner of a medieval theatre where an actor serves as a prologue to introduce the story.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Dick Cavett Show: Danny Kaye (1971)
    • Soundtracks
      The Maladjusted Jester
      Written by Sylvia Fine

      Performed by Danny Kaye

    User reviews132

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    More Than Classic Satire; Perhaps Kaye's Best; a Perennial Favorite
    If this satire of the Middle Ages and hereditary monarchs is not the most hilarious film ever made, in most viewers' books it stands right next to their favorite. The inspired casting of Danny Kaye as a performer who wants to be a patriotic fighter, gorgeous Glynis Johns as his stern captain, Angela Lansbury as a love-prone princess, Cecil Parker as her lascivious and bumbling evil father (a usurper of course), Basil Rathbone and Michael Pate as his co-conspirators and Robert Middleton and Mildred Natwick as roadblocks to the restoring of a baby as the rightful king of the realm guaranteed a film filled with well-acted fun. The script and direction of this colorful, vivid and side-splitting film were delivered by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank. Mention should also be made of the gorgeous Edith Head costumes, the art direction, sets makeup, hairstyling and blocking and the songs by Sylvia Fine, Sammy Cahn and others. Other stalwarts in the cast who do very well also include Alan Napier, Herbert Rudley, Noel Drayton, Edwin Astley as The Black Fox (Kaye's boss), John Carradine and more. Millions to this day are still laughing about: the "An Unemployed Jester" song; the switches from hypnotized bumbler to dashing super-swordsman that afflict Kaye in the course of his penetration of the royal stronghold; the classic duel Kaye fights with with the Gruesome Griswold (Middleton); the switching of poisoned drinks that occurs just before the duel with everyone repeating "The poison is in the vessel with the pestle, etc."; and the high-speed knighting of Kaye that precedes both these scenes. The climax of the film features a battle between midgets and foresters doing combats against the usurper's misguided loyalists, and Kaye's exhibiting the royal birthmark on the baby king's bottom to prove his right to lie on the throne. What ends with a song called "Life Couldn't Possibly Better Be" and begins with "You'll Never Outfox the Fox" has by that scene traversed areas of hilarity few have ever ventured upon, or even dreamed to reach. A key to the film lies in the comedic use of Mildred Natwick as a spell-casting Svengali exercising power over the Princess (lansbury) who is besotted with the idea of romantic love; half the goings on are due to her machinations that complicate an already astonishing situation. The rest is made possible by Kaye's impersonating the jester Giacomo (Carradine) who has been sent for by the bad men to do in the opposition. The colors are gorgeous in this film, the acting far above average, and Kaye is at his absolute best whether doing faked accents, signing a lullaby to the boy king or proving that courage is not a matter of muscles at all. This is a movie to fetch out of the vault on any holiday, or for any other excuse. With a bit more care at cutting down Sylvia Fine's vaudeville- type material for Kaye, the movie might have been as appreciated when it was first released as it is now.
    helpful•32
    2
    • silverscreen888
    • Jun 17, 2005

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 27, 1956 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Dvorska luda
    • Filming locations
      • Palos Verdes, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Dena Enterprises
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $4,000,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 41 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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