The Court Jester
Paramount

March 30th, 1999

Rating: 4.8 / 5.0 (237 votes)

Released: 1999-03-30

Buying Choices

7 new from $110.56

11 used from $61.98

(as of 2013-01-06 02:36:58 PST)

The Court Jester by Paramount

No valid json found

Movie Details
Studio Paramount	Runtime 101	Rated NR (Not Rated)	Binding DVD

Check All Offers

Add to Wish List

Customer Reviews

Trade-In List

Description

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

Actors

Danny Kaye
Glynis Johns
Basil Rathbone
Angela Lansbury
Cecil Parker

Format

Anamorphic
Closed-captioned
Color
Widescreen
NTSC

Editorial Review

Danny Kaye spoofs Robin Hood and Scaramouche in this inventive slapstick swashbuckler. Portraying the clownish but good-hearted entertainer Hawkins, he infiltrates the court of the corrupt Basil Rathbone (up to his usual brand of cruel villainy) disguised as the legendary king of jesters, Giacomo. After a court sorceress hypnotizes Hawkins into believing he is also a legendary assassin, Hawkins has more identities than he can keep straight, and Kaye zips back and forth between them at, literally, a snap of the fingers. Comic highlights include a wonderful sword fight with Rathbone in which he constantly switches identities, and the classic “chalice from the palace/vessel with pestle” wordplay as Hawkins plays “hide the poison” and forgets where it is. With comely Glynis Johns as his spy-in-arms love interest, Angela Lansbury as the scheming princess, and Mildred Natwick as the dotty spellcaster, this is Danny Kaye at his comic best. –Sean Axmaker