“ The Court Jester” offers a generous amount of light-hearted, family friendly escapism that is a much needed respite from the current challenges of a pandemic-crippled world.īest extras: Viewers get a seven-minute take from film historian Leonard Malting who briefly discusses the filmmakers, the cast, the production design and his appreciation for the film. That translates into a vibrant, screen-busting presentation bursting with color that focused on the ridiculously extravagant sets of ornate castle structures, a throne room and forest brought to the screen by cinematographer Ray June and production designer Pariera.Įqually impressive with this immaculate restoration are the storybook style, period costuming by Head, an eight-time Academy Award winner, showcasing palace soldiers and the finely detailed outfits of Lansbury’s character Princess Gwendolyn. The result is an incredibly vibrant picture that faithfully captures the colors and textures of Edith Head’s sensational costumes and Hal Pariera’s sparkling art direction.
The Court Jester is available on Blu-Ray now from Paramount Presents.The musical numbers are forgettable but still fun especially the opening with Kaye dressed as a jester standing next to the opening credits as he sings commentary and breaks the fourth wall.Īlso fun is watching some of Rathbone’s famous sword-fighting prowess previously seen in his prime in “The Adventures of Robin Hood” and “The Mark of Zorro.”įor this fantastic restoration, artists scanned the original negative at 6K, and one of the “separation masters” was also scanned and recombined with the negative scans to fix color fading in the negative. The colors seem fuzzy on the poster art, but it’s nothing that should prevent fans from picking up this release. The packaging is a little underwhelming, in terms of the cardboard sleeve.
#The court jester black fox movie
It’s packed with information but it’s a shame Maltin couldn’t have had more time to discuss the movie in depth. Paramount’s new Blu-Ray comes with a short bonus feature from film critic, Leonard Maltin, where he provides some background on the cast and crew. Because a lot of the comedy in this film comes from repetition (whether it’s the repeated gag of seeing Hawkins go in and out of a trance or seeing how a knighthood is supposed to go before it’s Hawkins turn), the punchlines are often predictable, but that doesn’t make them any less funny. As promising as that sounds, though (and as much as it seems like a good sign that no one ever reacts when Hawkins tries to make out like Jean should be the one babysitting), there’s still a deflection towards traditional gender roles.Īngela Lansbury plays Princess Gwendolyn, who spends most of the movie trying to avoid an arranged marriage or threatening to kill her companion, Griselda ( Mildred Natwick). The same can be said of Maid Jean, who is first introduced as a captain in Black Fox’s band of outlaws. The Court Jester falls right in the middle and overrates how much Hawkins needs to be the romantic lead. In terms of Kaye’s career, his roles tend to range from really silly ( The Kid from Brooklyn) to more serious ( The Secret Life of Walter Mitty). Every character has their own agenda, and, like The Princess Bride, the film’s most successful gag involves wordplay, as Hawkins tries to remember which glass the poison is in but keeps forgetting the rhyme that’s supposed to help him.
From hypnotism to mistaken identities to music, The Court Jester has a little of everything and in many ways feels like a precursor to Robert Reiner’s The Princess Bride. Initially they’re supposed to be transporting the baby to safety but when an opportunity to disguise Hawkins as the court jester falls into their laps, they take it without hesitation.Īs much as their plan lacks preparation, it wouldn’t be a comedy without hijinks. Luckily, the rightful heir is a quiet baby because a lot of the scenes in this movie wouldn’t work if he made a noise, but considering he is so quiet, a lot still goes wrong for Hawkins ( Danny Kaye) and Maid Jean ( Glynis Johns).
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