The Court Jester (Danny Kaye)

(Amazon UK link)

I can remember seeing and enjoying the classic film 'The Court Jester' on television when I was a teenager. I had always enjoyed records featuring Danny Kaye's songs, and thought this film - with the famous 'Chalice from the Palace' scenes being most memorable - very amusing.

So I was delighted when I learned that it had finally been released (and digitally remastered to improve the quality) on DVD. It went on my wishlist, and I received it for my birthday.

Although it's not really my husband's kind of film, we had relatives staying who wanted to see it, also remembering it fondly from previous years. So we saw it last night.

The story features Danny Kaye as a naive young man, employed to be a court jester, despite not actually being very good at jestering. It's part of a complex plot to undermine the evil ruler who has usurped the true king. The real king is a baby, and is in the jester's care..

The plot is remarkably complicated. I'm not sure I ever fully untangled it in my mind, either as a teenager or an adult. But it didn't really matter. Danny Kaye is brilliant in his comic timing, and the story moves rapidly, from situation to situation.

The confusion with the chalice was a lot more complex than I had remembered. I had forgotten the 'vessel with the pestle' and even the 'flagon with the dragon'. I never did quite remember which one held the 'brew that is true'. But it was cleverly done, and amusing. My other favourite recalled scene was when the process for knighting the jester is speeded up more and more rapidly. But that one went by so fast that I almost missed it. It wasn't quite as amusing as I had expected.

Other than Danny Kaye, the acting is a bit wooden in places. The plot is so ridiculous that it wouldn't really work for today's tastes. But I enjoyed it anyway, and hope to see it again in a few years.

Recommended if you like 1950s style silliness with a few songs thrown in.

Review copyright Sue's DVD Reviews