|
Directed by: Norman Panama and Melvin Frank Starring: Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, Angela Lansbury I sat down and saw this movie a few nights ago for the first time since I was a wee little one, and have been humming and mugging with glee ever since. An older movie (1956,) I would definitely say this falls into the 'classic' category in a manner in which few films of any era do. This is the story of an ex-acrobat named Hubert Hawkins (played by the amazingly talented Danny Kaye) who hooks up with a band of Robin Hood-ish rebels who seek to dethrone the unlawful and oppresive King of England. King Roderick killed off the royal family and usurped the mantle of King but failed to kill the last heir to the throne, a baby who finds his way via oversized picnic baskets into the safe keeping of the rebels. In order to get into the heavily guarded castle the rebels send Hubert Hawkins and Maid Jean, disguised as a wine merchant and his charming daughter, to infiltrate the castle. However along the way a seemingly golden opportunity allows Hawkins and Maid Jean to mug Giacomo, a jester from the Italian court on his way to entertain at the royal castle and allow Hawkins to don his clothes and assume the mantle of the incomparable Giacomo, King of Jesters and Jester of Kings! Unbeknownst to Hubert Hawkins, Giacomo was in fact an assassin sent for by Sir Ravenhurst (the evil King's top advisor) to slay Ravenhurst's rivals and solidify his position in the royal court. Hilarity ensues. For a comedy, the plot is unusually intricate and well laid out. The acting is of good quality, especially from Danny Kaye, the dialogue is superb, and the humor is almost exclusively brilliant. Many scenes in this movie (the knighting of Hubert Hawkins, the duel between Sir Griswold and Sir Hawkins, the throneroom scene when the King keeps kicking Giacomo) could qualify for battling for the title of Funniest Scene In A Movie, Ever. I was blessed to have stumbled across this movie by accident, and will be adding it to my collection immediately. I fail to do it justice in my description; suffice it to say that this is one of the best comedies ever made. RATING: 5.0 PROS: Still a brilliantly written, devastatingly funny, enjoyable swishy old-school comedy. CONS: Starts a bit slow, characters and interaction are formulaic, some humor has aged a bit. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049096/
|
#
?
Jun 4, 2004 10:12
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 19, 2024 22:23 |
|
|
Holy cow, I thought I was the only one to have seen this. This is a truly brilliant comedy. The vessel with the pestle...
|
|
#
?
Jun 5, 2004 17:26
|
|
|
...has the brew that is true. One of the best films ever out of the Goldwyn Studios. And Danny Kaye's just perfect.
|
|
#
?
Jun 5, 2004 18:27
|
|