The Court Jester

If there’s any completely realized and executed masterpiece in Danny Kaye’s filmography it is 1956’s The Court Jester. Not only is it a goof on the Errol Flynn medieval swashbucklers but it maintains a perfect balance of the songs, narrative, comedic bits, and characters to build something spectacular. The Court Jester is just a smart, fun blast from beginning to end.

The gag here is that Kaye’s bumbling rebel is involved in a web of intrigue and political maneuvering. Seemingly every single person in the king’s court has some secret motivation and they all think Kaye is the spy working for their side. You can see the pieces of Robin Hood, fairy tale maidens, and tropes sprinkled throughout and played for broad laughs. It all works in concert and the references are smart.

It helps that reliable players like Basil Rathbone (Sir Guy to Flynn’s Robin Hood), Mildred Natwick (Flynn’s costar in Against All Flags), Glynis Johns, and Angela Lansbury provide color to the proceedings. Johns is the captain of the Black Fox’s forces, basically this film’s spoof of Robin Hood and the Merry Men, while Lansbury is the princess who dreams of a gallant suitor and happily ever after. These two engage in comic flirtations with Kaye and provide some hilarious bits of tongue-twisting jokes.

There’s also the sight of Kaye’s hapless jester getting lost in a sea of knights moving in lockstep and elaborate geometric patterns. While Kaye never breaks character here, this does provide him with a launchpad to pull faces and go manic. If the older films said “narrative and structure be damned” then The Court Jester is a clear signal that the building blocks laid down by Walter Mitty have built gorgeous architecture.

It's nearly impossible to run through all the peaks of The Court Jester as it is expertly done. I mean, I haven’t even talked about “the pellet with the poison” bit, which is justifiably famous, or the joust or the ending that lampoons birthright monarchy by installing an infant on the throne. Hell, this film jettisons Rathbone by launching him into the sea with a catapult. Now that’s comedy, right there.

I suppose your mileage may vary depending on how you respond to Kaye. But I found The Court Jester an instant charmer from the time of “Outfox the Fox” and continued to be charmed until the very end when he revealed the infant’s birthmark and everyone in the court bowed down to their rightful king. There’s just something magical, whimsical, and lovable about this loony little movie.