There are certain performers from the Golden Age of Hollywood who modern audiences do not appreciate as much as they should because many of their most notable contributions have been forgotten. If you ask the average person about Danny Kaye, there is a decent chance you will hear about White Christmas, if you hear about anything at all. While that film holds a sentimental place in the hearts of many, there are numerous roles that better represent the amazing talent he possessed. One of his all-time great features is the 1955 musical adventure-comedy The Court Jester from Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, who just so happened to have also written White Christmas. The film was the most expensive comedy film ever produced upon its release, and it completely crashed at the box office. The showing was abysmal, but it did not completely fade into obscurity. Those who saw it loved it, and it became something of an audience favorite thanks to television airings and renewed critical evaluations. This all comes full circle as Paramount has given this title the new life it deserves as one of the comedy jewels of its library.
The Court Jester is a very clever send-up of the swashbuckling historical epics of yore, but there is a level of care put into this production to make it an immaculate facsimile of the real thing. The stakes of the film are not too unfamiliar; in medieval England the royal throne has been usurped by the self-proclaimed King Roderick (Cecil Parker, The Lady Vanishes) after unceremoniously sending Lord Ravenhurst (Basil Rathbone, The Adventures of Robin Hood) to dispatch of the rightful king and his family. The only claim to this previous, legitimate regime is an infant with the royal “purple pimpernel” birthmark on his bum, which signifies his family lineage. This important little fellow is being safe guarded by a fearless group of rebels led by the legendary Black Fox. Not quite as fearless but aspiring to be is the group minstrel, Hubert Hawkins (Danny Kaye), who is tasked with whisking the baby to safety with fellow rebel Maid Jean (Glynis Johns, Mary Poppins) upon the discovery of their hideout. The plan is to disguise themselves as wine merchants until they meet the king’s newly hired jester, Giacomo, on the road, at which point they Jean urges Hawkins to steal his identity and infiltrate the castle.
The plot of the film is honestly stronger and more intricate than it has any right to be. Most audiences would probably be delighted just to see Kaye get into humorous predicaments in a medieval setting for two hours, but the creative team ensured this was a narrative that could stand on its own even without the songs and jokes. But Kaye certainly does get to show off every different facet of what makes him such a great performer. An early disguise as an old man offers broad character laughs, whereas he gets to show off his nimble way with words in a tongue-twister of a phrase that could spell his doom near the end of the film. The physical comedy is drop-dead funny without being outlandish, such as when a witch, Griselda (Mildred Natwick), hypnotizes Hawkins to change his personality upon hearing the snapping of fingers. Fans of his vocal talents will not be disappointed, as there are multiple points throughout the film for him to show off his knack for singing and dancing. An energetic number in the forest where he is impersonating The Black Fox will leave you with a slight buzzing in your bones.
Kaye is working on a level that few comedic performers are able to tap into, and the remainder of the ensemble matches him at every turn. Glynis Johns is a formidable presence with more agency for her character than many females at this time. She also has a lovely chemistry with Kaye that offers brief, tender moments between the comedy and action bits. As a side note, it was not until this film that I realized I had a slight crush on the mom from Mary Poppins. Basil Rathbone expertly uses his persona from his time in Robin Hood to bring an extra layer of credibility to the proceedings. A young Angela Lansbury (The Reluctant Debutante) is stellar as the princess who believes the jester to be her fated lover. This movie is working to blend together so many disparate elements, and it surprisingly works incredibly well. Even the big action set piece that concludes the film delivers more thrills than some straightforward adventure films I have seen from the period. Despite the pedigree, the film was not my most anticipated prior to digging into it, but now I find myself believing it to be one of the most satisfying comedies of the era. Every aspect of this film brings about so much joy that you should skip this film at your own peril.
Video Quality
Paramount Home Entertainment presents The Court Jester with a glorious new 1080p master transfer sourced from a 6K scan of the original Technicolor negative. For my money, this Paramount Presents line has been one of the most consistently strong on the market after an initial botched presentation of To Catch A Thief. The Court Jester ranks among one of the strongest presentations I have ever seen for a classic film short of a 4K UHD. The film features some miraculous colors within the costumes and settings that pop off the screen with a vibrant intensity. The black levels are incredibly deep with a pleasing stability throughout. The level of detail and clarity is stunning with the appropriate amount of natural film grain intact. The film appears to be entirely free of dirt and damage, which makes the feature feel like it could have been made yesterday. There does not appear to be any jarring digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such nuisances. This presentation is an award-worthy effort from the team at Paramount.
Audio Quality
Paramount has delivered via DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio presentation that is quite pleasing. While singing is an essential part of the film, normal hilarious dialogue comes through clearly from beginning to end. When it does come to the music, the track is in rare form with its handling of the different core elements. The track balances vocals with the environmental sounds with magnificent clarity. There are a few odd moments where the track appears a bit crunchy, but it is not a consistent issue. A very mild underlying hiss is also noticeable for those who listen close enough. Despite this, Paramount has provided a top-notch audio presentation that presents the film quite capably. The disc also comes with optional English (SDH) subtitles.
Special Features
- Filmmaker Focus – Leonard Maltin on The Court Jester: A seven-minute featurette in which the famous film critic Maltin gives a very informative overview in which he lays out the careers of the creatives, discusses the look of the film, delves into mixing of genres, the musical numbers and more. This is pretty comprehensive despite its brevity.
- Theatrical Trailer: A two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided here which sells the spectacle of the story and all of the talent on screen.
Final Thoughts
For my money, The Court Jester is one of the most impressive classic comedy-adventure films that I have ever seen. Laugh out loud moments are plentiful, and the sheer level of spectacle on screen is awe-inspiring at times. Danny Kaye gets to showcase all of the different facets of his talents, but Glynis Johns gives him a run for his money in a strong supporting role. This new Blu-Ray release from Paramount offers up one of the strongest A/V presentations for a classic film that I have seen along with a couple of special features. Any movie lover worth their salt should consider this release an essential part of their collection. Highly Recommended
Paramount Presents The Court Jester is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
