Glynnis Johns looks absolutely fantastic in this movie, a beauty to match Elizabeth Taylor's and that voice! Then I recently saw the Sundowners (made 4 years later) and Mary Poppins (made 8 years later) and she looks absolutely awful like she gained about 30 pounds and aged about 20 years. Anyone know why?
shareNo, I don't know. I just saw "Court Jester" on TCM this morning and enjoyed it so much. She looked fabulous in that film and also in some 40s British films. Still, despite aging, she could deliver in her later movies. I was glad to see her most recently in "While You Were Sleeping."
Another question to ask is why wasn't Angela Lansbury used more effectively in Hollywood of the 50s.
Angela Lansbury has always been an actress, and like so many others such as Anne Bancroft, Hollywood never knew what to do with her. I thought she should have won an Oscar for The Manchurian Candidate, but she was up against Patty Duke. She deserves an honorary Oscar.
shareI am an old fan of Glynnis Johns. I think she is a very solid, lovely, accomplished actor. I love her voice! One movie I was very impressed with is called "No Highway in the Sky", which is shown occasionally on TCM. She and Jimmy Stewart was just SO GOOD in this movie!!! Wonderful movie, if you have not seen it, please do. As to what happened to her, the latest project I see her listed on is from 1999, called "Superstar" with Molly Shannon and Will Ferrell. She played Grandma Gallagher. She was born in 1923, so she is in her mid-80's.
shareGlynis Johns played Shelley Long's mother in an episode of Cheers.
shareWell, the Court Jester was said to be the most expensive comedy movie of all time in 1956. Judging by the subsequent ballooning of Glynis Johns and Angela Lansbury, I'd say most of the budget must have gone to the caterer.
shareActually it was so expensive because there were a ton of retakes, as Kaye was a perfectionist. There was another reason it took so long to film: everybody kept breaking up laughing while they were filming it. Angela Lansbury says they couldn't STOP laughing, making it difficult to get a decent take. Basil Rathbone said he was CONVULSED in laughter during that wild swordfight at the end.
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That is good to know. Thank you for sharing that.
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