MovieChat Forums > The Court Jester (1956) Discussion > Forced Comedy

Forced Comedy

posted 19 years ago by alg11297
14 replies | jump to latest

I was never a Danny Kaye fan and after viewing this one on Sunday now I know why. The notes read this film cost $4 million to make, a staggering sum for a comedy back in 1956 and grossed half of that. It was considered a "flop". The comedy is so forced it's terrible. It looks like some ideas for a radio comedy show that didn't make the air. The vessel with the pessel which goes for for an interminally long time ends with the King saying "There will be no toast" at which point the two cups are just thrown out. Kaye's armor gets magnatized but it only seems to attract certain steel objects and not others. When Kaye is hypnotised by Mildred Natwick she seems to have him in a spell. However, apparently anyone can snap him into and out of the hypnotic state (including himsef)and it gives the characters an excuse to snap their fingers for any apparent reason.

I was also amazed at the color. Glynis John looks incredible short and so made up she appears to be a negro. Angela Landsbury has great lines like "If he dies, you die" about 5 times. Her hair is so blond it looks like the film was colored in.

This film did not influence anything. I seem to remember A Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court as a musical with Bing Crosby and various others.

In all.....a big waste.

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Zepheus 19 years ago

"Glynis John looks incredible short and so made up she appears to be a negro."

What does this even mean?!

[–] gribfritz2 13 years ago

It means she's not tall and wears a lot of makeup, like most black people. A new stereotype for me, but whatever. At least she wasn't acting all Jewish instead. You know, how those people are. All overweight with false eyelashes.

[–] Beau_Buffet (342) 3 years ago

Oooooh, you're actually telling us that you are a stupid and ignorant person. Got it.

[–] eburt222 19 years ago

WHat was so terrible about this? Seriously, it was made in the 50's how much can you expect. Forced or not, my entire family laughed hysterically at this movie. It is a SLAPSTICK comedy! IT is supposed to be silly.

Your post pisses me off beyond belief. I can only assume that you are one of those film geeks who always sits by themselves criticizing every possible aspect of a movie. Yeah sure some of the parts may have been forced, like the snapping, it was forced so it would generate laughs which it did. And the magnetized armour, obviously if every steel thing were to stick to it, it wouldn't be as funny. That was one of my favorite parts.

AHH...you piss me off.

[–] blakduke 18 years ago

alg11297:

Really sir are you sure your not related to Siskel and Ebert. No movie, to them, was any good that did not have some type of hidden message. They could not enjoy a movie whose sole purpose was to entertain. This movie is classic beyond belief. It seems to me you should reviewing War and Peace or something like that.

[–] ordinarydomer 18 years ago

Folks, if you click to see what other posts alg has made, you will discover that he is a troll.

He only posts and replies on boards that say how awful movies are.

Don't give him the benefit of responses, as he will read them with his hand down his pants while he moans.

Teacher: Yakko, can you congugate?
Yakko: Oh, me? I've never even kissed a girl.

[–] danielhegder 18 years ago

"A negro".

Dude, this is a serious 'WTF' moment. Straighten up.

[–] Shopnowandsave 18 years ago

You're wrong on all counts and are mistaken in everything you've said.
It's a very funny and witty movie.

"The King wore enough clothes for both of us." Mohandes Ghandi

[–] onepotato2 16 years ago

The film looks great. The sets are beautiful. The mattes that allow the castle to look like it's sitting over Pacific Coast cliffs are nice. I like the "Outfox the Fox" number. The film definitely cost money. But these characters have nothing to do.

And I'm with Alg. the comedy is very weak and forced. I can see why you might enjoy it with kids, but it's pretty poor for mature viewers.

It's not godawful. It doesn't make me cry out in pain, but... just as Alg describes, "the Chalice from palace" schtick isn't funny even once and just kills time until the chracters reject it, so they can move on.

- The finger-snapping gag
- Kaye acting like a putz
- 300 repetitions of "Get it?" "Got it!" "Good!"
This is not comedy gold.

[–] SinemaGirl 16 years ago

I was also amazed at the color. Glynis John looks incredible short and so made up she appears to be a negro.

So the color made her look short...?

That whole comment makes me think you might need a new tv set.