El yanqui cortesano

My unintentional boycott of Bing Crosby films must end. I have no idea, being a fan of classic cinema, how this was my first experience with the actor/singer. Tay Garnett's interpretation of Mark Twain's book of the same name, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court proves that musicals can be fun, endearing, and serious, all at the same time. By the end of the movie I was feverishly searching Bing Crosby's filmography to see what other works of his I can check out!

A simple mechanic living in Connecticut in the year 1912, Hank Martin (Bing Crosby), takes a bump to the head on a stormy night, waking to find himself in 528 A.D. adapting well to his new surroundings, Hank shows his new counterparts technology and gently gives them hints about the future. He soon finds himself befriending those closest to King Arthur (Cedric Hardwicke), including most notably his favorite niece, Alisande La Carteloise (Rhonda Fleming). He quickly falls for the beautiful woman he nicknames Sandy, stepping on the toes of Sir Lancelot ( Henry Wilcoxon) whom she has been promised to. Learning that Sandy doesn't love Sir Lancelot, Hank goes about giving her glimpses of the world in which he comes from, and pushing her to only marry out of love. Trying to convince King Arthur to better learn what the lives of his subjects are like, he fashions an incognito trip for them in plain clothes. Disaster ensues when Merlin, (Murvyn Vye) sees the King's absence as a chance to overtake the thrown. If there's one thing we know about Hank though, it's that he is just resourceful enough to get out of any situation.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court was a fun look into the novel of Mark Twain, told largely through music. Bing Crosby brought the picture to life for me, and any fans of his must see this film! I found the film well-acted and touching. The film was a great story of the everyman type that succeeds. The film looked beautiful in all of its Technicolor glory. I will definitely be checking into more Bing Crosby films!

My youngest sister and I have a tradition of watching old movies that are set in older times. "Jason and the Argonauts" was classic; she's young enough to get scared by the realistic effects of present day, so the special effects in these movies just makes her--and I--laugh. But this movie was different. It was low on the special effects, which 86ed our tradition, but we had fun watching it all the same. It was enjoyable and funny, with an easy plot to follow (which always helps when one watches a movie with a seven-year-old).

If you want my advice, watch it. You'll be entertained, even if the same idea was copied 10,000 times.

"A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" has become my favorite movie of all time because it is a movie that has it all and works at a level where you feel relaxed and happy the whole time you're watching it. Most movies nowadays try to involve multiple elements in their plots but none of them come close to what "Connecticut Yankee" accomplishes. It has action, it has romance, it has good comedy, it has fantasy, it has intrigue, it has music and all of them weave into each other well. Extraordinarily well to the point where it becomes a joy to watch.

Of course, modern audiences might shrug off this movie as just another piece of fuddy old Bing Crosby fluff, which it is, in the sense that Bing seems to have absolute control over every situation and basically plays himself in a light-hearted movie. It's not deep, but sometimes that's not what we look for when we watch movies. This is a good "sit down with a loved one and a bowl of popcorn and just enjoy yourselves" film, one of the best in my opinion. Ok, the garish technicolor does get annoying, but it's the only downside to a great great film. Enrich your life! Please see this film!

It is fortunate that this musical doesn't have too many songs, because they are generally quite forgettable if not outright boring.

Visually, however, this is a great Technicolor film full of interesting views and almost but not quite campy colors. I ignored the music and enjoyed the film for its visual gaiety and its take on the plot.

There are many films based on Mark Twain's novel, and a general feature is that they replace Twain's original framing in late 19th century Connecticut by a different one more suitable for film. The present film stays close to the original framing but develops it further and in a different direction:

Hank, the Connecticut Yankee, is a blacksmith like in the novel. He arrives as a tourist at Pendragon Castle rather than Warwick Castle. Unlike in the real world, Pendragon Castle is in good condition and has preserved a lot of artifacts from King Arthur's court, which of course in the novel and this film is real 6th century history rather than fictional. Hank disturbs a guided tour by knowing too much, then meets the castle's owner and tells him, rather than Mark Twain, his story.

Since Hank is played by Bing Crosby, he is smooth and polished, quite unlike the electrician Hank in the early talkie A Connecticut Yankee (1931), who was played by Will Rogers. Also, he doesn't modernize Arthurian Britain so much as he uses a few modern inventions or practices for his own advantage. As a result, this is little more than another knight and sword film, though with a few nice twists and the time travel framing.

Overall, this is a nice family film but nothing special. If they hadn't made it a musical and had cast a comic or character actor for Hank, this could easily have been a 7, perhaps even an 8.

I watched this merry movie the other day and enjoyed it

immensely, even though it was about the hundreth time I'd seen it.

It's a wonderful 'family' movie, in that it isn't offensive or overlong-

it's fun. My favourite part has to be the song "busy doing nothing", sung by

the unlikely trio of Bing Crosby, Cedric Hardwicke and William

Bendix (the first and last time they ever sang together!). There are nice touches all the way through, including the 'echoes'

every time king Arthur requests something: "MORE HOT WATER! . . . more hot water. . ." Or "CLOSE THE DOOR! . . .close the door. . ."

to which Murvyn Vye's Merlin replies, "the door closeth sire." While we are on the subject of Merlin, I'm surprised that with a

voice like his he didn't appear in more of Hollywood's costumers.

I've only ever seen him in one other film, and that was 'Green Fire'

(1955). Of course, I have to mention William Bendix's portrayal of 'Saggy' or

sir Sagramore. He turns up in Bing Crosby's prison cell

shame-faced and apologetic for calling him (Crosby) a dragon and

says the following: Saggy: If only there were ought we could do. Crosby: Well, ain't there ought? Saggy: Nought. Whoever heard of a knight of the round table with a thick Brooklyn

accent?! I usually detest musicals but this, along with 'White Christmas', is

an exception. The duet between Rhonda Fleming and Bing Crosby

('Once and for always') is brilliant. It's hilarious when he says she's

pretty, to which she replies enthusiatically, "oh, thou art pretty too

sire!" and he, looking round apprehensively says, "no, say I'm cute

or something!"