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!

I am a huge fan of Will Rogers' movies--and that's why I bought myself a gift set of his films for Christmas. Well, I bought them and then told my wife this would make a great gift for me! Regardless, his films were almost always wonderful. I say ALMOST because his film "A Connecticut Yankee" was an awful mess of a film. You really have to see it to believe how bad the movie is--particularly at the end. However, I can report that at least the Bing Crosby version from 1949 is much, much better. While I wouldn't consider it a great film, it is a pleasant time-passer.

The film begins with Crosby visiting a castle in 1912 and meeting with the lord of the manor. He notices that the man looks very similar to King Arthur and so he regales the guy with a story--a story of how he somehow time traveled back to the time of King Arthur. What follows is filled with a bazillion anachronisms--though considering that Arthur is an entirely fictional character, I can put up with all the silliness. During the course of the story, Crosby's character falls in love with a woman--a woman he unfortunately left behind.

This film works mostly because Bing Crosby is very pleasant in the lead. He makes less sarcastic quips than Rogers did and sings a couple tunes in his easy-going manner. Not a film to rush to see, but very nice viewing.

"A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" is a film that has a little something for everyone, and that is what makes it a winner. It has the right blend of humor, action, intrigue, music, fantasy and charisma. One of the few total straight-to-finish feel good movies, "Yankee" is great for everyone in the family. And of all the films I have ever seen, this is my favorite. A pretty good recommendation, and I can't make it any stronger!

Bing Crosby plays a regular Joe who is mystically taken to the realm of Camelot. Basically he bums around and goes on adventures, bringing his 20th century wit and know-how along. He teams up with spectacular William Bendix's Sir Sagramore and falls for the beautiful Rhonda Fleming. Battles, music, evil plots and laughs ensue.

At times it seems a little too self-serving to Bing Crosby, but it's understandable and at times actually enjoyable. Bing has his run of Camelot, singing and bringing mirth to everyone. The technicolor is a little cheesy at parts, but by no means does it ruin anything. It doesn't matter what you're looking for, this movie has it; "Connecticut Yankee" is the perfect movie for when you're looking for something that takes its joviality seriously.

This movie is humorous, charming, and easily becomes a favorite for those who enjoy light entertainment. Hollywood is hardly the place for serious history lessons so I simply accept it as is. Bing, in his usual inimitable style, performs quite well as the blacksmith, Hank Martin, who by accident is transported back to another age, the time of King Arthur. The beautiful Rhonda Fleming is breathtaking as Alisande, or Sandy, the object of Hank's affections although she is betrothed to the brave and formidable Sir Lancelot, played by Henry Wilcoxon.

I just love that episode when King Arthur (Cedric Hardwicke), Sir Sagramore (Wm. Bendix), and Hank (Bing Crosby) dress up in tattered clothing and take to the high road with their knapsacks to experience the kingdom at firsthand. King Arthur's comment, "I say, we are not alone" while giving his scruffy garments a good scratch, is one of those hilarious moments in the film. William Bendix's portrayal is superbly ridiculous, not to mention his attempts at quaint "ye Olde English."

The story is not deep but it's well done in my opinion and I enjoy it more each time I see it. It's great family entertainment too.

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.