A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

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.

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.

I wouldn't call this an example of a great old classic, but as an adaptation of Mark Twain's story it's enjoyable enough. Bing Crosby brings a likable quality to the screen as "Sir Boss" (or Hank Martin) a Connecticut blacksmith in very early 20th century America who by some strange and unexplained phenomenon gets knocked cold after being thrown from a horse and awakens in King Arthur's England 1500 years earlier. Using marvels such as a magnifying glass and matches to start fires, he manages to convince the kingdom that he's a magnificent wizard even greater than Merlin (Murvyn Vye), which helps to save his life since he was originally going to be executed when discovered. Hank falls in love with "Sandy" (the king's niece, played by Rhonda Fleming) and has to do battle with Sir Lancelot (Henry Wilcoxon), to whom she was betrothed. Finally, Hank convinces Arthur (played by Sir Cecil Hardwicke) to disguise himself as a peasant and go out among his people to find out what they're really thinking about him and what their lives are like.

It's quite an innocent fantasy, really. There are some amusing moments, and the whole thing, of course, has quite an unbelievable air about it, as befits fantasy. Most obviously, even if one can accept the idea of travelling back 1500 years in time, one then has to figure out how a 20th century American can speak so easily to 6th century Britons, who haven't yet developed anything even close to the modern English language! But that's to think about this too much. One should simply suspend thought with this and just enjoy the fantasy.

Since the movie stars Bing Crosby, it is of course a musical adaptation of Twain's story, and that (ironically perhaps since you'd think it would be Crosby's strong suit) was to me the weakest element of the movie. I just wasn't that taken with the songs. They're weren't really memorable, and I would have simply preferred to watch the story without the musical interruptions. (5/10)

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 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.