In this climactic swordfight between Danny Kaye and Basil Rathborne (sp?), adapted from "The Court Jester", bumbling Danny faces off against swashbuckle veteran Basil, recieving some timely magical assistance. Snap!
When my son was about 9 or 10 we watched this for the first time and he had to stop the player because he was laughing so hard he couldn't breathe. They don't make movies like this anymore and there will never be another Danny Kaye to make them.
We went to and tuned in to Danny Kay's movies, and Mom took me when he flew in to Will Roger's World Airport in OKC to speak for UNICEF support around 1971 I think. He could sure touch a heart, and dance like a prince.
I discovered this movie randomly on Turner Classic Movies when I was around 20. It's easily among the top 10 funniest movies ever made in my opinion. The whole thing with the hypnosis and the snapping, the word play, the hilarious mistaken identity plot. It's like a Shakespearean comedy written in modern times.
@@QuayNemSorr He was similar to Dick Van Dyke in this regard. Their near-identical build and physicality should be no surprise. Two of the best non-dancer dancers around.
I agree that Danny was a handsome fella -- and he had a very nice figure. Also quite an athlete, learning golf, fencing, ballet, and lord knows what else. His film work was too often underrated, and still is. This is an excellent film, and he is terrific in it.
Danny does look pretty thin. He's alright looking to me but not super handsome. He was a good comedian & not a bad singer. I recently saw him in "Inspector General" he is also in "White Christmas."
remember, the studios had their actors take a LOT of lessons, riding, dancing, fencing, boxing, sailing etc. it was their job to make it look as realistic as possible.
Seems Danny Kaye could do a little or a lot of just about everything. Superb comedian. Nimble. No Astaire but a very good dancer. Passable singer. Super fast learner.
The part with the candles & the name of Kaye's character along with the hero's dual personality [The Fox... ...in Spanish El Zorro] pays homage to the previous Rathbone/Tyrone Power classic.
Basil was champion swordman and taught Danny. Danny practiced hard and got so good that Basil said himself if they got in a real sword fight Danny could take him(before this Danny never knew how to use a sword)
Loved this movie "The Court Jester" with the great Danny Kaye, Angela Lansbury, Basil Rathbone and all star cast. I never laughed so hard until they then did the scene with "The Brew that is True!" I hope we have movies in heaven, this one is a must watch over and over again.
The Legendary Rathbone was a self described ham who happened to be a great athlete and movie swordsman. He held his own in a high energy comedy. Great show. He could do anything.
@@RToni It's all acting. Kaye had no fencing experience, his skills as a physical comedian just meant that he was very, very good at selling a choreographed fight. Rathbone did have trouble keeping up with Kaye's pace due to his age, apparently, but the fear is all acting.
There’s another scene earlier where people keep snapping their fingers and snapping him in and out of the hypnosis he is under and it’s absolutely hilarious. My dad showed me this movie when I was maybe 8 or 9 and it’s still one of my favourites 20 years on.
Danny Kaye was/is the man! From doofus to dashing with a snap of the fingers? That takes skills! I always crack up at the 3:48 mark..to fence that poorly one actually has to be a pretty good fencer.
Another interesting note is that Rathbone was 63 when appearing in "The Court Jester," I imagine the director had to cut several times during this scene so that Rathbone didn't over exert himself.
The truth is that both men needed accommodation: much of Kaye's scenes had to be doubled for his own safety, despite how much hard work and progress he put into the film. So while Rathbone claims that Kaye could "completely outfight" him after a month's training, some suspect that he misremembered a little.
A saw in interview with someone involved who said that Danny had practiced one of the sword bits with his trainer so long that the two could do the cut and parry incredibly fast. Together they were so much faster than Danny and Basil that the director decided to film Danny and his coach, with the coach dressed as Basil. I wish I could remember the source of that anecdote.
Since first seeing this movie about five years ago, I need to watch this fight scene at least once every couple of months. Unbelievably funny. Love Danny Kaye.
"And now, Ravenhurst, you rat catcher", at 2:59, is a reference to both Shakespeare and Rathbone. In the 1936 'Romeo and Juliet', Rathbone is Tybalt to Jack Barrymore's Mercutio. "Tybalt, you rat catcher" is the challenge Mercutio hurls at Tybalt that leads to Mercutio's death. Rathbone was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but lost to Walter Brennan for 'Come and Get It'. The Shakespeare reference, Act 3 Scene 1, is to the Reynard the Fox fable in which Tybalt is the King of Cats.
mzytryck Reports are he really struggled to keep up filming this scene because Danny Kaye got really fast. Basil was an Olympic fencer at one point in his life but they say Danny (with no fencing experience) learned the art of fencing so quickly it was freakishly scary.
Basil Rathbone was an international level competitive fencer. He commented that Danny Kaye had an astonishing level of natural ability and had he chosen to study fencing seriously he would probably have been an Olympic champion.
Yall need to hear the Danny Kaye interview with Dick Cavett 1971. Danny had a fencing instructor. He had never fenced before. Basil Rathbone was one of the two best perhaps the best in the world yet for a scene or two there was a double. Anyone whom has worked in theater or Film, however knows that these scenes are choreographed like a dance. They have to be or the camera would miss soo much or the actors would be hurt.
This fight hilariously parodied some of Rathbone's earlier fights. The candle bit was a play on Rathbone's scene in The Mark of Zorro and Kaye is lampooning John Barrymore in the line, "Ravenhurst, you ratcatcher" even rolling his rs like the great profe as Mercutio against Rathbone's Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet! Priceless!!
We went to and tuned in to Danny Kay's movies, and Mom took me when he flew in to Will Roger's World Airport in OKC to speak for UNICEF support around 1971 I think. He could sure touch a heart, and dance like a prince.
@@michaeloconnor5904 - Fencing takes time to learn. Even in the heyday of costume drama, few actors knew how. It's also dangerous, even with blunt swords. The actors can practice the choreography endlessly, but all it takes is for one to mis-time or forget a move to injure or cripple the other. Most modern sword-fights in movies are staged to look exciting rather than realistic. That allows the actors playing Big Hero and Big Bad to look good while not getting hurt, keeps audience interest, and causes genuine fencers and historical recreators to bang their heads against walls. (And sometimes there's soooo much spinning.)
Honestly, a fencing match I would have loved to see, would be Basil Rathbone vs. Christopher Lee, in their primes. Both men were Olympic class fencers in their time(part of the reason, I think, why Count Dooku's lightsaber style was less Kendo, like most everyone else's, and more like actual saber fencing.). That's a match I would've payed good money to see.
Jack Benny was a friend of Kaye's. And as a joke, Kaye somehow contrived to pick up Benny at the London Airport as a driver in disguise. And Kaye then proceeded to get lost and make excuses in a horrible Cockney accent while Benny, worried about being late, became more and more agitated. Up until Kaye revealed himself and Benny just bust out laughing.
This is one of my favorite movie swordfights, along with the one from "The Princess Bride". Interestingly, Basil Rathbone was one of the greatest fencers in the world in his prime. Danny Kaye, however, despite having no fencing experience prior to this film, was such a gifted mimic that after only three weeks of training at fencing he was the better fencer, according to Rathbone himself!
To be fair -- and no offense to Danny, who definitely learned fast and learned well -- Basil was 63 at the time, and hardly in his best shape . . . Plus, movie magic and some complimentary lies for promotion of the flick and all didn't hurt; but the simple truth is that Basil was the best of his generation, and could've skewered pretty much all of Hollywood with a rapier and some proper motivation.
In truth, Rathbone either misrembered or was being kind. Due to ill health, he wasn't even available for a lot of the rehearsals and was heavily doubled. A similar story comes from The Mark of Zorro with Tyrone Power. He praised Power's natural talent for fencing when in reality, Power was unsuited to it and HEAVILY doubled by the choreographer's son! It is true that Rathbone was a great fencer though. Even so, we cannot forget Cornell Wilde who dropped out of the Olympics because he lacked funding.
Rathbone said, at one time, that Kaye was athletic but had no real training and fought erratically. He said he was never in more fear of his life in a fencing duel than when he was shooting these scenes. LOL
The hidden story behind this scene is that Danny Kaye was a very, very capable and talented fencer - equal or near-equal of Rathbone - who was renowned for his skill and often cast around it. Kaye didn't have that reputation, but the sword choreographer for this movie described him as possibly the best natural fencer the choreographer had ever seen. Rathbone, on the other hand, was getting old and slowing down; he was 64 when this scene was recorded, and the movie was his last swashbuckler.
Danny Kaye was a wonderful actor and performer who has never really been recognized for his work. I enjoyed watching his films when I was young and it's sad that they have fallen by the wayside, but creators like yourself have not forgotten.
I was just thinking about it, and I can't think of another movie that had a running gag like the snapping in and out of hypnosis here that was both so hilarious and integral to the plot. This movie is just super well written in general though
Just because someone like you goes to the trouble to share up this clip for everyone like you did, someone like me who's off on a tangent and this scene, movie, Danny Kay, those times, come to mind can find it here to see, remember it and more, and enjoy it all. Sire. You make it a "snap"!... Oop! Awk! (Tumbles over a stool) That is: Thank you very much.
Genial Kaye...Era chica cuando mis padres me llevaron a ver esta magnífica película. A su tiempo y con videocasete razones la compartí con mis hijos. Pasaron más d 5 décadas y...aún hoy cuando tenemos dudas sobre algún tema...siempre terminamos diciendo; el copón con la mansion o la copa con el dragon????😂
When we watched this film as children, when Danny Kaye says “you Rat Catcher” we thought it was so hilarious! Basil Rathbone was a Master swordsman. Danny Kaye does not in any reality, as good as Rathbone. Check out the sword scene from Zoro. You can see Rathbone’s strength, balance, and mastery with the sword. Tyrone Power and Errol Flynn were students of Rathbone. He taught many students and people in show business. What a stunning and great man Basil Rathbone was. So unique and never to be seen again.
Hawkins’ knows his Shakespeare in this scene I see. It took me the longest time to realize that when Mercutio called Tybalt a “rat catcher” he was calling him a “pussy.”
He had a long career playing villains. And he was good enough to make losing to a crappy fencer look plausible. (Consensus was that, in a non-scripted fight, he'd make short work of every other fencer in Hollywood.)
Rathbone was an Olympic class swordsman who was invariably required to lose practically every duel he fought on the screen. He once told a journalist (perhaps tongue in cheek) that he was brassed off with teaching heroes etc how to use the swords and then was beaten. In this movie which apart from its nods to serious swashbuckling films it is a joy to watch him, 63 years old ans as lithe as ever against Danny Kaye who was also accomplished with the blade. Rathbone invariably enjoyed spoofing such things apart from his more serious dramatic roles.
Can't say I know many other movies where the villain gets literally catapulted into the ocean. They just drowned him and moved on😭😭💀and ever since I noticed it's a pretty obvious dummy in the ocean part I laugh so hard
I've read most of the comments and you guys are right and here's my concern actors don't care anymore as long as they make money and special-effects unfortunately or what makes a movie now it is very poor of Hollywood because there are we using their special-effects not the true being at the actor or actress it is sad to know that we will never see movies like this again? I am very sad
Not many modern actors are trained fencers. They know which end of the weapon to hold, and that's it. Even if the fight choreographers spend weeks teaching a duel, the whole thing can be undone by circumstances so that the fight we see is edited together from improvised bits and pieces. Show this to someone used to modern swordfight scenes and they'll be bored because there's no spinning, parkour, or blade-twirling.
Thank you! I’ve been in search of the fight choreographer’s name for some time, but it yielded nothing as Ralph isn’t credited on the IMDb page for the film (last time I looked), nor is he on the wiki. Had me thinking maybe Bob Anderson for a bit, but no. Thanks again for finally bestowing a long sought answer! 😅
@@autumn_equinox glad I could help. When I started fencing at Falkkner's Falcon Studios. He had just finished 'The Court Jester". He told me many details about that scene.
@@sirsidfosse1313 You attended in the mid ‘50s then? You sound absolutely fascinating! I would love to hear any and all stories that you’d care to impart :)
@@sirsidfosse1313 I’m back from doing just that, I have like ten tabs open, and I’ll be doing more research of course (even though I should be working ahh). Thank you, sir :) I appreciate your answering me. Sounds like it must’ve been some good craic, I would love to know what it was like. Again, only if you’d like to share (the ‘details’ he told you about this film’s production ?). I’d love to hear any anecdotes, but of course only if you’re comfortable talking with a total stranger on the internet on a public platform 🤷🏼♀️ I’ve studied dance for over 20+ years and performed in theatrical productions involving fight choreo (so I’ve dipped my toe in it just a bit) and I always think of fighting/stage combat, especially anything involving a blade, as “dangerous dancing.” It was SO much fun! Can’t wait for another opportunity to pretend to skewer someone, or get skewered myself 😂
The Look away blade engagement @2:44-2:47 is utterly remarkable. Considering now, I only see it done on Pool tables in movies with a Look away trick shot. Tom Cruise "Color of Money". Ben Affleck"Dazed and Confused."
Fun Fact: The reason you never see Danny Kaye and Basil Rathbone's faces on screen at once, is because Danny only knew how to stage fight, and Rathbone only knew how to actually fence, and the other couldn't learn the other's style to save their life.
