The Court Jester

The Court Jester (1956) is a musical comedy film directed by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, and produced by Paramount Pictures. The film stars Danny Kaye as Hubert Hawkins, a minstrel who infiltrates the court of the evil King Roderick (Cecil Parker) by pretending to be a jester. Glynis Johns plays Maid Jean, a rebel captain and Hawkins' love interest. The film also features Basil Rathbone as Lord Ravenhurst, Angela Lansbury as Princess Gwendolyn, and Mildred Natwick as Griselda, a witch and adviser to Gwendolyn. The film's plot revolves around King Roderick's attempt to usurp the throne of England and marry his daughter to Sir Griswold of MacElwain (Robert Middleton). The Black Fox (Edward Ashley), a rebel leader, and his band of rebels rescue the true king, an infant with a distinctive birthmark, and guard him against Roderick's men. Meanwhile, Hawkins sneaks into the castle as a jester to gather information for the rebels but finds himself hypnotized by a sorceress and caught up in royal chaos. The film features a range of musical numbers, dance routines, and comedic performances from Danny Kaye, including a memorable rendition of "The Maladjusted Jester." The film was well-received by critics and audiences at the time of its release for its lighthearted and entertaining take on the medieval adventure genre. It has since become a classic of its era and remains a beloved comedy film among fans of Danny Kaye's work.

You can stream The Court Jester on: Apple TV

Some movies that have similar genres and were produced around the same time as The Court Jester include Colossus and the Amazon Queen, Wild Women, Around the World in Eighty Days, Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy, The Pickwick Papers, The Wild Women of Wongo.