The original French and German dubs are offered in 2.0 Dolby Digital mono. Optional English, English SDH, German and French subtitles play in a white font. The complex banter and witty comedic dialogue are cleanly intelligible with no harsh edges. There are minor limitations that date the score’s fidelity but generally this is a solid recording from the 1950s. ![]() Danny Kaye’s strong singing voice is heard with rich timbre and effortless highs. The Court Jester’s musical scenes have a lively, full quality. The original mono audio is delivered with a ripe 2.0 DTS-HD MA soundtrack. Fine grain structure is tightly replicated with complete authenticity. ![]() The film transfer benefits immensely from the 6K image harvest, even in this 1080P presentation. The main feature averages 36 Mbps, an AVC encode with top-notch transparency. Technicolor in California handles all of Paramount’s authoring with superb specifications. Completely film-like with wonderful texture and detail, the exquisite cinematography projects depth and dimension. The colorful wardrobes explode in brilliant clarity with proper saturation and contrast. Deep and inky black levels maintain consistent perfection with tight shadow delineation. Bright, vivid colors light up the incandescent presentation. Made for the then-princely sum of $4 million, every dollar is up on the 1.78:1 screen. It is magnificent transfers like The Court Jester that remind me why I review home media. The picture quality is dazzling on Blu-ray and makes one dearly wish Paramount starts releasing their classics on UHD. Crisp with outstanding definition, it’s like stepping into the past. Receiving a 6K film transfer from the original VistaVision negative, extraordinary measures were enacted that fully restore its beautifully rich colors. Classic cinema lovers will fall in love with The Court Jester’s gorgeous celluloid eye candy once they see the results. Marking its first appearance in Hi-Def, Paramount has spared no expense for the 1956 movie’s restoration. Featuring a little bit of everything from romance to sword fighting, The Court Jester is a rare delight.Ĭalled by some the gold standard of 35mm filmmaking, The Court Jester was an epic VistaVision production shot by the talented Ray June. The trademark wordplay and slapstick goodness have stood the test of time thanks to Danny Kaye’s charismatic performance and an air-tight screenplay imbued with silly banter. It is one of the funniest movies ever made by Hollywood. The Court Jester remains a comedic delight with timeless laughs and effortless chemistry between the cast. Many Hollywood comedies from the same period have aged rather poorly. Capable of smoothly switching between romantic lead and comedic farce with the drop of a hat, it’s a wide-ranging role tailor-made for Kaye. He’s right at home playing the deprecating and friendly Hawkins. Originally a Broadway star, Danny Kaye was a multi-talented actor with impeccable timing and an excellent singing voice. An expensive movie for its day, the comedy feels like a gigantic stage musical with dazzling wardrobes and outrageous attention to detail. The Court Jester was a lavish production made with talented Hollywood filmmakers that had honed their craft during the 1940s. The swashbuckling aspect becomes more and more prominent as Hawkins is ensnared in the Royal Court’s high-stakes machinations behind the scenes. The wackiness only gets more complicated for Hawkins when the King’s spoiled daughter, played by a young Angela Lansbury, falls madly in love with him. The Court Jester remains a comedic delight with timeless laughs and effortless chemistry Hawkins is a happy-go-lucky entertainer thrust into the role of spy when he is forced to assume the identity of Giacomo, the royal jester. The Black Fox wants to restore the royal line with the real king, a young baby with a birthmark marking his royal lineage. ![]() A pretender sits on the throne of England. In a sly parody on the Robin Hood legend, Hawkins works for a hooded outlaw known as the Black Fox. Star Danny Kaye is Hawkins, a circus performer in medieval England. ![]() Danny Kaye guides a cast with Angela Lansbury, Basil Rathbone, and Glynis Johns through madcap frivolity. Directed by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, experienced comedy writers who cut their teeth working for Bob Hope, singing and sword fighting have never gone so well together. The visually stunning musical farce is one of the most entertaining comedies from 1950s with its witty songs and silly gags. There may be no better vehicle for Danny Kaye’s remarkable comic talents than The Court Jester.
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