The prompt for July’s Inklings (check out Heidi’s post here for details on linking up!) is a sword dueling scene in book or film. There are plenty of thrilling, intense sword-dueling scenes I could choose, but the first scene that came to mind was more on the goofy side…and I decided to roll with it.
The scene I’ve chosen is from the 1955 film The Court Jester, and is the very epic and enthralling final duel between our hero, Hubert Hawkins, and our main villain, Sir Ravenhurst (played by Danny Kaye and Basil Rathbone respectively). Due to a ‘concatenation of events,’ as Jeeves would say, Sir Ravenhurst thinks that Hubert – who’s more naturally suited to song-and-dance routines and singing lullabies to babies than dueling – is the legendary Black Fox, who has been waging a kind of guerilla warfare against the unjust tyrant who has stolen the throne from its rightful heir.
Hubert wouldn’t normally stand much of a chance against Sir Ravenhurst, but due to further concatenations of events, the enchantress at the castle finds it imperative that Hubert isn’t killed. She therefore casts a spell on him so that at a finger-snap he becomes a supremely skilled and confident swordsman, and then snaps her fingers to make it so.
However, since this is a comedy, of course Hubert and Sir Ravenhurst keep finding occasion to snap their fingers during the duel, which keeps turning on and turning off the spell. So poor Hubert keeps going back and forth between this
and this.
But I shan’t give away how it all turns out, because that would be very unkind of me. Watch it for yourself, and you’ll find out.
Have you seen The Court Jester? What’s your favorite Danny Kaye movie? What are your favorite comedies?
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Oh, I’d love to see this film! Sadly, I haven’t watched many comedic films… are there any you’d recommend?
Lovely post!
Well, I would recommend this one, for starters! I remember also really enjoying Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House with Cary Grant and Myrna Loy, though it’s been years and years since I saw it. I also LOVED The Kid Brother with Harold Lloyd – it’s a silent film, but even members of my family who don’t usually like silent films really really liked it. The Marx Brothers are often quite funny too (Animal Crackers, Monkey Business, and Duck Soup are some of my favorites of their movies), though just so you know there tends to be more innuendo in their movies…though it’s mostly pretty tame by today’s standards and it’s not really meant to be taken seriously in any case.
Whew, that was long. Let me know if any of those interest you!
Hey Lizzie!
I have not seen “The Court Jester”, but it is on my TBW. 🙂
My favorite Danny Kaye movie is “White Christmas” – it is such a classic!
My favorite comedies… Probably “The Shop Around the Corner” and “His Girl Friday”. I will admit that I did not watch these from opening to credits, but what I did see, I really liked.
Wonderful post as always!
Let me know how you like The Court Jester if you check it out! I’ve actually only seen White Christmas once…I should re-watch it.
I’ll admit that parts of The Shop Around the Corner were a little dark for my liking, but Jimmy Stewart was great in it, as always! I haven’t seen His Girl Friday, but I’ve certainly heard of it – perhaps I need to check it out.
Thanks so much for reading! 😀
Ooh, I love Danny Kaye!!!! 😆Unfortunately, my mind is not pulling up the list of movies that I’ve seen him in, but The Inspector General is ringing some sort of a bell in the back of it… Maybe On The Double, too?? Really his wonderfully elastic expressions (Gleeps, what a compliment to pay someone! I promise it’s meant to be one, Mr. Kaye XD) are the thing that registers as the Most Memorable Thing About Him in my mind, next to his impossible funniness! (Though I do hope I’m not mixing him up with someone else from not having seen him in so long, so embarrassing when that happens Xd)
Isn’t he great?? I haven’t seen The Inspector General myself, but I’m almost positive that you are correct about his being in it. Heh, he is marvelously good at being marvelously expressive, isn’t he? I’m sure he would take that as a compliment ;D (And don’t worry, from your recollections of him, I’m quite certain you’re thinking of the right person!)
Absolutely priceless😂
*begins to remember bits and pieces of the aforementioned Inspector General and decides that he certainly was, due to Key Elements*
Aha, Marvellously Good and Marvellously those are precisely the words for it! I do hope so😜
Ahhh, what a relief XD
I only recently discovered The Court Jester, but I loved it!!!!!! So so funny, Danny Kaye is a Comedic genius! Perfect choice for a duel scene!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Danny Kaye is just great, isn’t he? 😀