A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court [Blu-ray]

Director: Tay Garnett Tay Garnett

Overview

The Mark Twain novel comes to the big screen for a third time with Bing Crosby as the blacksmith who wakes in Camelot instead of Connecticut. Meeting King Arthur and the bumbling Sir Sagramore, the Yankee befriends the court and helps Arthur overcome a potential revolt.

Product Details

Release Date:	08/23/2022
UPC:	0810103684201
Original Release:	1949
Rating:	NR
Source:	Universal
Language:	English
Time:	1:47:00
Sales rank:	18,738

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Bing Crosby	Hank Martin
Rhonda Fleming	Alisande La Carteloise
Cedric Hardwicke	Lord Pendragon / King Arthur (
Joe Vitale	Logris,Sir Logris
William Bendix	Sagramore
Virginia Field	Morgan Le Fey,Peasant Woman
Henry Wilcoxon	Lancelot
Murvyn Vye	Merlin
Richard Webb	Galahad
Julia Faye	Penelope
Alan Napier	High Executioner
Ann Carter	Peasant Girl
Victor Young	Composer

Technical Credits

Edmund Beloin

Farciot Edouart	Special Effects
Robert Fellows	Producer
Tay Garnett	Director
Edmund Beloin	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is a pleasing, engaging adaptation of the Mark Twain original, even if shaping it into a Bing Crosby vehicle was not the wisest idea in the world. Not that Crosby is bad, mind you; the old crooner was always an amiable presence onscreen, the kind of actor whom it was fun to spend time with, and that certainly is the case here. The problem is that he's a trifle too laid-back for the character and situation; he fits so easily into the proceedings that the "fish out of water" theme of the piece doesn't really ring true. As a result, despite a few plot trappings thrown in which could easily have been changed, there seems little reason for this to have been a time-travel film, rather than a straight period piece. Things are not helped by the bland Jimmy Van Heusen-Johnny Burke score, the kind of songs that are so characterless that they could have been shoved into just about any musical and been equally effective. These flaws fortunately don't matter much; the assets -- Crosby's charm, Rhonda Fleming's beauty, William Bendix's comedy, Tay Garnett's smooth direction, and a sumptuous physical production -- combine to make Yankee into a fine entertainment.