The Court Jester

Set in medieval England, the film follows Hubert Hawkins, a timid carnival performer who is recruited into a plot to restore the throne to its rightful owner. The usurper King Roderick holds power while the true heir, still an infant, is hidden away by a group of loyal rebels. To help the cause, Hubert poses as the new court jester and enters the royal castle, where he becomes entangled in intrigue, romance, and mistaken identity.

Melvin Frank and Norman Panama directed the film and also wrote the screenplay and produced it. It was the first film the pair directed together in a run that continued with That Certain Feeling, Li'l Abner and The Prisoner of Second Avenue for Frank, and That Certain Feeling, The Trap and Coffee, Tea or Me? for Panama. Danny Kaye leads the cast as Hubert, with Glynis Johns as Maid Jean, Basil Rathbone as Sir Ravenhurst, Angela Lansbury as Princess Gwendolyn, Cecil Parker as King Roderick I and Mildred Natwick as Griselda. Made by Paramount and Dena Enterprises on a budget of four million dollars, the film runs 101 minutes and mixes adventure, comedy and music.

On IMDb it holds 7.8 out of 10 from around 15,000 votes, while on TMDB it has 7.3 from roughly 220 votes. A critics' rating of 7.9 from 30 reviews places it slightly above the audience scores.