A Connecticut Yankee

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court must have been seen by Mel Brooks because you can picture a couple movies of his ( History of the World Part One and Blazing Saddles ) taking their ideas from scenes from this movie. The problem is Brooks's films were a lot better. This movie is supposed to be funny, trust me it was not. In fairness, There is one effective scene involving Will Rogers on a horse with a rope at a joust, but except for that the only reason to watch is Myrna Loy as Morgan Le Fay. Watch Myrna's eyes they are something to behold. I have seen Myrna as the bad girl quite a few times, and this might be her most evil role. As a Myrna fan I can only imagine Will Rogers enjoyed kissing her. With the exceptions of Salma Hayak, Sophia Loren and possibly Elsa Martinelli there is no actress I would prefer to have made out with. I give the film 3/10 stars. One for inspiring better movies the other two for Myrna Loy.

No one has ever gotten the Mark Twain satire down quite right in any of the versions of A Connecticut Yankee that have been filmed including the best known versions, this one and the one done in 1949 starring Bing Crosby. But along the way we've gotten some fine entertainment out of the notion of time travel, very unique at the time that Twain wrote the novel.

With both Will and Bing a built in audience was guaranteed for their respective versions, A Connecticut Yankee being privileged to have two of America's most beloved entertainers taking the role. Each invested their personalities in the part which made both films the success they respectively were.

This version is slightly updated from the novel which takes place at the cusp of the new 20th century. It starts during the present, the present of 1931 in the midst of the Great Depression. Will Rogers is not a blacksmith, he's a radio repairman who is called out on a dark and stormy night to fix a radio in the mansion where some strange characters inhabit. An accident knocks him out and he's taken back some 1400 years to the court of King Arthur at Camelot.

During the course of the film Rogers brings about far more of the "blessings" of technology to Camelot than Crosby did in his film. The absurd climax with the Knights of the Round Table storming Morgan Le Fay's castle with all kinds of 20th century weaponry is the ultimate proof of that.

In the novel Twain had the Yankee's character be his mouthpiece for his views. In that sense Rogers as the voice of the modern era was uniquely suited to the part even though his accent was far more Oklahoma than Connecticut. In a gentler way Rogers made a lot of the same points in real life that he does in this film, in his newspaper columns and on his lecture tours.

Two women who later went to MGM around the same time co-star with Will Rogers in A Connecticut Yankee. Maureen O'Sullivan who was a year away from her breakout role as Jane in Tarzan the Ape Man plays Lady Melisande, the daughter of William Farnum as King Arthur. Young Frank Albertson who Rogers takes under his wing as a protégé is in love with her and the Connecticut Yankee plays cupid. And before she became the perfect American wife Myrna Loy was playing all kinds of villainous roles as she is here as Morgan LeFay. Ironically in The Thin Man where Loy forever changed Loy's image Maureen O'Sullivan also had a prominent role in that classic film.

The most recent version of this often filmed tale is Bad Knight with Martin Lawrence, not a bad version either. However I don't think Martin Lawrence would even say he's quite up there in the public consciousness that Will Rogers or Bing Crosby ever got. Though this film is more Rogers than Twain, that's not a bad thing at all.

Folksy radio announcer Will Rogers (as Hank Martin) is mysteriously propelled from modern day Connecticut to the medieval past of Great Britain's King Arthur. In Camelot, Mr. Rogers peeves William Farnum (as Arthur) and his "Knights of the Round Table" with homilies and a cigar lighter. Imprisoned with dashing young Frank Albertson (as Clarence), Rogers learns the date is "the year of our Lord" June 20, 528 - the day before a historically recorded total eclipse of the sun. Rogers cleverly promises to "blot out the sun" if he and Mr. Albertson, who likes pretty princess Maureen O'Sullivan, are not released.

Jealous magician Brandon Hurst (as Merlin) doesn't believe Rogers will eclipse the sun, but is proved wrong. Then, Rogers is elevated in the King's court, and modernizes the medieval society. He introduces Camelot to telephones and advertising, which is defined as "to spend money you haven't got, for things you don't want." Soon, the kingdom is threatened by the King's wicked sister, Myrna Loy (as Morgan le Fay). Being an early "talkie" gives this adaptation of Mark Twain's classic an unfortunate creaky quality. Rogers, an interesting cast, and a witty incongruity make relatively enjoyable.

****** A Connecticut Yankee (4/6/31) David Butler ~ Will Rogers, William Farnum, Brandon Hurst, Myrna Loy

A radio man visits a spooky old house at night. There he briefly meets the strange inhabitants, including a mad scientist who tries to use radio waves to tune into the past. An accidental bang on the head sends the radio man back to King Arthur's Court.

So starts this version of the oft-filmed Mark Twain tale, this time re-worked for the personality of Will Rogers - who certainly doesn't sound like a Connecticut Yankee. In fact, Will is the main reason to watch this early talkie. His humor - one suspects much was ad-libbed - was always refreshing. Fox obviously spent a lot of money on the Camelot scenes; they look very good. Many of the performers, however, have trouble with their stilted dialogue.

Myrna Loy looks beautifully evil, but her part is not developed. The always lovely Maureen O'Sullivan is totally wasted in a small role. William Farnum does the best he can as Arthur, but the other male co-stars are much hampered by the script or just plain immature acting.

Will Rogers, as always, is wonderful - delivering his lines in his soft, shy, Oklahoma drawl. He had star presence without even trying. It is terrific fun seeing him win a joust with a knight by using his excellent roping & riding skills. Mark Twain's Ghost must have smiled...

This is my first viewing so I had no idea what to expect. It got off to an ominous, foreboding start as Hank, the radio repairman (Will Rogers) encounters a few peculiar people in an odd house. After his sudden "transition" (time travel) back into King Arthur's era circa 528 AD, the sounds of Ye Olde English emerge, of thee's and thou's, being spoken and Will responds with "Can you tell me where the helleth I am?" I had a good laugh over that as it pretty well sets the tone for the whole story -- incongruous dialogue, time periods, mixed in with modern conveniences like a telephone. Oh well, it's entertainment with quite a stretch of the imagination, ie., selling hot dogs at the joust meet. Will's in his element when he's on a horse with a rope in his hand and dealing out justice to his opponent. I'm not sure why conniving Merlin (Mitchell Harris) is so busy scattering sand at every opportunity, or is it stardust, or sawdust.

Myrna Loy in her role as Morgan le Fay appears to be the most well-cast and believable of the lot.

All in all it's rather over-the-edge farce but still fun to watch.