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The Court Jester Edit Ideas

- Info on Production, Release, and Critical Reception

- Citations for "Musical Score" section

Copied from The Court Jester --> move some of the information from the lead to the Critical Reception section and rewrite the lead to be more of an overview of the article.
The Court Jester is a 1956 musical-comedy film starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, Angela Lansbury and Cecil Parker. The movie was co-written, co-directed, and co-produced by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama. Paramount Pictures released the film in Technicolor and the VistaVision widescreen format.

This adventurous musical-comedy takes place in England after a Coup d'état that leaves the rightful king without a throne. A ragtag team of rebels, led by a man called "The Black Fox" fights against the tyranny of the supposed king. The story follows Hubert Hawkings as he and the Black Fox's captain concoct a plan to take back the crown from the impostor king and restore it to the real royal line. Hawkins must navigate treacherous advisers and witchcraft in order to survive and complete the task before him. The film is full of slap-stick comedy and comedic exchanges such as "Get it?" "Got it." "Good!" and "The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle; the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true!"

Though the film was not fiscally successful upon release, it has grown to be a beloved classic, earning high scores on Rotten Tomatoes and a preservation award from the National Film Registry.

Critical reception
Made for a cost of $4 million in the fall of 1955, The Court Jester was the most expensive comedy film produced up to that time. The motion picture bombed at the box office upon its release, bringing in only $2.2 million in receipts the following winter and spring of 1956. However, since then it has become a classic and a television matinee favorite. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 96% based on 28 reviews, with a weighted average rating of 7.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "A witty spoof of medieval swashbuckler movies, The Court Jester showcases Danny Kaye at his nimble, tongue-twisting best." Author and film critic Leonard Maltin awarded the film four out of a possible four stars, calling it "one of the best comedies ever made".

Awards and honors
In 1957, Danny Kaye received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture Actor – Comedy/Musical, and in 2000, the American Film Institute placed the film on its 100 Years...100 Laughs list, where it was ranked #98. In 2004, the United States National Film Registry elected to preserve The Court Jester for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."