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Bing Crosby, Rhonda Fleming, Cedric Hardwicke, William Bendix, Murvyn Vye ... see more see more... , Henry Wilcoxon , Virginia Field , Joseph Vitale , Richard Webb , Alan Napier , Julia Faye , Mary Field , Ann Carter

Though the Mark Twain original has been refashioned into a Bing Crosby vehicle, this 1949 musical adaptation of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is a lot more faithful to the Twain original... read more read more... than either of the two previous film versions. Crosby plays Hank Martin, a turn-of-the-century American mechanic who is conked on the noggin and awakens in sixth-century England. Captured by dull-witted Sir Sagramore (William Bendix), Hank is marched into the court of King Arthur (Cedric Hardwicke), where he uses his machine-age ingenuity to win the title of "Sir Boss." Even while incurring the wrath of the duplicitous wizard Merlin (Murvyn Vye), Hank woos and wins the lovely lady-in-waiting Alisande (Rhonda Fleming). Shocked by the appalling living conditions of the British peasants, Hank insists that King Arthur travel amongst the people in disguise so that he can experience their misery first-hand, and thereby bring about social reforms. Merlin schemes to use this opportunity to overthrow the king, but Hank foils the wizard's plans by pretending to demonstrate magical powers during a total eclipse. As a last-ditch effort to rid the kingdom of Hank, Merlin kidnaps Alisande and lures "Sir Boss" to certain doom. This scurrilous scheme segues into a much happier ending than one will find in the Twain novel. The expected "time displacement" routines are freshly handled by Crosby and company, while the songs are melodious and perfectly suited to the situations at hand. The film's Technicolor photography is another major asset. By present-day standards, the only drawback to A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is that it goes on too long; even so, it is infinitely preferable to the recent remakes that have spewed forth from the Disney studio. Songs include: "Twixt Myself and Me," "Busy Doing Nothing," "Once and for Always", "When is Sometime," and "If You Stub Your Toe on the Moon." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Flixster Users

65% liked it

889 ratings

Critics

57% liked it

7 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 48 min.

Directed by: Tay Garnett

Release Date: April 7, 1949

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Flixster Reviews (45)

  • ajv2688
    October 24, 2010
    ajv2688
    In the first place, the plot is absurd, I mean if he traveled through time how does he also travel across the ocean? You can't do both can you? If he was dreaming maybe, but it's not supposed to be a dream. Also, there were some other silly errors throughout the movie. On top... read more of all that, there is silly dialogue and acting. This movie doesn't make much sense, but it's somewhat enjoyable if you can get over all that. Overall, it's just okay.
  • sevenember62
    May 1, 2008
    sevenember62
    Growing up this used to be one of my favorite adventure-ish movies. It's a little bit out of Crosby's usual types of movies. Rhonda Fleming makes a gorgeous leading lady of course.

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Critic Reviews

Daniel Eagan
May 12, 2005
Daniel Eagan, Film Journal International

Pleasant but unmemorable fantasy from the Twain novel

Steve Crum
October 19, 2004
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan

Colorful, tuneful Crosby vehicle

Ken Hanke
April 24, 2003
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Amusing version of the Twain tale with good cast and songs.

August 27, 2008
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Bosley Crowther
March 25, 2006
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Dave Kehr
January 1, 2000
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

Click to read the article Full Review

Michael Szymanski
October 7, 2005
Michael Szymanski, International Press Academy

No review available.

Emanuel Levy
July 24, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Philip Martin
July 30, 2002
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

No review available.

Rob Vaux
July 27, 2002
Rob Vaux, Flipside Movie Emporium

No review available.

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A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court Trivia

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arth... Trivia

  • Based on Mark Twain's short story, 1949 movie was A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. 19th century American falls off his horse and winds up in Camelot times. Name the ballad singing actor. He also made many "Road..." movies.   Answer »
  • In 1949, a version of 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court' was developed for film by director Tay Garnett, featuring the likes of Bing Crosby and William Bendix. Upon whose written work is this time traveling story based?   Answer »
  • What is the Whoopi Goldberg film A Knight in Camelot based off of?  Answer »
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