The Court Jester

Deliberate mistake: Foils, rapiers and other fencing weapons did not appear before around the 16th/17th century, yet the main characters (in an approximate 8th to 10th century setting) use them extensively. I know that back in the days when the movie was made, the swashbuckling genre was quite popular, but it still is a reality error.

Deliberate mistake: When Hawkins mocks Ravenhurst by pouring himself some wine and then drinking it while fending off Ravenhurst's, Danny Kaye repeatedly uses the same fencing movements.

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Mistakes

Other mistake: The catapult on the battlements Jean uses to evict the castle guards is rather curious. First, there is neither a bow nor any torsion to 'power' the weapon, and secondly it just seems to cock itself, right after each shot. All that Jean does is pull the lever and none of her diminutive helpers stand by for any cocking work whenever the catapult arm is shown.

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Quotes

Hawkins: After months of pleading for just this kind of action, what makes you think that anybody, anybody could make me reveal the identity of my confederate?
Jean: Because they'd put you on the rack, crack your every bone, scald you with hot oil, and remove the nails off your fingers with flaming hot pincers.
Hawkins: I'd... like to withdraw the question.

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Trivia

Trivia: For the rest of his life, according to his daughter Dena, if someone recognized Danny Kaye in public, they would approach him and recite the film's "pellet with the poison" rhyme.

Cubs Fan ★

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Questions

Question: When Griswald knocks the helmet off Hawkins and it appears his head is knocked off, you can actually see a face in the helmet on the ground. But why? Hawkins is supposed to be hiding his head in the armor. So why did the filmmaker put a face in the helmet after it was knocked off?

Answer: I watched the clip on YouTube, stopping and rewinding it, but I cannot see what looks like a face inside the helmet. Maybe it's just the way light and shadows are reflecting on the metal.

raywest ★

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