Product: A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court/The Emperor Waltz - Double Feature (1948)
Rating: 3.0
With all it has going for it...
...you'd think this would be a winner -- Bing Crosby at the height of his film popularity, Billy Wilder as director, and the lush scenery of Canada's Japser National Park. However, despite the truly beautiful restoration by Universal, this is a yawn...and I'm a bit of a Crosby fan. Here, Bing plays a phonograph salesman trying to sell his wares to Austrian royalty. He falls in love with Joan Fontaine, a countess, while his dog falls in love with her dog, who is supposed to mate with the Emperor's dog. The scenery is just beautiful. The script is ho hum. I sat thinking how could this be Billy Wilder??? Well, I guess the concept is rather anti-class system, so perhaps that's what attracted Wilder. Aside from that, it's fluff...albeit pleasant fluff.On the other hand, "A Connecticutt Yankee In King Arthur's Court" is much nicer. A nice turn on the old story, with a hoot of a supporting performance by William Bendix ("Life Of Riley"). Crosby is in fine voice and this film has a bit of a heart to it. A nice diversion with Crosby in his cinematic heydey.