A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur's Court

• Rating:
• Genre: Comedy
• Movie Type: Fantasy Comedy, Satire
• Themes: Knights and Ladies
• Director: Emmett J. Flynn
• Main Cast: Harry Myers, Pauline Starke, Rosemary Thebv, Charles Clary, William V. Mong
• Release Year: 1921
• Country: US
• Run Time: 8rl minutes

Plot

Story has it that Douglas Fairbanks was approached for the role of the Yankee, Martin Cavendish. It certainly would have made interesting casting, but Harry Myers (who, a decade later, would appear as Charles Chaplin's rich, boozy friend in City Lights) does a fine job in the part. This spectacular production was a big release for the Fox studios in 1921. Wealthy Martin Cavendish is in love with Sandy, his mother's secretary (Pauline Starke). His mother (Adele Farrington), however, wants him to marry Lady Grey Gordon (Rosemary Theby). One night, a burglar breaks into the mansion and attacks Cavendish with a spear belonging to a suit of armor. Cavendish is knocked unconscious and he wakes up in a dream where he is being poked by a knight, Sir Sagramore (George Siegmann). Sagramore takes Cavendish to King Arthur's court, where he saves himself from being tortured to death by claiming a solar eclipse was his doing. Cavendish is made a knight with the title Sir Boss, and he brings the modern-day luxuries of 1921 to medieval times, including tin lizzies, plumbing, and telephones. He rescues Lady Alisande la Cartelone (Starke) from the wicked Queen Morgan Le Fay (Theby). When he goes to battle Sir Sagramore at a tournament, he shows up dressed as a cowboy and lassos him off his horse. Then he has the king (Charles Clary) dress as a peasant to make him understand that "all this nobility stuff is bunk." When Cavendish finally awakens from his dream, he goes to Sandy and they elope. Mark Twain's famous tale has been filmed numerous times; other notable Yankees have been Will Rogers and Bing Crosby. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Cast

• Harry Myers - The Yankee/Martin Cavendish
• Pauline Starke - Scindy
• Rosemary Thebv - Morgan Le Fay
• Charles Clary - King Arthur
• William V. Mong - Merlin, the Magician

George Siegmann - Sir Sagramore; Charles Gordon - The Page; Carl Formes - Mark Twain; Adele Farrington - Mrs. Cavendish; Herbert Fortier - Mr. Cavendish; Wilfred MacDonald - Sir Lancelot

Credit

Lucien Andriot - Cinematographer; Ralph M. DeLacey - Art Director; Bernard McConville - Screenwriter; Emmett J. Flynn - Director; C.R. Wallace - Editor