A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Hank Martin is a mechanic living in 1905. He takes a knock on the head and opens his eyes in the year 528, in King Arthur's England. He is taken for a magician at first, then works his way into the court using the knowledge of his own age: gunpowder, electricity, mechanical toys. He and Alisande, the king's niece, fall for each other at first sight, which angers her betrothed, Sir Lancelot. The real trouble starts when Hank meddles in court politics. The source is Mark Twain's novel from 1889. Twain wrote the book as satire; he went after the feudal order, the church and institutions close to slavery. This version, directed by Tay Garnett, largely drops that hardness and builds a musical comedy instead. Bing Crosby plays Hank and sings. Rhonda Fleming and Cedric Hardwicke are in the cast. It is colourful, light and easy to watch; there is no point looking for the novel's bitter ending here.