One of my all time favorites.

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

There are quite a few Bing Crosby films I admire, quite a few of his songs that I enjoy. But this is among my least favorite Crosby films and the songs are hopelessly outdated (even though it's this era of music I most enjoy). In fact, that's the problem with the film overall -- for some reason it seems hopelessly outdated. And I'm not sure why. But man, is it boring.That's not to say it doesn't have its strong points. In 1949, the year this film was produced (as was I), Bing Crosby was # 2 at the box office, beat out only by Bob Hope, but beating out such stalwarts as John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, Cary Grant, and Humphrey Bogart! The Technicolor here is beautiful! And enhances the beauty of the leading lady -- Rhonda Fleming. In addition to Crosby and Fleming, Sir Cedric Hardwicke has the role of King Arthur, which is a bore early on, but gets more interesting when "the boys" hit the road. William Bendix is funny as Sir Sagramore, but it gets kinda old kinda fast. The only other thing, cast-wise, to watch for, is Henry Wilcoxon as Sir Lancelot; guess he wasn't always in Biblical epics! Aside from the vagabonds hitting the road, the only other scene I enjoyed was the climax scene; those almanacs...how clever they were.If Bing is your thing, the musicals like "White Christmas", "Holiday Inn", and "High Society" are much better, the road pictures with Bob Hope are much funnier, and "Man On Fire" (if you can find it) and "The Country Girl" are great for dramas.But, this film is still worth a watch...once...to see beautiful Technicolor and rick sets.

Segue -- a funny thing happened on the way to this review -- I was trying to put together a review of TIMELINE, trying to explain to the readers present and future how the production team totally failed to engage, to connect, trying to find an example of a time travel movie (there are not that many) where the "connection" DID work -- and bang zoom, before you can say Bobs Your Uncle, I found myself transposed in time and space to the review page for this movie. (Yes, you got me, I am taking poetic license and stretching the truth a bit, to make a point). So let's compare and contrast shall we? TIMELINE is written by one of the greatest writers of modern suspense fiction. This film is written by one of the greatest writers, period (Mark Twain). Both involve modern characters who end up in medieval times. One leans more to the sci-fi (Timeline) and the other more to pure fantasy (this film). Now the big difference. One (Timeline) literally got "lost in translation" as (what seems like) budget considerations forced them to compress and neuter the story to the point where we almost don't care what happens to any of the characters. In this wonderful film, however, the incredible (and contagious) charm of Crosby literally forms a "bridge" across time and makes the audience feel safe enough to engage with the story and connect. This film is a lost classic and a tribute to Crosby's ability to carry an entire "road" picture without Hope or anyone else. See it.

50 years old, this musical comedy fantasy might look its age, but it wears it with dignity.This film is still great fun. Crosby was never really romantic lead material, but he delivers the material with the lightly humorous edge it needs. Bendix plays broad and is huge fun in a part which calls upon his strengths. Hardwicke - how joyous for a knight of the realm - a genuine one - to throw himself into caperings like this with such abandon. And Rhonda Fleming enjoys herself in the least showy of the main roles. Only Murvyn Vye disappoints as an unconvincing Merlin.Though not a musical, the songs are very good, and the "dance" routine accompanying Busy Doing Nothing is perfect - funny, appropriate, dexterous without being challenging, and making a virtue out of Crosby's musical movement which, let's be fair, was inherently amusing due to its never being his greatest strength.The colour is fine, the sound is a little muddy in places.And the story - well, it takes some liberties with the original, but I suspect that Mr Clemens might well have been pleased with the result.

I understand that Paramount wanted to film this with the Rodgers and Hart score, but couldn't work out the copyright problems, so Burke and Van Heusen who wrote the between them the most songs for Bing Crosby contributed a very nice score.I read Leonard Maltin saying that this movie, "fit Crosby like a glove" and I couldn't have put it better. No, it's not Mark Twain's satire, it's a Bing Crosby film and in 1949 Crosby was the most bankable star in Hollywood. For once Paramount used technicolor and Rhonda Fleming was never lovelier on the screen. This was a woman that technicolor was invented for.William Bendix's Brooklyn origins kinda stand out, but it's to a good comic effect. The trio of Crosby, Bendix, and Sir Cedric Hardwicke have a rollicking good time with Busy Doing Nothing. Bing has one of his patented upbeat philosophical numbers with If You Stub Your Toe On The Moon.The third song he sings Once and For Always by himself and with Rhonda Fleming. That song was nominated for best song, but lost to Baby It's Cold Outside. Nice also that Bing managed to record the score for Decca with Rhonda Fleming and Bendix and Hardwicke.One thing I like about this film is that it shows Crosby's comic talents without Bob Hope. I like the Road pictures, but Bing was a comic talent onto himself and this film better demonstrates than any other.This is Crosby at the top of his game.