Having just seen the new Indiana Jones movie, we noticed that the third film was on TV and taped it, catching a few moments when setting it up, and hearing the word "chalice."
OK, you Catholics, that's not an unusual word for you to hear, but for us Jews...
Anyway, hearing that word always reminds me of the 1955 film "The Court Jester" starring Danny Kaye in which the "who's on first"-style tongue twisting lines about the "chalice from the palace" are recited with great hilarity.
I looked them up, and am delighted to share them with you:
Hawkins: I've got it! The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle; the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true! Right?
Griselda: Right! -- but there's been a change: they broke the chalice from the palace...
Hawkins: They broke the chalice from the palace?
Griselda: ...and replaced it. With a flagon.
Hawkins: A flagon?
Griselda: With the figure of a dragon.
Hawkins: Flagon with a dragon.
Griselda: Right.
Hawkins: ...but did you put the pellet with the poison in the vessel with the pestle?
Griselda: No! The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon! The vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true!
Hawkins: The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon, the vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true.
Griselda: Just remember that!
Yeah...right!
Until next time,
Rick
Sunday, June 15, 2008
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1 comment:
I think the best part of this sketch is the alarm in the voices of Glynis Johns and MIldred Natwick. They played the straight part for keeps. For years I played the Mildred Natwick part (with the wrong lines, but with great hilarity to people). What is rarely recounted accurately (who could possibly do so) is the patter that Danny Kaye spews as he confuses the Chalice from the Palace from the Pellet with the Poison and the Flagon with the Dragon...until it's quite clear that whatever mnemonics Griselda and Maid Jean hoped to instill are worthless. This is Danny Kaye at his absolute best!
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