Arthur and the Square Knights of the Round Table - Episode 35
Clip 3: The drawbridge skit
1 min 13 sec
Taken from the TV program Arthur and the Square Knights of the Round Table - Episode 35 (1972)
Original title classification not known – this clip chosen to be G
Availability of the complete title
Curator’s clip description
Sir Lancelot uses a novel way to solve the problem when the drawbridge is up. He is followed by Merlin who also gets into the castle fairly easily but the unfortunate Jester is not so lucky.
Curator’s notes
In an interesting contrast with the longer sections that are so reliant on the verbal exchange between the characters, in these in-between sketches, action and music speak far louder than words. Reminiscent of the old silent movies, sketches without dialogue such as this one showcase the slapstick and visual comedy in the series.
In an interesting evocation, the music partnering the ill-fated Jester’s attempts to use a boat to get the drawbridge down is the music played by Mickey Mouse in his first film, Steamboat Willy (1928) where Walt Disney first synchronised songs, music and sound effects within an animation.
Annemaree O'Brien, curator
