AllMovie

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is a pleasing, engaging adaptation of the Mark Twain original, even if shaping it into a Bing Crosby vehicle was not the wisest idea in the world. Not that Crosby is bad, mind you; the old crooner was always an amiable presence onscreen, the kind of actor whom it was fun to spend time with, and that certainly is the case here. The problem is that he's a trifle too laid-back for the character and situation; he fits so easily into the proceedings that the "fish out of water" theme of the piece doesn't really ring true. As a result, despite a few plot trappings thrown in which could easily have been changed, there seems little reason for this to have been a time-travel film, rather than a straight period piece. Things are not helped by the bland Jimmy Van Heusen-Johnny Burke score, the kind of songs that are so characterless that they could have been shoved into just about any musical and been equally effective. These flaws fortunately don't matter much; the assets -- Crosby's charm, Rhonda Fleming's beauty, William Bendix's comedy, Tay Garnett's smooth direction, and a sumptuous physical production -- combine to make Yankee into a fine entertainment.