The Spaceman and King Arthur [Unidentified Flying Oddball] ** (1979, Dennis Dugan, Jim Dale, Ron Moody, Kenneth More, John le Mesurier, Rodney Bewes) – Classic Movie Review 6329

Director Russ Mayberry’s 1979 British-shot children’s film is a mild, harmless, quite amusing Walt Disney sci-fi comedy adventure reworking of Mark Twain’s novel A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur’s Court.

Dennis Dugan stars as NASA cosmonaut Tom Trimble who shoots himself and a lookalike android called Hermes into space and travels back to England in the year 508 to meet King Arthur himself (Kenneth More). There is a wicked plot afoot by Sir Mordred (Jim Dale) and the tricky magician Merlin (Ron Moody) to depose Arthur.

Walt Disney Productions’ competent junior league space-comedy has sweet and simple performances from a a nice cast, decent effects (by Cliff Culley), pleasing Technicolor cinematography and pleasant English location filming, including Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, and Newcastle University. The studio work is shot at Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire.

Chubby-cheeked British comedy actor Rodney Bewes plays Clarence.  Also in the cast are John le Mesurier as Sir Gawain, Sheila White, Robert Beatty, Cyril Shaps, Kevin Brennan, Ewen Solon, Pat Rosch and Reg Lye.

It is written by Don Tait, shot by Paul Beeson, produced by Ron Miller, scored by Ron Goodwin and designed by Albert Witherick.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6329

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