“A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” (1949)
Method of travel: The prototypical time travel story, Mark Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court was adapted into a swinging Bing Crosby musical in 1949, bringing the story of an ordinary American in medieval times to the big screen. Crosby’s Hank sets the template for many a future time traveler by journeying to the land of King Arthur through the foolproof method of bumping his head and getting knocked out. Now in an unfamiliar setting, he wins favor in court by introducing jazz and modern comforts to the land, while romancing the maiden Alisande (Rhonda Fleming).
End destination: During a rescue mission to save Alisande from Merlin (Murvyn Vye), who has gone rogue after his magic was rendered useless by the new technology, Hank gets shot and wakes up back in his own time. Devastated to lose Alisande, he goes to a British castle for vacation, where he meets a woman with a striking resemblance to his lost beloved. —WC