Bob Hope : MGM Movie Legends Collection DVD
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Bob Hope had a gift: He could be lecherous, cowardly, squirrelly,
gullible, and dimwitted, yet somehow make it all endearing. At his
best, the result was wonderful comedy--at his worst, the result was
belabored schtick. The Bob Hope MGM Movie Legends Collection has a
little of both ends of the spectrum. The most "classic" Bob Hope
picture in this set is Alias Jesse James, in which Hope plays an
insurance salesman who, after selling an expensive policy to the
famous outlaw, then has to go West and protect him so his
beneficiary can't collect. The hapless fool rises to heroic heights
by accident and mistaken identity; it's Hope's favorite storyline
and he clearly enjoys himself. A host of Western stars--from James
Arness (Gunsmoke) to Gary Cooper (High Noon) make cameo appearances.
The Road to Hong Kong is the last Hope & Crosby Road to movie, and
while the formula (preposterous plot, good-looking gal, and lots of
jokes about being in a movie) is wearing thin, there are still
plenty of pleasures to be had. The duo play con men who find
themselves in possession of a secret rocket fuel formula after Hope
loses his memory, which leads them into the clutches of
James-Bond-style megalomaniac (Robert Morley, The Loved One).
Dorothy Lamour appears, but it's pretty much an extended cameo; a
young Joan Collins provides most of the eye-candy. The mid-60s sex
farce Boy, Did I Get Wrong Number! doesn't have much to offer. Elke
Sommer plays a starlet weary of always being naked in a bubble bath
(naturally, this movie misses no opportunity to put her naked in a
bubble bath); when she runs away, she crosses the path of flop real
estate agent Hope, who ends up accused of her murder. Hope puts
hardly a smidge of effort into his usual stream of one-liners; most
of the movie's energy comes from Phyllis Diller, who approaches her
gags like a heavyweight boxer, putting her full body into every one.
I'll Take Sweden is a pleasant surprise; what initially seems like a
typical teen exploitation movie starring Frankie Avalon and Tuesday
Weld, with Hope along as Weld's befuddled father, turns into a sly
cross-culture satire when Hope takes his daughter to Sweden so she
won't marry Avalon--only to discover the European morals may pose a
greater threat to her virtue than bohemian hijinx. The result is
like a pop version of Henry James, peppered with zippy musical
numbers. But the true gem of this collection is The Facts of Life.
Hope and Lucille Ball are married to other people; they've known
each other a long time and never liked each other, but when a trip
to Mexico forces them together, they fall in love. This middle-aged
love story is a comedy, but shot through with a bittersweet
awareness of the compromises of life. Hope and Ball are both superb,
giving their comic skills an yearning melancholy that perfectly
expresses the Academy-Award-nominated screenplay. Not to be missed.
--Bret Fetzer
Product Description
Disc 1: Alias Jesse James WP Disc 2: Boy Do I Have The Wrong Number
WP Disc 3: The Facts of Life WP Disc 4: I'll Take Sweden WS Disc 5:
Princess and The Pirate P&S Disc 6: Road to Hong Kong WS Disc 7:
They've Got Me Covered P&S
