Los nuevos ricos

The opening credits state "starring Mr. Robert Hope and Miss Lucille Ball"... hope actually interrupts, and says a few words to the audience. Seems to be a period piece, a warped story on the history of new mexico. This was a ten years before critic's choice and facts of life, which they also made together. And just before I love lucy! Keep an eye out for the awesome eric blore, from all the fred astaire films. Also norma varden, mrs. Piggy, from gentlemen prefer blondes. Even ida moore, the mascot from desk set. The story is just silly, complicated, and disjointed, but it's all about the jokes along the way. Hope pretends to be a butler to help a hilbilly family appear upper class. Hijinx ensue! It's all interesting, mostly for the great comediens involved. Some fun special effects for 1950, the hairdo humphrey gives miss agatha, and the tower of pisa in the picture hanging on the wall. Miss agatha even sings a couple songs, which are clearly dubbed. Directed by george marshall; he had started in short, silent films. And kept right on directing until until 1972, ending up in television series. Fun for the fans of bob hope and lucy !

Bob Hope and Lucille Ball were at the top of their careers when they made "Fancy Pants" in 1950. Both would stay at the top for three more decades. In this film, the two are joined by a supporting cast of several long-time performers for what appears to be a rollicking fun time with the process.

Hope plays an actor (Arthur Tyler) who plays a butler (Humphrey) who plays an English nobleman (the Earl of Brinstead). Ball plays Agie Floud, a wealthy young American Westerner. Joining the fun are Bruce Cabot as Cart Belknap, Jack Kirkwood as Mike Floud, Lea Penman as Effie Floud, Eric Blore as Sir Wimbley, and John Alexander as Teddy Roosevelt.

The movie is a hoot as the plot moves from a theater stage in London, to a train across America, to the Floud's hometown in the American Southwest. This comedy has a nice mix of funny lines, slapstick accidents, and silly to hilarious situations. It's a light piece of entertainment that the whole family should enjoy.

Made over fifty years ago and still a treat to watch. A wonderful campy performance by Bob Hope,posing an an english Lord and Lucille Ball as a real tough western cowgirl really make this movie a lot of fun. Not to be missed is Bob as the english Lord describing his army exploits at a party.Bruce Cabot playing his usual bad tough guy keeps the movie on an even keel,but the laughs still come thick and fast mainly through Hope's attempt at an english accent. The one disappointing aspect was the finale,which seemed flat and made me wonder if the writers just couldn't be bothered with coming up with any more good lines. The late'40's and '50's were good film years for Hope and this movie shows why audiences kept coming back for more.

Lucille Ball and Bob Hope are two icons of classic cinema, and I must admit, I was completely unaware that they shared the screen in a film together. Upon watching, it became clear why this collaboration might have slipped under the radar. Much of the humor that was once celebrated in 1950 now feels outdated and inappropriate, particularly the racial jokes that would have elicited hearty laughter back in the day but are now considered offensive. Lucille's beauty shines through, and it's a pity she didn't receive more substantial roles in films. When she did, they often leaned heavily into slapstick, much like this one. It's striking how poorly this film has aged over time.

Fancy Pants is a musical comedy remake of Ruggles of Red Gap in which Charles Laughton had one of his best roles in the 1935 version that was directed by Leo McCarey. To say that Bob Hope's interpretation of the English butler who went west is different from Laughton's is the difference from porterhouse steak to hog's livers to use one of old Ski nose's favorite expressions.

Not that Fancy Pants is bad, in fact it's very funny and definitely the best of the four films that Bob Hope made with Lucille Ball. Ruggles of Red Gap was funny, but it was also whimsical and dramatic in spots and it was about a shy and proper English butler who adjusts to the new environment in America he finds himself and in the process makes some real friends.

To begin with Hope isn't a butler, he's an actor and a clod of an actor who has the knack for spilling all kinds of liquid on fellow player Norma Varden. The whole company is hired by a guy who was posing as titled nobility to woo wealthy American Lucille Ball.

Unlike a lot of Hope's leading ladies, Lucy gets her innings, especially playing this Calamity Jane type. She and mother Lea Penman are touring the continent and Penman decides Hope is just the guy to put a little refinement into their home and incidentally make them the envy of their small New Mexico town.

One thing leads to another and Hope winds up having to pose as nobility himself when the townspeople are misinformed and President Theodore Roosevelt comes to town for a visit. That doesn't sit well with Bruce Cabot who has designs on Lucy.

John Alexander who was 'Theodore Roosevelt' in Arsenic and Old Lace gets a chance to play him for real in Fancy Pants. His scenes with 'Earl' Hope are classic. I also liked Eric Blore who played the unintelligible 'Earl' in Hope's repertoire company.

Though director George Marshall and stars Hope and Ball go for belly laughs rather than some wry chuckles, Fancy Pants holds up very well after almost 60 years. But if you are looking for Hope to try and out do Mr. Laughton, than don't bother with it.