The Princess and the Pirate

Hokey parody of swashbucklers, Hope, Crosby, movies, and everything else. Terrible story, ludicrous development, mediocre supporting cast - but great gags, funny and entertaining. It comes off as a fine film, even before "a bit player from Paramount" steals the final scene. I first saw this in 1945, and have seen it four times since, and it retains its comic charm beautifully.

A vicious pirate called the Hook (Victor McLaglan) and his gang invade a boat carrying a princess (Virginia Mayo) and quick change artist Sylvester the Great (Bob Hope). They're kidnapped but escape and soon found themselves neck deep in danger.

Amusing Bob Hope comedy with him constantly throwing off one liners left and right. This is a lavish production with great sets and costumes (especially Mayos) and shot in bright Technicolor. It's OK but not great--it's way too plot heavy (especially for a comedy)and some of Hope's jokes are real groaners or very 1944 (how many people are going to get a joke about Gypsy Rose Lee?).

Hope is fun, Mayo is beautiful and McLaglan is actually quite funny as the pirate. An amusing comedy with a great closing gag. Kids might like it more than adults--some of the characters here are so broadly played than I found it annoying but children might find it hysterical. I give it a 7.

The Princess and the Pirate finds Virginia Mayo taken prisoner by the infamous pirate the Hook played by Victor McLaglen. She's a princess who's run away to marry a commoner, a reverse on what had happened in the United Kingdom a few years back. Unfortunately the only help she can find is a ham actor who's running away from bad notices and bill collectors and he's none other than Bob Hope.

Hope did two films for Samuel Goldwyn and Goldwyn paid dear to Paramount for his services. Right after this film, success though it was, the price for Hope's services convinced Goldwyn he'd better sign a comedy star of his own as he had in the Thirties with Eddie Cantor. That was why Danny Kaye was brought over from New York to start his Hollywood career in Goldwyn's next film.

But The Princess and the Pirate turned out to be one of the biggest successes for both Sam Goldwyn and Bob Hope. Hope is really at the top of his game in this one. Virginia Mayo makes a perfect foil for Hope, it's a pity she didn't do more films with him. Walter Brennan plays an addled old pirate who's not quite as dumb as he lets everyone think he is and he and McLaglen compete with Hope for laughs.

The only one who looks like he's enjoying himself, but playing it very straight is crooked island governor Walter Slezak. He's got a working arrangement with McLaglen, but the two of them aren't above a little double cross.

Of course this is a Bob Hope movie and Hope manages to blunder his way through to survival. But as we learn he loses Mayo right at the end to a visiting bit player from Paramount.

Hope did make good on his word, he never did do another film for Goldwyn again. I guess he wanted to go out on a high note and The Princess and the Pirate is as high a comic note as Bob Hope ever struck in any of his films. Not to be missed by his legion of fans.

Of all of Bob Hopes comedies, sans Crosby, this has got to be the best. A movie you can watch not twice, but a hundred times,( as I probably have ) The classic "beer drinking scene" with "Hugo"! Virginia Mayo......... Walter Slezak.....Walter Brennan, Try as they may...Hollywood can't do any better, no filth, no bathroom jokes, what a challenge it must have been in those day's to bring you a film that did not need to rely on that. Watch and enjoy with your kids or along with the guy's and some beer, it's timeless. A true 10......

One of an increasingly rare breed of cinema - a comedy that actually makes you laugh, and as the fella above says, without relying on smut or toilet humour, but pure comic genius delivered with finesse by Bob Hope and the rest of the supporting cast. P and the P manages to also deliver a top of the range swashbuckling adventure which immerses you within minutes and keeps you there until the end.

The Princess and the Pirate is a charming example of how comedies used to be - and is as infinitely watchable now as I can only assume it was then (me being all of 20 at time of writing!). It is certainly as delightful as when I first saw it at age 10 or so, with none of the cheesiness or insincerity that becomes apparent with many childhood favourites when I revisit them years later. And that, I suppose, is the definition of the word 'timeless'.