Never Say Die

No masterpiece, but interesting in its own right. Martha Raye, for once, is playing it straight, and not doing the broad comedy/singing routine that was part of her 1930s Paramount films. (She really didn't show this side of her talent again until she had her regular TV variety show in the 1950s. Bob Hope had not yet become the familiar "Bob Hope", wise-cracking and egotistical; rather, here he plays a light comedy romantic lead rather in the British music hall manner. The love scenes between the two are often rather touching in their sincerity. The supporting cast is excellent, especially Gale Sondergaard, the predatory villianness whose shooting skill, which hangs ominously over Hope's head as she forces him into marriage during the entire film, provides the deus ex machina to resolve the romantic plot in a surprise turnabout. The fact that all other roles are played so broadly helps highlight the relatively subdued Raye and Hope performances. In fact, there are several surprises along the way, including the fact that boy and girl marry at about a third of the way through the movie; then fall in love. Very enjoyable.

Wealthy hypochondriac Bob Hope is visiting a European spa called Bad Gaswasser, taking the waters and hiding out from gold digging widow Gale Sondergaard. Meanwhile, Martha Raye has been dragged to the same locale by her nouveau riche Texan dad, who wants her to marry prince Alan Mowbray, who is broke and seeks a large dowry. Martha, however, has her heart set on hometown pal Andy Devine, who also shows up….

The script and the cast are very funny in this fast-paced comedy that barely slows down for a couple of really sweet moments between Hope and Raye (who are both excellent). Among the best moments are an opening sequence showing a scientist in a water processing lab mixing and testing the "natural hot mineral springs" water that Bad Gaswasser promotes; poor Sig Ruman as the hotel manager who can't quite figure out what's going on with guests Hope, Raye and Devine; and Raye, blindfolded, mistaking a friendly bear for Andy Devine ("Why, Henry, how dare you take your shirt off!").

Monty Woolley is hilarious in a bit as a doctor who mistakenly receives a dog's test results instead of Hope's and thinks he's discovered a rare case that will make him famous: "With your acidity," he exclaims, "you can digest bones!" Sondergaard is also wildly funny as the former Olympic sharpshooting champion whose husbands tend to die suddenly.

In fact, with this cast of crazies, it's fair (if odd) to say that Hope and Raye essentially play the straight roles in the picture—although both, of course, get in their share of funny moments, too.

It's extremely light and it goes by very fast. Good fun.

Just watched this early Bob Hope picture made before his established movie personality of a cowardly hero was ingrained in the minds of the public. Here, he's a rich man who believes he's dying due to...well, just watch the picture. Anyway, Martha Raye is also in this. Both of them are engaged to a someone neither wants to marry so they decide to wed each other. Oh, and Andy Devine is also here as someone who really likes Ms. Raye. Let me just stop here and just say that I found the whole thing quite funny and the fact Preston Sturges was one of the writers may have had to do something with it. There's also a game supporting cast involved. So on that note, I highly recommend Never Say Die.

I recently discovered this movie, the first one I ever saw with Martha Raye, and I can't decide who was funnier, her or Bob Hope, but what chemistry they had together! (I don't know if they did any other films together, but I'm sure going to find out, with fingers crossed.)

This was hilarious, with Bob as John Kidley, a (supposedly) fatally ill millionaire, Martha as Mickey Hawkins, the girl he marries to save her from Prince Smirnov (Alan Mowbray), the man her newly rich, social climbing father (Paul Harvey) is pushing on her, whom she can't stand, and who's only after her family fortune. (When John dies, Mickey will inherit everything and be rich in her own right, as well as independent.) Throw into the mix Henry Munch (Andy Devine), Mickey's hometown (and very unromantic) bus driver boyfriend, as well as John's fiancee, Olympic sharpshooter Juno Marko (Gale Sondergaard, in the first role I've seen her where she isn't talking to ghosts), who's not too pleased about being thrown over, and you get a real laugh riot!

Watch and enjoy!

Bob Hope at the point in time that Never Say Die was released was not the big name star he became, but he was definitely getting there. Please note that Martha Raye is billed above him in the credits.

Preston Sturges, year away from getting his first film as a director as well as writer, wrote a pretty funny and witty script, not an easy thing to accomplish both.

Bob Hope temporarily escapes the clutches of a predatory widow played by Gale Sondergaard who has him picked out to be her latest rich husband who have a knack of dying. In fact it's a mixed up diagnosis with a dog that makes Hope think he is dying.

Enter Martha Raye who's a nouveau riche daughter of a nouveau riche Paul Harvey who's a new Texas millionaire. He wants her to marry Alan Mowbray who's one no-account count. His daughter with a title will get him into society. She wants to marry her boyfriend Andy Devine back in Texas.

When Hope and Raye meet up they decide to marry each other and solve all their problems. I can't mention the rest but take it on faith that the players here perform to the stereotypes we have of them.

Even with Hope and Raye in the cast, my favorite moment is with Gale Sondergaard trying to vamp Andy Devine. Among other things Gale is the Olympic pistol target shooting champion. Poor Andy doesn't have a prayer in every sense of the word.

In two years, both Preston Sturges and Bob Hope were at the top of the Paramount pecking order. It begs the question why they never worked together at that period. Was it that they couldn't find a mutually agreeable project or was it a question of a couple of egos clashing. Hope and Sturges did in fact work together, but it was Hope's film Paris Holiday where Sturges had a brief acting role. Sturges was living in Paris at the time and living what could be described as genteel poverty. Anyway I think it's a real loss that Never Say Die and Paris Holiday are their only joint credits.