Here Come the Girls

Bob Hope plays the tanglefooted chorus boy who constantly fouls things up for producer Fred Clark and stars Tony Martin and Arlene Dahl in this film set in the gaslight era in New York. Clark, who had the best slow burn in film next to Edgar Kennedy, finally has had enough. He gives Hope the royal boot, but then a big problem happens. Arlene Dahl has attracted the unwanted attentions of a psychopathic killer played by Robert Strauss. He attacks and nearly kills her co-star and boyfriend Tony Martin. What to do? Get some schnook, reasons Clark, to be a new leading man just long enough for Strauss to make his move and cop William Demarest to nab him. I think you figured out the schnook they had in mind.

It's a pretty funny film with Hope getting into one situation after another with his only friend being chorus girl Rosemary Clooney truly on his side. You would think that with a couple of singers like Tony Martin and Rosemary Clooney in the film they would have been given at least one duet. But the Jay Livingston-Ray Evans score is serviceable, nothing more. No hit songs came out of it for anyone.

But its classic Bob Hope and it even has an appearance by a young kid playing Bang Crosby (I kid you not). Good enjoyable fun.

Unlike the typical Bob Hope film, "Here Come the Girls" is a musical--with only a bit of comedy here and there. So, for me the film was a bit of a disappointment--mostly because I was expecting laughs, not song and dance numbers.

Hope plays a not particularly talented member of the chorus. His prospects to move beyond that are nil--mostly because he's not all that good. However, when a homicidal maniac begins stalking the lead in the play (Arlene Dahl), the cops and theater owners get the bright idea of putting Hope in the lead--that way, if Hope is killed due to the psycho's jealousy, at least he's easy to replace! While a normal guy would soon suspect something, Hope's character is his typical fat-headed guy who soon begins believing it when everyone begins trying to convince him he's brilliant in the part--and he is truly terrible. Rosemary Clooney's character cares about Hope and tries her best to convince him of the truth--but he's just too self-absorbed to believe her.

Throughout this clever idea for a plot, there are LOTS of musical numbers--LOTS! None of the music is particularly memorable and I felt it all bogged down the film--making the comedy come to a grinding halt again and again. Not a terrible film...just not a particularly enjoyable one.

To those reviewers who said that this is a lesser Hope entry (one saying that it was the start of his decline) I say, nay...Hope put enough into the likable egotistical fool Snodgrass to carry it off just fine. And plenty of 'ham' in his Stanley character, enough to supply all the fixings (with plenty of left-overs) for the Attila the Hun and his Horde's annual May Day, or should I say Mayhem, picnic.

And to those who said that there were to many forgettable songs, I say...too many sure, but I'm glad that they were 'new' and not the same-o same-o...new is good sometimes.

And since I'm being so contrary, I'll apply a little of that to myself...after decades of watching Hope (too many decades my tired, old body cries), I was sure I had seen all of his films. Wrong! This was my first viewing, and I was thankful that I finally stumbled upon it. Enough smiles, enough laughs and enough of my contrarian views...'hey Attila baby, pass the ham'...

"Here Come The Girls" has a couple of splashy musical production numbers, including some impressive dancing, particularly from the female flamenco artist and the Four Step Brothers. But Bob Hope's character is atypically obnoxious in this one: he loses our sympathies when he practically sexually harasses Arlene Dahl despite that fact that he is supposed to have a sweetheart (Rosemary Clooney) back "home". This scenario only works when Dahl is trying to seduce him, not the other way around. There are still a few funny bits (the cue cards are my favorite), but on the whole "Here Come The Girls" delivers more as a musical than as a comedy. ** out of 4.

1900. Bob Hope plays Stanley Snodgrass, the world's oldest chorus boy, who can do nothing right.

Fired by his manager (the always watchable Fred Clark) he's hired back in a hurry because a mad slasher (a menacing Robert Strauss) is after his star. Stanley, thinking he's the new star because of his talent, will be an unwittingly decoy.

In future movies Strauss would often have a perfect blend of menace and humor. Here, he's all threat.

You won't find many laughs in this light-weight vehicle, but it's not dreary. It has some good songs and for Hope fans his personality is pleasant. If you don't like Hope's persona you won't enjoy this.

Besides Clark and Strauss, a standout is William Demarest as a cop playing as Stanley's put-upon valet.

The show may look peculiar but it's more a Zeigfield-type presentation that would mix song-and-dance, comedy acts and sketches.