Por Causa de uma Francesinha

Basically, this is a half-hour sitcom stretched out to feature length. The main players are fine, and are comfortable in their parts. But the gags are tired and obvious. For instance, in an overlong chase scene, Phyllis Diller (on motorcycle) not only does the old "knock the fire hydrant, causing geyser" gag, but also the "rides through a ditch as several workers jump out in panic" gag. There's satire on current movies (James Bond, girls in bubble baths) and a couple of laughs (mostly from Bob), but it's primarily a tepid French farce, with Hope trying to hide a sexy movie queen from his wife.

Fans of Bob Hope (like myself) might be willing to put up with it, but if you're new to his films, please do yourself a favor and start with the 1940s road pictures with Bing Crosby.

This movie is a campfest. Elke Sommer plays a temperamental star who ends up on the run from her studio. She inadvertently gets hooked up with married man Bobe Hope who tries to conceal her from the police and his wife Marjorie Lord. Phyllis Diller steals the show as Bobe Hope's maid. Very subtle risqué humor permeates this movie. If you listen very carefully you can hear some very suggestive dialogue between Bobe Hope and Phyllis. While Phyllis is eavesdropping on Bobe & Elke's phone call she is shown peeling a banana. When she hears a vaguely sexual remark she squeezes the bottom and the banana pops out of it's skin and onto the floor! Very subtle but VERY suggestive which is what I loved about the 60's, nothing is as blatant as today. Light fluff of a movie but lots of fun. I guess some previous viewers are so bombarded with in your face grossness these days in most movies they didn't see or appreciate the innocence of this flick.

A real Bob Hope farce is the 1966 film, "Boy, Did I Get A Wrong Number."

A businessman (Hope) gets a wrong number and it turns out to be that of a hot-tempered actress (Ilke Sommer) who seems to have a love-hate relationship with her lover-director, a very handsome Cesare Danova. During a major spat, she runs off and is hidden by Hope.

Marjorie Lord plays the goody-goody wife and Phyllis Diller is literally along for the ride as a ditzy housekeeper, Lili. Diller is the sole of the film. She is hilarious and she aids her boss Hope.

Of course, when it appears that Sommer is dead, Hope becomes the main suspect. True to form, there is a major chase scene and an ending that we can say is appropriate for a comic "soap" opera. Silly, but the laughs are worth it. Hope and Diller were an excellent twosome together.

I saw this film twice: once when I was a pre-teen in the 60s and then about 40 years later. The first time I saw it, I thought it was one of the funniest movies I had ever seen. The second time I saw it, I wondered what I saw in it the first time. Since it was the same movie, I guess it had to be me, but what a difference 40 years makes. This movie seems to have been made as a vehicle for Bob Hope's and Phyllis Diller's comic skills. However, what seemed knee-slapping funny back then, seems dull and trite now, especially Hope's one-liners. Most of the movie revolves around Hope's character keeping his association with Didi secret. It was funny then but a little overbearing now. His "murder confession" seems just silly now. I gave the movie a 6 rating because the chase scene with Phyllis Diller still ranks high as a hilarious chase scene, just as funny now as when the film was new.

I remember seeing this one for the first time when I was a kid and didn't get it. However, as I got older I thought this was one of Bob Hope's best latter day efforts. Probably the best part of the film is the climatic chase scene. That to me was probably one of the funniest in the movie. Phyllis Diller also did a great job playing Tom's maid/sparring partner. Her portrayal of that character helped to really make this film fun to watch. Elke Sommer is also good as D.D., the temperamental sex symbol who wants to do more than take bubble baths. Also, check out the interrogation scene. That one is priceless as Hope does his best imitation of a mad killer.