La princesse et le pirate

Bob Hope again plays his cowardly character in "The Princess and the Pirate," a 1944 film from Samuel Goldwyn Studios. The film also stars Virginia Mayo, Walter Slezak, Victor McLaglen, and Walter Brennan. Hope plays Sylvester the Great (who gives his last name as Crosby), a bad performer who becomes involved with an incognito princess, played by pretty Virginia Mayo. There's really no point in going through the story - it's fairly ridiculous, concerning a map and a treasure. It's really just an excuse for some gorgeous Technicolor escapist entertainment in the midst of World War II. Beautiful women (the Goldwyn Girls) and lots of comedy abound. Hope is a scream as Sylvester, impersonating a Gypsy woman and Captain Barrett (McLaglen) who has a hook for a hand. Toward the end of the film, both Barrett and Sylvester disguised as Barrett are in Barrett's quarters, unaware of one another, each leaving the room from time to time and making opposite pronouncements to the pirates. Very funny stuff.

Hope is an absolute riot with that dry, offhand delivery of his and his facial expressions. He generally played an avowed coward, though a likable one, and this time is no different. Everyone does a great job in this, and I'm sure audiences, depressed by war news, appreciated it. Lots of fun and recommended.

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'.

This one is so much better than Hope's later romp in the swashbuckling genre called CASANOVA'S BIG NIGHT.

VIRGINIA MAYO displays comic flair as Princess Margaret, the lovely Technicolor photography doing her full justice as the costumed princess running away from the villains with the cowardly Sylvester the Great (BOB HOPE) at her side. Hope is at his comic best, delivering every line with the sort of casual flair for comedy that served him so well during his early years at Paramount.

But having the most fun are VICTOR McLAGLEN as the hook-bearing pirate with a devilish gleam in his eye; WALTER BRENNAN as the maniacal, half-witted pirate called Featherbrain who relishes every scene and gives one of his best supporting role performances; and WALTER SLEZAK as the wicked man who wants the treasure map and Mayo for his own.

Not to be outclassed by these comic performances, we also have HUGO HAAS as the cabaret owner who shares some priceless one-liners with Hope who auditions for a job in his cabaret. The drinking scene is one of the highlights of the film.

Directed at a frantic pace by David Butler, this is one of Hope's most enjoyable romps and it's all dressed up in fancy Technicolor and lavish sets and costumes.

Not to be missed, if you're a Hope fan.

Many , many years ago , on the Spanish Main , there sailed the Seven Seas the most bloodthirsty buccaneer in history . Ruthless and daring he was , and , though his soul was black with foul deeds , he feared no creature , living or dead . Because he had an iron claw for a right hand , this terror of the Ocean lanes was known as ¨The Hook¨ . Bob Hope is Sylvester the Great , a conceited actor , the man of seven faces . He is a vaudvillian who falls for a gorgeous princess (Virginia Mayo) , both of whom being pursued by a nasty hooked pirate (Victor McLagen) and a governor (Victor Slezak) . Hope posing as a woman in order to escape , being saved by an old pirate (Walter Brennan). The Hook and his hoodlums (Mike Mazurki , Hugo Haas , Marc Lawrence) set out in pursuit Sylvester . They look for a valuable treasure and on the run Hope disguises as a gypsy . Meanwhile , Hope attempting to save the princess from being abducted . Hope and Mayo flee and find themselves surrounded by pirates . Later on , they go to the inn called ¨Bucket of Blood¨. Deciding to head back to treasure island .

This is an original and entertaining swashbuckler comedy , spoofing numerous pirate situations and including a wonderful song titled ¨Kiss me in the moonlight¨. The film is a Bob Hope recital , he stooges , makes acrobatics , tongue twister and puts faces and grimaces . It's a pretty amusing farce with the master comic and he displays splendidly his portentous skills . Bob Hope show with his particular talent as a great comic about an issue of mistaken identities , maps , hidden treasures and many other things . This is one of Bob's early Technicolor entries , being spectacularly photographed by Victor Milner and William Snyder . Available digitally remastered stereo with original film trailer . This one Hope played on loan from Paramount to the great producer Samuel Goldwyn . Samuel Goldwyn paid Paramount $133,500 to borrow Bob Hope for twelve weeks. During that time, Hope made this film and ¨They got me covered¨. The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on March 26, 1945 with Bob Hope and Virginia Mayo reprising their film roles . Of course , at the end of the movie appears a famous guest star , Big Crosby , in a closing cameo performed . Bob Hope , Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour on their crazies starred the known series about ¨The Road To..¨, these are the following : ¨The road to Singapur¨ this one started it all ; ¨Road to Hong Kong¨, ¨The Road to Lebanon¨, The Road to Morocco¨ , ¨The Road to Rio¨, ¨The road to Zanzibar¨, ¨The road to Utopia¨ . ¨The princess and the pirate¨ results to be as funny as some the other ¨Road movies¨ , it's a great entertainment and fun . The motion picture was well directed by David Butler . Picture is a vehicle Bob Hope , he's an authentic comic and real Farceur . If you like Hope's crazy interpretation , in which he manages charm and humor , you will most definitely enjoy this one ; it's really a great amusement .

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.