Il y aura toujours des femmes

In 1953's "Here Come the Girls," Bob Hope is a pathetic chorus boy in a production around the turn of the century.

The leads (Arlene Dahl, Tony Martin) want him out of the show, and his only friend is his girlfriend (Rosemary Clooney). Finally, the producer (Fred Clark) fires him, only to bring him back immediately.

A serial killer obsessed with Dahl goes after Martin and injures him badly. So poor Bob is put back in the show - this time as the lead - just until the serial killer (Robert Strauss) can go after him and, as far as everyone is concerned, hopefully kill him. Dahl pretends to be enamored of him, and Hope starts ignoring Clooney.

This is very funny Hope, the energetic, cowardly, naive Hope that everyone loved in the '40s. Unfortunately, although it's a musical, we don't get to hear much from Martin and Clooney, neither of which have a tremendous amount to do. That's a shame.

Hope, of course, couldn't play that youthful character forever; eventually his films became stale with old jokes and a staid, wisecracking Bob. But here he still shines. The beautiful Arlene Dahl is his costar. She doesn't have much to do except look dazzling, never a problem for her.

Look out for the young boy named "Bang Crosby" whom Hope meets along the way. Enjoyable film.

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'...

A light piece of fluff, but enjoyable fluff! Watch out for the last scene with the great chase - some fantastic and hilarious acrobatics done there. Bob Hope fans, you can't miss this one. Non-fans, give it a go anyway, it's so silly that you'll laugh!

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.

"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.