“Where there’s life … there’s hope. Bob Hope, that is.”
Few American entertainers have had a career to match that of Bob Hope. He lived 100 years and spent over 80 of those years in the entertainment industry. He appeared in over 70 films, wrote various books, and has over 300 appearance credits to his name on television and radio. He cut out a niche for himself during World War II that carried him through the Korean War and the war in Vietnam. He conducted literally hundreds of appearances for GIs out in the field, performing sometimes for audiences at the front. He brought a ton of his celebrity friends and was Mr. USO for decades. An honest look at his career is impossible here. Thanks to the folks over at Kino, we have the opportunity to explore a couple of his films from the 1930’s. You can pick up each of them on Blu-ray now, and we’ll give you an idea of what you’re going to get for your money.
Thanks For The Memory (1938)
“People who are foolish enough to get married ought to stay that way.”
Earlier in 1938 Bob Hope and Shirley Ross appeared in a film called The Big Broadcast Of 1938. It was a relatively mild hit, but what did emerge from the film was a rise in popularity of a duet the two stars performed on the film. It was called Thanks For The Memory; it won the Oscar for Best Song and it was quickly turned into another fast feature film for the two stars. Thanks For The Memory was actually a remake of a 1931 film Up Pops The Devil with Carole Lombard, minus the duet. The entire thing is also based on a play by Albert Hackett and George Archainbaud. The play was also entitled Up Pops The Devil. The song itself would become so successful that it would become synonymous with Bob Hope. It would become his theme song, and it was played throughout his life whenever he was introduced at appearances. It was his own Hail to the Chief. This film would also produce another hit song for Hope and Ross called Two Sleepy People. So while the film is hardly remembered, it was truly a landmark film in Bob Hope’s career. Ross, like Hope, would also become a standard fixture at USO tours to entertain the troops. She was made an honorary member of the U.S. military and received full military honors at her own funeral.
Bob Hope plays Steve, an aspiring novelist. He and wife Anne have been married for three months and are still feeling like newlyweds. Steve is stuck after 10 chapters, and he’s selling his book to Gil Morell, who happened to once be engaged to Ann. Gil suggests that Steve quit his job and write full time. His pride doesn’t like the idea, but Ann talks him into it. But the result is even more writer’s block and some rather amusing attempts at “housewife” duties. All the while he’s spending money like he were rich to somehow feed his pride, but it all leads to tension in the young marriage, and Steve leaves Ann, thinking she’s been won back over by Gil, who wants to help and hires Ann to make sure the couple lands on their feet while Steve finishes his book.
The film survives on a series of misunderstandings and the constant traffic of other folks who come and go from the couple’s apartment day and night. It doesn’t even matter if anyone’s home. The flux of guests provides a bit of commentary on the situation and act a bit like the film’s Greek Chorus, who pretty much provide commentary and insight on what’s going on between the couple. They end up providing us with some valuable information nearer to the climax. The characters who come and go include Biney (Butterworth), who is a dime-store philosopher who wouldn’t pass up a drink under any circumstances. He’s usually accompanied by Polly Grissom, who is a newspaper critic and is played by real-life gossip columnist Hedda Hopper. Eddie “Rochester” Anderson provides some of the best moments as the janitor who pops in once in a while with a delivery or message and who often feels put out by his treatment and the stairs. The landlords appear here from time to time, played by Laura Hope Crews and Roscoe Karns.
The film is quite entertaining and certainly one of Hope’s better efforts. If you only pick up one of these two films, this is the one you want.
Never Say Die (1939)
“Leave everything to me, and I’ll leave everything to you. You know what I mean?”
Never Say Die started as a play written by William H. Post and William Collier, Sr., and it was the biggest Broadway hit of 1912, running for over 150 straight performances. It was only a matter of time before it would be turned into a feature. With Bob Hope’s great 1938 success with songs, this casting was a no-brainer.
John Kidley (Hope) is a very rich hypochondriac who finds himself at the Swiss health spas of the appropriately named Bad GasWasser. There he hopes for a cure but spends most of his time feeling sick and staying in bed despite the attempts of his loyal butler Jeepers (Cossart). He’s also got another reason to hide, and this one isn’t paranoia. He’s being stalked by Juno Marko (Sondergaard). She’s a bit of a black widow. Her rich husbands all meet horrible ends, and she has John on her hit list next. Word gets out that John has only 30 days to live. He’s got a disease that is turning him into a dog, and his body will eventually eat itself into nothing. This based on test results by a crazy doctor who is already hoping to gain fame from the rare case. So Marko figures she won’t even have to bump this one off. Naturally, John is trying to get out of the wedding. Meanwhile Texan Mickey Hawkins, played by Martha Raye, has her own wedding problem. She’s being pressured to marry local royalty, while she’s really wanting to marry her bumpkin boyfriend Henry, played by Andy Devine. You might recall that Jimmy Buffet wanted an autographed picture of Andy Devine in song.
John overhears her problem and decides on a solution to help both. Henry needs money to work his land, and John’s willing to marry Mickey to save both from the horrible alternatives, and when he kicks she gets his $20 million and she and Henry can live happily ever after. They pull off the nuptials and barely get out of town before the mob of jilted fiancees and their entourage can get them. So they’re off on a honeymoon: John and Mickey … and Henry. Henry doesn’t do a great job of showing Mickey attention. He’d rather whittle on a piece of wood than hold her. This all leads to the film’s funniest gag when John and Mickey try to teach Henry how to kiss a girl properly. It ends up interrupted by a bear cub and is the best of the laughs in the film. The jilted gang pick up the torches and pitchforks and go find the couple who jilted them. John finds a way to make everyone happy, and eventually he and Mickey realize they were meant to be together. Henry will get his money, as will the others. Of course, with Henry ready to get some money, Marko sets her sights on the naive Texan. But it doesn’t quite work out that way. Eventually, word comes that John’s labs were mixed up with that of a dog, and he’s actually perfectly healthy. The information leads to a duel that ends up with a rather clever wordplay gag as Mickey attempts to interfere in the duel and tries to explain which gun has the blank and which gun has the real bullet. You see, there’s an X on the barrel of the gun with a bullet and a notch on the handle of the gun with the blank … or was it? You can imagine where this is all going.
I’ve always believed that Bob Hope’s best years on film were the earlier years. There was a lot more entertainment bang for the proverbial buck. The Road films became his staple and most famous films, but these little gems have some charm that huge star Bob Hope never really recaptured. Here he was still hungry, and the effort shows. “Some of the best wines come out of the oldest bottles.”
