Customer Reviews

Bob Hope Tribute Collection - Louisiana Purchase / Never Say Die Double Feature

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Yet another fine disc in the Bob Hope Tribute Collection offers up two more classic Hope films, along with trailers, production notes, and cast and crew bios.

In "Louisiana Purchase", Bob is the unwitting vicim of corrupt Louisiana politicians who stick him with the blame when a crusading senator from Washington comes to investigate. Bob has to finagle a way to deflect the senator from his witch hunt, and enlists the aid of a Viennese beauty played by Vera Zorina. The senator is wonderfully portrayed by Victor Moore, a pious Republican who longs for the Presidency.

Interesting to note here is the opening scene, which was shot in color, but on a set designed for black and white film. The producers did this on purpose, hoping to lead up to the spectacular color sequences later on in the picture, but seeing the gray/blue color scheme here is a fascinating look at how specific contrasts were achieved on the sets of all those black and white movies in order to make them appear more natural.

While "Louisiana Purchase" is pretty good, "Never Say Die" steals the show. Bob is a hypochondriac millionaire mistakenly given one month to live. Martha Raye teams with Bob again as the daughter of a Texas oil man who wants her to marry a cash-strapped prince. Unfortunately, she's in love with Andy Devine's character, Henry Munch, and runs away rather than marry the prince! Naturally, she runs into Bob, who's being hunted by a "black widow" delightfully played by Gale Sondergaard, who's husbands have a bad habit of always turning up dead. The one-liners (and the laughs) come fast and furious in this one!

If you look quick, you'll see Monty Woolley as Dr. Schmidt, the specialist who misdiagnoses Bob's condition. Film fans will fondly remember his later appearances in the classic Cary Grant picture "The Bishop's Wife", and "The Man Who Came to Dinner" with Bette Davis.

While Bob Hope made films for over 30 years, his best by far were in the first decade and these 2 films from 1939 and 1941 easily demonstrate this. They are good entertainment. In both, Hope abandons his usual persona as the egotistical coward.

"Never say Die" is a great example of a forgotten second rung gem. Hope plays a millionaire hypochondriac who is waiting to die when he is wrongly diagnosed as having the acidity of a dog and will eventually implode because he will eat his own bones. The film is full of nutty and very funny ideas like this, not surprising when you learn that Preston Sturges is listed as one of the writers. Martha Raye plays against type as the heroine, destined to a loveless marriage to a prince, but falling for Hope and saving him from a black widow played by Gale Sondergaard. There is an excellent supporting cast, beautiful backdrops of the European countryside and Raye delivers an amusing song with her usual skill. The print has not been restored and there is some dirt and popping but overall, it is more than adequate.

"Louisiana Purchase" is the film version of a popular Broadway musical with many of the original cast. The script is a satire on politics. Filmed in technicolour which is preserved in this excellent print, there are some funny bits but most of the Irving Berlin songs have been cut and the comedy is too slow. Irving Cummings directs in his usual technically competent, unimaginative and plodding way. This film should have been faster and funnier. Vera Zorina plays the female lead and she is prettier and more animated than in any of her other film appearances.

The set comes with a few extras - the original theatrical trailers, some production notes and short biographys of the principals.

Louisiana Purchase *1/2 stars at best.
Never Say Die *** stars.
This double feature from the Bob Hope Tribute Collection is the weakest one easily. Louisiana Purchase goes on & on & becomes intolerable before it mercifully reaches its conclusion. The dialog goes on endlessly & the film goes nowhere. It was released in 1941 & is in color, a rarity for Hope in those days. In fact it was the first film he starred in that was done in color. It's based on an Irving Berlin Broadway musical & might be described as political satire but it never gets off the ground, sort of like the Spruce Goose. Jim Taylor (Hope) is a political flunky who gets set up for a fall by some dishonest politicians who don't want to pay the price for their crimes.

Never Say Die is fairly decent Hope material. It was released in 1939.
John Kidley (Hope), a wealthy man, learns that he only has 30 days to live. What he doesn't realize is that the tests were wrong. So he decides to go to Bad Gaswasser spa in Switzerland. He dumps his fiancee before he goes. After arriving at Bad Gaswasser he meets Mickey Hawkins (Martha Raye) who is being forced to marry Prince Smirnov (Alan Mowbray). Smirnov has some serious gambling debts & reasons that marrying her will put some ready cash in his hands. Mickey doesn't love Smirnov but does love Henry Munch (Andy Devine), a mere commoner from the States. Kidley & Hawkins end up marrying one another but only to get over on things. Munch goes with them on their honeymoon with hilarious results. Eventually Kidley discovers that he's going to live. By this time Kidley Hawkins discover they love each other but one problem remains: Smirnov feels insulted & demands satisfaction via a duel with Kidley. This scene is hilarious as different individuals give Kidley loads of advice on how to win the duel. Kidley gets all the advice jumbled up & is sputtering out jibberish. Hope would later do this same thing in Paleface. Gale Sondergaard co-stars in her usual evil personna.
Great stuff.

I was pleased with the double movie DVD, and with the promptness with which I received it. I'm replacing all my Hope movies on VHS with the DVD selections. Takes up a lot less room. I'm really glad they are available.

You have to remember, when reviewing starring Bob Hope, it would be difficult to find a pre-1960 Hope movie that isn't worth watching. I gave this three stars to let people know that, if they are looking for good Hope movies to start collecting, this isn't the place to start.

Never Say Die is simply so-so. The irony is that the actors all do a tremendous job, and the plot is wonderful for Bob Hope. But the timing of the dialogue is a bit off in the scenes.

Bob Hope plays a wealthy young hypochondriac who is "recovering" at a mineral springs health spa in or near Bavaria, accompanied by his valet. When a woman, recently widowed and with whom he has been dallying, shows up at the spa and insists they marry, Hope's character has to find a way out of the situation. On his way back from a doctor's office, where he learns that he has only 30 days to live, he meets Martha Raye, who is running away from a forced marriage to a local prince because she is in love with a man back home in Texas. Hope and Raye, with the help of Hope's valet, scheme to marry, the plan being that he will leave all his money to Raye and her fiancee. It's a funny plot, and the actors are marvelous. Andy Devine plays the fella from home, and Gale Sundergaard plays the black widow, and everyone is chasing everyone. Martha Raye is her usual zany, wonderful self, but her dialogue also suffers a bit.

The Louisiana Purchase, while I still wouldn't put it up with my favorites, is interesting in that it deals with Louisiana politics and can be quite biting for an older movie. Even considering Hope's jokes about Republicans and Democrats interspersed within his movies, this is quite political. Very amusing, but not belly laugh inducing.

These movies are worth eventually having in your Hope collection. But if you aren't independently wealthy and need to space your Bob Hope purchases out, start with The Lemon Drop Kid, Sorrowful Jones, My Favorite Blonde, My Favorite Brunette, or Road to Singapore and other Road movies.

Louisiana Purchase belongs to Victor Moore and Vera Zorina. Moore underplayes hilariously and Vera`s comic touch is both off-beat and with the times... The opening sequences DEMAAAAAANDS to NEVER to be forgotten.... In the trailer we c "Marina" dance in front of "Yvonne"... I wish they could have included that number as an outtake, because - sadly - it is not in the film.

Mr Bob Hope isn`t on par with The Paleface and The Princess and the Pirate(looks as if he hadn`t found his niche quite yet), and Vera`s ballet-number is staged too simply.. Why didn`t they use her as in ON YOUR TOES and THE GOLDWYN FOLLIES? She would have been much better without the assistance of Charles Laskey..Indeed it IS a funny film.... a friend of my of 23 demanded at a party the day after: "GIVE ME SOME MISSISSIPPI RIVER WATEEEEEEEEEEER!" hehehe



NEVER SAY DIE promises a lot in its trailer, but unfortunately the great Sondergaard is underused and William Devane makes us wanna push him off a cliff... Martha Raye is good, but what really destroyes this film, is that it sounds much more fun in the liner notes, than it really is....

30/1 2006: Look for VERA ZORINA in the 20th Century-Fox dramacomedy I WAS AN ADVENTURESS 1940 as well. It is a magnificent piece of entertainment co-starring ERICH Von STROHEIM and PETER LORRE.