Customer Reviews

Never Say Die [VHS]

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

 

 

Lesser known than most Bob Hope classics, "Never Say Die" is nevertheless a funny and entertaining entry in the Hope cannon.

Bob stars as a millionaire hypochondriac who mistakenly believes his has only a few weeks to live. Desperate to avoid marriage with a crazed gold-digger (who also happens to be an Olympic sharpshooter) he hastily marries a friendly stranger, wonderfully played by Martha Raye. Hilarious complications ensue.

With a script by Preston Sturges and a great cast including Gayle Sondergaard and Andy Devine, "Never Say Die" is well worth checking out, especially for Hope fans. Recommended.
GRADE: B

(By the way, this is the first film, as far as I know, to use the old "confusing life-or-death rhyme" gag, also seen in Hope's "The Paleface" and used to spectacular effect in Danny Kaye's "The Court Jester".)

Imagine a honeymoon where everything that can go wrong, does! And you have one of the central story lines of this film. Martha Raye is a very sympathetic lead character who doesn't want to marry the Russian prince, but rather her boyfriend from back home, named Henry. Bob Hope's character is trying to escape from an olympic pistol shooting champion whose husbands mysteriously disappear and die. So, by chance, he and Martha Raye meet and rush to the altar declaring that neither one loves each other. But since Bob Hope's character mistakenly believes he has a few days left to live, they decide to chance it and we are treated to lots of laughs in the meantime. This film is lighthearted and makes for a fun evening. Five out of five stars!

My girls and I loved this movie. We adore old movies, especially Bob Hope. This one is on our list of favorites along with Ghostbreakers, Give me a sailor, The Princess and the Pirate. We loved Martha Raye in Give me a Sailor, so I bought this one and it was a blast.