The Princess and the 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.

Hokey parody of swashbucklers, Hope, Crosby, movies, and everything else. Terrible story, ludicrous development, mediocre supporting cast - but great gags, funny and entertaining. It comes off as a fine film, even before "a bit player from Paramount" steals the final scene. I first saw this in 1945, and have seen it four times since, and it retains its comic charm beautifully.

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 .

Loads of wacky fun in this costume comedy that features Hope and Mayo who try to elude "The Hook," played with devilish charm by Victor McLaglen. Great gags, rousing excitement and even a cameo by a crooner named Crosby.

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'.