While I enjoyed a few of Bob Hope's films, I must say up front that I am not especially a fan of his work. And, I think that others who are not huge fans of his work will probably not be particularly impressed by this rather limp comedy. That's because, for a comedy, this film has a remarkably small amount of humor. Apart from a slightly amusing situation, most of the "laughs" are the result of Hope's mugging and one-liners. For me, they frankly weren't funny at all. My opinion, and I know this might make me sound harsh, is that for years, Bob Hope cashed in on his early successes and then just kind of walked through many roles playing himself. And, this film isn't particularly different from a long string of very similar films from the 40s and 50s. While his die-hard fans will no doubt enjoy this, others will probably be pretty bored.
The film is a story about Hope and a look-alike who is a master spy. The spy is captured and Hope is to take his place and secure some secret film. Along the way, he meets Hedy Lamarr--who just seems a bit out of her element. She is not a natural comedienne, but this film doesn't even allow her to try--forcing her to play a dramatic role most of the film. And, in the final chase scene, it looks like a limp imitation of a Keystone comedy. As a result, you're left with a slightly less than average time-passer and nothing more. While technically sound, I was frankly amazed how uninvolving this film was. There was just so little energy and few laughs.
The film is a story about Hope and a look-alike who is a master spy. The spy is captured and Hope is to take his place and secure some secret film. Along the way, he meets Hedy Lamarr--who just seems a bit out of her element. She is not a natural comedienne, but this film doesn't even allow her to try--forcing her to play a dramatic role most of the film. And, in the final chase scene, it looks like a limp imitation of a Keystone comedy. As a result, you're left with a slightly less than average time-passer and nothing more. While technically sound, I was frankly amazed how uninvolving this film was. There was just so little energy and few laughs.