It's never a good thing when I have to struggle to come up with a film review. I'm a pretty big fan of Bob Hope but this one left me a bit flat, perhaps because I watched it out of sequence with the follow up film "Son of Paleface" with Hope and Russell on hand once more, but as different characters. The sequel also featured my favorite movie cowboy Roy Rogers, along with Trigger giving a career performance that might have upstaged the nominal stars of the picture.
The team up of Hope and Russell seems like a natural but it wouldn't have hurt for Mariska Hargitay's mom to crack a smile every now and then. There's no pretense at all that this is a parody Western, so why not lighten up and have a little fun with it? Russell seemed to be taking this a lot more seriously than she needed to, and if I noticed it I think the director should have too.
Perhaps the biggest plus here is the film's vibrant Technicolor format, especially when it showcases the Indians in their brightly colored tribal gear. Hope's no slouch either in his gaudy Western outfit, which only goes to emphasize how out of place he is in the Old West scheme of things. Once again though, I'm of a mind that Russell's reputation is greater than the reality, and her full figured look isn't as exceptional as one might be led to believe. Nothing she wore in this picture managed to flatter, so if that's what you're expecting, you'll have to catch her in the sequel doing that sexy singing number at the Dirty Shame Saloon.
The team up of Hope and Russell seems like a natural but it wouldn't have hurt for Mariska Hargitay's mom to crack a smile every now and then. There's no pretense at all that this is a parody Western, so why not lighten up and have a little fun with it? Russell seemed to be taking this a lot more seriously than she needed to, and if I noticed it I think the director should have too.
Perhaps the biggest plus here is the film's vibrant Technicolor format, especially when it showcases the Indians in their brightly colored tribal gear. Hope's no slouch either in his gaudy Western outfit, which only goes to emphasize how out of place he is in the Old West scheme of things. Once again though, I'm of a mind that Russell's reputation is greater than the reality, and her full figured look isn't as exceptional as one might be led to believe. Nothing she wore in this picture managed to flatter, so if that's what you're expecting, you'll have to catch her in the sequel doing that sexy singing number at the Dirty Shame Saloon.