This is a fair Bob Hope comedy with the flavor of an old-fashioned swashbuckler. But for a couple of scenes showing ships under sail, one exchanging cannon fire, and Hope and Virginia Mayo in a small lifeboat, there is little seaworthiness about this film Most of the other shots were filmed on sets, and all of the sea action doesn't amount to even a quarter of the film. So, forget the swash.
There is no denying that Bob Hope was a great entertainer. But his peculiar type of comedy in many of his movies in the 1940s to 1960s is very dated. And, these many years later, it just isn't that funny. His technique may have been good for success then, but it's not conducive to posterity. And, I even wonder if it was necessary for his success then. Especially when one compares it alongside the comedy of so many other performers in the 1930s through the 1960s that still make us laugh today.
Bob, and his friend, Bing Crosby – when they worked together, liked to mug for the camera a lot. That was OK. But what locked them into a short span of time for humor, was their popping out of the movie's time frame to their present for a side comment or ad-lib. For instance, in "The Princess and the Pirate," Hope's Sylvester the Great lives in the days of sailing ships and pirates. His character, as a world traveler and entertainer is stretch enough, considering that time. And he does fine with his dialog until he pops out lines that jolt us out of the days of adventure on the high seas. An example is his referring to the Hook being able to open beer cans with his hook.
Such modernist deviations in the script may have tickled a funny bone or two in their day, but that day is long past and the humor with it. My five stars are for a good cast, with especially good performances by Walter Brennan as Featherhead and Victor McLaglen as Captain Barrett – The Hook.
Here are a couple funny lines from this film. See the Quotes section in the IMDb Web page of the film for more humorous dialog.
Featherhead (played by Walter Brennan), "You can't miss him. He looks just like me. He's twice as smart as I am. Sylvester, "Oh, a half-wit, huh?"
Princess Margaret (Virginia Mayo), "Sylvester, I'm ashamed of you. Why don't you die like a man?" Sylvester, "Because I'd rather live like a woman."
Bucket of Blood owner, "You sound like a stranger. You haven't lived very long in this town, huh?" Sylvester, "Does anybody?"
There is no denying that Bob Hope was a great entertainer. But his peculiar type of comedy in many of his movies in the 1940s to 1960s is very dated. And, these many years later, it just isn't that funny. His technique may have been good for success then, but it's not conducive to posterity. And, I even wonder if it was necessary for his success then. Especially when one compares it alongside the comedy of so many other performers in the 1930s through the 1960s that still make us laugh today.
Bob, and his friend, Bing Crosby – when they worked together, liked to mug for the camera a lot. That was OK. But what locked them into a short span of time for humor, was their popping out of the movie's time frame to their present for a side comment or ad-lib. For instance, in "The Princess and the Pirate," Hope's Sylvester the Great lives in the days of sailing ships and pirates. His character, as a world traveler and entertainer is stretch enough, considering that time. And he does fine with his dialog until he pops out lines that jolt us out of the days of adventure on the high seas. An example is his referring to the Hook being able to open beer cans with his hook.
Such modernist deviations in the script may have tickled a funny bone or two in their day, but that day is long past and the humor with it. My five stars are for a good cast, with especially good performances by Walter Brennan as Featherhead and Victor McLaglen as Captain Barrett – The Hook.
Here are a couple funny lines from this film. See the Quotes section in the IMDb Web page of the film for more humorous dialog.
Featherhead (played by Walter Brennan), "You can't miss him. He looks just like me. He's twice as smart as I am. Sylvester, "Oh, a half-wit, huh?"
Princess Margaret (Virginia Mayo), "Sylvester, I'm ashamed of you. Why don't you die like a man?" Sylvester, "Because I'd rather live like a woman."
Bucket of Blood owner, "You sound like a stranger. You haven't lived very long in this town, huh?" Sylvester, "Does anybody?"