Typical Bob Hope shtick, he plays a fast-talking coward, this time with pirates. The script is predictable and not particularly witty, but Hope's outstanding timing and delivery makes up for weaknesses in the material. Virginia Mayo (the titular princess) looks great in period finery and a pirate outfit straight out of a Vargas pinup. Walter Brennen hams it up as loony-smart 'Featherhead', the pirate who cons Hope's "Sylvester Crosby" character (yes, there are lots of Bing jokes) into delivering a map to his brother in a particularly lawless nest of murderous scallywags. The film moves along at a brisk pace and the 'twist' ending is pretty funny. There are lots of 'in' jokes, mostly concerning Hope's frequent collaborator Bing Crosby and the studio deal that was struck to allow Hope to star in a Goldwyn production (Paramount got Gary Cooper for "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (1943), which likely explains why Hope's character refers to "For Whom the Bell Tolls" at one point). I had to google a few of the expressions ("Ten, twenty, thirty" refers to "cheap and typically melodramatic theatrical entertainment"), but generally 'got' most of the mid-40's pop culture references. Not as good as the "Road to..." series but entertaining enough if you like Hope, pirates, or comedies from the era in general.
Review of The Princess and the Pirate
