KINO LORBER RELEASES BOB HOPE ON BLU RAY

Several vintage Bob Hope movies have hit blu ray in nicely restored versions, and the result should be a celebration among comedy buffs.

Bob Hope is one of those quintessential comedians of the 20th century who succeeded in vaudeville, on Broadway, in movies, on radio, and on television. Best known for his entertaining the troops over several wars, Hope remained active past his 90th birthday and lived to be 100. Toward the end he shrugged off his ability with makeshift TV specials where immediately popular “celebrities” stiffly read lines off of cue cards, but these are not his enduring legacy. The movies are.

Kino has notably released two of the Hope films that slipped into the public domain and have been readily available since the VHS dark ages via a gaggle of lackluster prints from various low budget distributors. Kino has now restored the notorious “My Favorite Brunette” and “Road to Bali” so we have sharper, better prints of these classics. The rest of the films released include another Road movie, “Road to Rio,” and the yuletide delight “The Lemon Drop Kid.” Kino has announced that “Son of Paleface” will soon follow (and a separate review will be written when that happens).

We’ll look at each movie individually:

ROAD TO RIO

Directed by Norman Z. McLeod. Starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Gale Sondergaard, Frank Faylen, Joseph Vitale, George Meeker. Running time: 100 minutes. Released December 25, 1947.

Bing Crosby and Bob Hope teamed up for the Road pictures, they latched onto an offbeat comic formula that challenged the medium in a humorous manner, resulting in popular, timeless comedies. When Paramount decided to end the Road movies in 1945, they were inundated with tens of thousands of letters from moviegoers. The result was “Road to Rio.” There is no bad Road movie, some are better than others. Rio is one of the funniest, with Bing and Bob once again getting mixed up with Dorothy Lamour, this time attempting to save her from an unwanted marriage. Along with the strong supporting cast, there are delightful appearances by The Andrews Sisters and The Wiere Brothers. Look for Elmer Fudd voice actor Arthur Q. Bryan, as well as such familiar faces as Stanley Blystone, Gino Corrado, Charles Middleton, Tor Johnson, Frank Ferguson, and Babe London dotting the small roles.. Kino Lorber’s print is from the UCLA archives. It is available here.

ROAD TO BALI

Directed by Hal Walker. Starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Murvyn Vye, Peter Coe, Ralph Moody, Leon Askin. Running time: 91 minutes. Released November 19, 1952.

Notable as the only Road movie in color, “Road to Bali” has never been offered in a truly good print. The public domain distributors who made it available, did so with the most accessible preprint material, sometimes even adding their own sound effects to “copyright” the version they were distributing. All of that ends with Kino Lorber’s beautiful restoration. There is a scene in “Road to Bali” where a man walks up in full hunter regalia, greets Bing, fires a gun, and walks away. It is Bob Crosby, Bing’s real life brother. When Dorothy inquires who the man is, Bing says, “That’s my brother Bob, I promised him a shot in the picture.” Such is the wonderful absurdity contained in the very funny “Road to Bali.” Along with the remarkable restoration, Kino Lorber’s print adds more fun with commentary by Michael Schlesinger and Mark Evanier. This could also be considered the last of the true Road pictures, as it was the final one to be released by Paramount, and to be an organic part of the established series. When Bing and Bob were reunited for “Road to Hong Kong” ten years later, it was an indie deal through United Artists with Dorothy Lamour reduced to a cameo. Funny in its own way, it really isn’t part of the original series. “Road to Bali” is available here.

MY FAVORITE BRUNETTE

Directed by Elliot Nugent. Starring Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Peter Lorre, Lon Chaney jr., John Hoyt, Charles Dingle, Reginald Denny, Frank Puglia, Ann Doran, Willard Robertson, Jack La Rue, Charles Arnt. Running time: April 4, 1947. Released April 4, 1947.

What is the best Bob Hope movie of them all? It might be this wildly funny comedy-mystery with Hope getting involved with Dorothy on his own, when he poses as a detective (because he’s always wanted to be one) and she hires him for a case. Peter Lorre is brilliant playing his sinister character as a comic heavy, while Lon Chaney jr. channels his “Of Mice and Men” performance and uses it for humor in a most hilarious manner. Hope is at is snappiest and most cowardly, while Dorothy is as beautiful and engaging as ever. The underlying mystery plot flows nicely while Bob’s joke writers supply with irresistibly corny lines like, “Nice cheerful place - what time do they bring the mummies out?” and “You've had me in hot water so long I feel like a tea bag!” There isn’t a wasted moment in “My Favorite Brunette,” and after decades of lackluster video prints, we now have a nice sharp picture and crisp sound. It is available here.

THE LEMON DROP KID

Directed by Sidney Lanfield and an uncredited Frank Tashlin. Starring Bob Hope, Marilyn Maxwell, Lloyd Nolan, Jane Darwell, Andrea King, Fred Clark, Jay C. Flippen, William Frawley, Sid Melton, Ben Welden. Running time: 91 minutes. Released April 2, 1951.

A Yuletide perennial with a delightful story and a terrific cast, “The Lemon Drop Kid” is best known for the song “Silver Bells,” which became a holiday classic. In this one Hope is the swindling title character who talks a gambler’s girl out of making a bet one horse, and into betting on another. The gambler ends up losing his money. He doesn’t like that, so now the Kid owes the gambler $10,000. The Damon Runyon source material is riddled with typical Hope corn and a lot of funny situations. This highly recommended Bob Hope classic is available here.

All of these films are highly recommended additions to any film library, be it a library, research center, school, or just an individual who wants some good laughs from a true comedy icon.