It was a terrible mess. Whose fault the host asked - the answer Bob Hope and his gag writers - Ironic that Hope hated the movie and kept it locked away after it had been in circulation for ten years. I loved the Bob Hope of the forties but his approach was dated and unfunny by 1956
I couldn't agree more.
"Hot sun, cool breeze, white horse on the sea, and a big shot of vitamin B in me!"share
It wasn't just Hope. The plot was convoluted and stupid, the British actors unconvincing as Russians or Americans, the direction heavy-handed, the rest of the script turgid and unfunny. And were any two leading actors/romantic leads ever more mismatched and incompatible than Hope and poor Kate? My question is, what ever induced her to do this lousy film?
shareMaybe means to an end kind of thing? She did this so the studio would let her do something she really cared about?
"Hot sun, cool breeze, white horse on the sea, and a big shot of vitamin B in me!"share
Yeah, but it was a British film, and she didn't do any other films in the UK or for that company. Plus Hope's company was also apparently involved in the production, and she surely had no interests there.
My guess is she found the idea something different for her, but it didn't work out.
My guess at what got her interested was the chance to do a Garbo role, that and she was friends with Ben Hecht. I'll bet that was Hecht's interest, writing the role for her.
But then British producers were found and the American story had to be Anglicized, Hope was hired in because hey, he's a star, and the one liners completely subverted the comedy of ideology.
By the time you realize you're in a train wreck, it's too late to get off at the station.
You may well be right. Certainly the factors you cite played a role in bringing Kate in.
The only thing I'd quibble with is that even though Hope's company was involved in the production, this was a British-made film from the beginning, and as far as I know the story was always supposed to be set in Britain. For its part I suspect Hope's company needed a tax shelter. In those days an American who worked abroad for 18 months didn't have to pay taxes on income earned during that period, and Hope did make a couple of films in Europe around this time. His company would likewise have benefited from such a set-up.
Love your close: "By the time you realize you're in a train wreck, it's too late to get off at the station." Great -- and probably what happened here.
Well, you must know more about the production than I do, since I know exactly nothing. But it just seems to me the Hepburn/Hecht combination had to be in place (at some level) before the Brits and Hope got involved.
My guess is the script, with Hepburn's backing, was bouncing around Hollywood for awhile and was bought by the Betty Box people as a vehicle knowing she was willing. My reason for thinking it was Anglicized was the weird way the story kicked off in the US, got the US military involved, then zipped off to London for the duration. Why not just have her land in Scotland or Yorkshire and deal with British military? Isn't it kind of weird to have Hope in London hotel room inducting Russians into the American army? It almost seems like the American military presence in England is at pre-D-Day levels. I'll bet the project, once bought, was always to be in England, but the script was pure Hollywood hokum and the producers were unwilling for some reason to have the British Air Force involved.
I also can't see Hepburn signing on to a Hope vehicle, she didn't need him, so I'll bet she was hired first. For him signing on makes more sense - she's a prestige pairing and maybe the audience will confuse him with Spencer Tracy for a second. Agents can dream, too. From the Hope side, I'm sure you're right about the tax shelter, matter of fact I'm positive you're right. But the project had none of his usual schtick and seemed geared toward her, not Bob's usual way of doing things, more like a man signing on to anything that paid real checks than a man in something looking for a co-star. I can't help but think if Bob had done the casting it probably would co-starred Diana Dors, Russian accent and all. Give that image a chuckle.
Anyway, deconstruction is fun like spitballs but I'll stop there, as it's already 16 times more analysis than this movie deserves.
Though I'm unsure who came aboard first, Hope or Hepburn, I suspect it was Kate, lured by Hecht or Betty Box, and that Hope indeed signed on because it looked prestigeous to appear with an actress of her stature.
But once Hope was hired his production company also got involved. Hope's people immediately changed the script away from Hepburn and toward Hope -- which is why I'm surprised you think it's geared more toward her character. Hepburn complained that Hope took over the project once he was aboard, increased his role and reduced hers, though his schtick was somewhat held in check because of Hecht's script and because others were in charge of the proceedings.
But this was a British film from beginning to end. It was never a Hollywood project. Also, I think you're a bit confused about the beginning of the film: it isn't set in the United States; it's set in West Germany -- she's intercepted by U.S. planes from an American base there, forced to land, then taken to London. She flew across the East German/West German border...a not unheard-of event. That's the hook on which the slender plot thread of pulling Americans into the film hung.
The bottom line, I guess, is that this movie sounded like a good idea at the time. However, everyone involved was mistaken about that. Really mistaken.
I am a great fan of Bob Hope and love all his movies but this one is unwatchable. I sat all the way through it hoping Bob would say one funny line but he never did. This is the worse movie he was ever stuck in. Hepburn is totally unattractive and her and Hope completely mismatched. I will never watch this one again.
shareSaw it for the first time tonight. No classic to be sure but I wouldn't call it horrible. "Boy Did I Get A Wrong Number" is far worse Bob Hope comedy than this while "Some Girls Do" is a far weaker film from the Director Ralph Nelson/Producer Betty E. Box team. I'd give it ** out of ****.
shareFrom what I've read in a few hepburn Bio's a great amount of jher best
work ended up on the cutting room floor. (Not that I take that as a fact.)
Allegedly,this was because she might be upstaging Hope comedically.
Which here is not all that hard,since the funniest thing he said is a comment on a Russian dancers head gear and funniest thing he does is that bent cigarette in his mouth.
I reviewed this here on IMDb in 2006. I made the error of saying she and Chuck go dancing at the Russian Bear early in the film. When in fact it's the officers club. (I can;t fix that unfortunatley as IMDb hada limit on editing.
I still hold thouhg,that Hepburn
far outdistances Hope in the film. As she should.
P.S. -
Noelle Middleton who played Connie (The Heiress) is still with us at age 87!
She's the only one of the main cast remaining.
MAN! One dream's come true,ready for another.
(MR.) happipuppi13 *arf,man!*!
I liked it very much
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