Jeri Jacquin
Universal Studios Home Entertainment has knocked it out of
the park! Bringing twenty-one classic comedies by a beloved American icon with
BOB HOPE: The Ultimate Movie Collection.
Bob Hope (aka Leslie Townes Hope) has spent 80 years in the
business with a career that includes television, films and entertaining on the
road. Appearing in more than 70 films and hosting the Academy Award a record
number of times, he also managed to write a few books.
He began his career in the 1920’s with stage work and then
became a voice on the radio before acting around 1934. Hope worked with several
studios, actors and some of the times leading ladies including Katharine
Hepburn, Hedy Lamarr, Jane Russell, Lucille Ball and Rosemary Clooney.
One of the most iconic pairing’s of singing and dancing, Bob
Hope and Bing Crosby made several pictures that are still a thrill to watch
today. Now, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment brings some of Hope’s best
work with comedy, song and dance.
THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1938 is Hope’s first appearance on
screen opposite W.C. Fields in this comedy on the ocean. THANKS FOR THE MEMORY,
also released in 1938, has Hope as a stay at home writer husband dealing with a
working wife and a former love.
In the 1945 film ROAD TO UTOPIA directed by Hal Walker, Hope
and Crosby play something they both are familiar with – vaudeville performers,
except in Alaska .
Before they even get there, a treasure map sets them on another course with
others hot on their snowy trail!
Larry Lawrence, played by Hope, is a radio broadcaster who
is checking out a Cuban haunted castle. Along for the mayhem is Paulette
Goddard and Paul Lukas to make sure everything goes as crazy as spiritually
possible in the 1940 film THE GHOST BREAKERS.
The next year, ROAD TO ZANZIBAR brings Hope and Crosby
together again but this time in Africa as
Chuck and Fearless bring hilarity to the jungle. Of course they aren’t about to
ignore the fact that the beautiful Dorothy Lamour is also part of the cast.
ROAD TO MOROCCO brings the band back together as Hope and
Crosby manage to drift to the Mediterranean landing where the Arabian Nights
introduces them to Princess Shalmar of Karameesh. The Princess is the lovely
Dorothy Lamour once again and Anthony Quinn is Mullay Kasim.
Hope is Sorrowful Jones in this 1949 film of the same name
as a free wheeling man who enjoys his life. That is all about to change when a
bet is placed and Jones gets a little girl as a marker. When the father doesn’t
come back Jones gets a real life lesson! The film also stars the red headed
beauty Lucille Ball, William Demarest and Bruce Cabot.
Universal Studios Home Entertainment has just added an
amazing film to their library and making it available for us all to experience
and re-experience in our own home theatres. There are films of every genre
available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to
offer please visit www.uphe.com.
BOB HOPE: The Ultimate Movie Collection also includes an
all-new documentary American Masters:
This is Bob Hope. It explores Hope’s life with unprecedented access to
personal archives, film clips, radio and television shows. Billy Crystal reads
excerpts of Bob Hope’s writing and interviews with Dick Cavett, Linda Hope,
Leonard Maltin, Tom Selleck, Kermit the Frog as well as writers Sherwood
Schwartz and biographer Richard Zoglin.
Also included is Bob
Hope and the Road to Success, Entertaining the Troops, Command Performance
1944, Command Performance 1945 and Hollywood Victory Caravan.
It is equally important to mention the work that Hope did
for our troops. Between 1941 and 1991, Bob Hope would pack up his own duffle
bag and head out entertaining military personnel in over 57 USO (United Service
Organizations) tours. It began in 1939 when Hope volunteered to perform for the
passengers on the RMS Queen Mary.
Two years later, his first official USO performance was at March Field , California
That is what an amazing human being does for his fellow
human beings. For his service, Hope was awarded the Sylvanus Thayer Award by
the United States Military Academy
in West Point in 1968. President Bill Clinton
signed an act of Congress in 1997 giving Hope Honorary Veteran status.
‘Thanks for the Memory’ is a song Hope became famous for on
that first volunteer gig and made the tune iconic on every tour and to this
very day.
This is an extraordinary collection of Hope’s film
performances and I have to say it is a pleasure to sit back and watch films
that make me laugh, delight the eye and remember the reason we still celebrate
Bob Hope.
The music is worth celebrating, the cinematography is
stunning and yes I am partial to black and white films of all kinds. There are
songs that have become part of the musical fabric of America and dance moves that
inspired generations to come to put on their shoes and show us how far it could
all go.
BOB HOPE: The Ultimate Movie Collection is such a must have
for anyone who wants to truly expand their home entertainment library. What is
also amazing is that these are films that families can sit together and enjoy.
For me that’s important in showing the new generation the origins of good filmmaking
and the music that created the stunning musicals we have on film today.
In the end – twenty one classic comedies worth every moment
to watch!
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