IT CAME FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF!

As I’ve stated previously on this site, Bob Hope was one of the most reliable funny-men to ever grace the silver screen. After his breakout role in 1939’s “Old Dark House” mystery/comedy, The Cat and the Canary, Hope had a fifteen year string of critical and box office hits that were almost universally good (and in some cases, great). Over the last few years, Kino Lorber Studio Classics has released new remasters and restorations of many of these films on individual Blu-rays. These high-definition releases continue on March 2nd with three of Hope’s early starring vehicles, Caught in the Draft (1941), Nothing But the Truth (1941), and My Favorite Blonde (1942). I got an early look at the three discs, and “spoiler alert,” they’re all great. I’ll provide reviews of each of the titles in their original release order.

Nothing But the Truth is one of the most unique films in the Hope filmography, and My Favorite Blonde is often ranked by fans (including myself) as one of Hope’s top two or three films. Consequently, Caught in the Draft suffers in comparison by merely being a very, very funny film. Still, that’s not nothing. A viewer can’t ask much more of a comedy than it be funny, and Caught in the Draft more than passes that test.

With America’s entry into World War II a forgone conclusion, the U.S. draft commenced in October of 1940, and the Abbott & Costello service comedy Buck Privates followed in January of the following year. When Buck Privates proved to be a box office bonanza ($4 million in sales, at a time when movie tickets were 25 cents or less), more military comedies were rushed into production, including Great Guns (1941) with Laurel & Hardy and Caught in the Draft for Paramount’s newest comedy sensation, Bob Hope.

In the film, Hope stars as Don Bolton, an egotistical actor who suffers from a fear of loud noises. When the draft appears imminent, he connives to avoid military service at all costs, even if those costs include marriage. He sets his sights on Antoinette ‘Tony’ Fairbanks (Dorothy Lamour), the daughter of an army colonel, who he comments “looks like Dorothy Lamour with her clothes on.” When his initial attempts at romance fizzle out, Bolton tries to impress Tony by pretending to enlist, but he enlists for real by mistake. He’s joined in the service by his assistant Bert (Eddie Bracken) and his agent Steve (Lynne Overman), and of course, hilarity ensues.

The plot doesn’t make a whole lot of sense in Caught in the Draft. It strains credulity that a fifty-four year old agent would join the service to keep an eye on his client (or that the army would immediately accept the middle-aged recruit), and (as is pointed out in the disc’s outstanding audio commentary) Lamour’s character waffles between affection and disgust for Hope’s character without explanation to serve the needs of the script. However, one doesn’t watch Bob Hope movies for logic. Laughs are the only true measure of a Hope comedy, and Caught in the Draft has plenty.

All of the standard tropes of service comedies are covered in Caught in the Draft, including a drill routine, ill-fitting uniforms, and peeling potatoes. However, Caught in the Draft includes some unique and inventive set pieces, including a farcical scene where Hope’s character finds himself in nothing but his long underwear. Better yet is an extended sequence with Hope trying to drive a tank while misinterpreting kicks from a female hitchhiker for navigating directions. While Hope was mainly known as a verbal comedian (due to the strength of his popular “Pepsodent” radio show and various hosting gigs), he was also a talented physical performer. Caught in the Draft gives Bob ample opportunity to display both his physical and verbal prowess.

This was the fourth of twelve (or thirteen, depending on how you count) films in which Hope co-starred with Lamour. They have a natural, relaxed chemistry in Caught in the Draft, and Dottie does a great job doing a lot of the heavy lifting plot-wise. Hope also receives great support from comedy co-stars Lynne Overman and Eddie Bracken. Unlike some other classic comedians, Hope never seemed threatened by letting other actors get laughs, and Overman and Bracken get plenty of opportunities to shine.

While I ultimately enjoyed Nothing But the Truth and My Favorite Blonde a bit more than Caught in the Draft, this service comedy still has a lot to recommend it. Few laugh-getters were as consistent in the 1940s as Bob Hope, and none of these titles let the audience down. Fans of “Old Ski Nose” are encouraged to add all three discs to their collections.

USA/B&W-82m./Dir: David Butler/Wr: Harry Tugend/Cast: Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Lynne Overman, Eddie Bracken, Clarence Kolb, Paul Hurst, Ferike Boros, Phyllis Ruth, Irving Bacon, Edgar Dearing 

For Fans of: If you like the Road pictures with Bob, Bing, and Dottie, you’ll also enjoy this comedy in which Bing takes the day off. Lynne Overman and Eddie Bracken do a nice job filling in for Der Bingle.

Video: The upcoming Caught in the Draft Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics is sourced from a new 4K master. The image quality looks excellent and is an improvement over prior home video releases. The image is sharp, and while there may be a few minimal scratches and speckles, I honestly didn’t notice any. The picture features rich blacks, perfect contrast, and appropriate film grain. Overall, it looks like a near-pristine film print being projected for the first time.

The original mono DTS sound is solid, presenting dialogue, sound effects, and music with clarity. I detected no age-related hiss or distortion. This film will likely never look or sound better. Whether you are a fan of this particular film or Bob Hope films in general, the disc is highly recommended.

Kino Lorber also included a wealth of special features to put the film in historical context:

• A new, full-length audio commentary by filmmaker/historian Michael Schlesinger and film archivist Stan Taffel: Michael and Stan always provide relaxed, conversational commentaries that are both entertaining and informative. This time around, they discuss the merits of the film, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, provide a bit of background on numerous members of the cast and crew, and even explain some of the dated cultural references in Hope’s wisecracks.
• Entertaining the Troops: A 6-minute vintage featurette on Bob Hope’s USO work, which has been included on previous Bob Hope discs.
• Command Performance 1944: Filmed segments from a 1944 live recording of the Command Performance radio show are included in this seven minute extra. Bob Hope hosts the show, which includes appearances by Betty Hutton, Lana Turner, and Judy Garland.
• Command Performance 1945: This five-minute excerpt from Army-Navy Screen Magazine presents filmed segments from a 1945 live recording of the Command Performance radio show.  Bob Hope hosts the show, which includes an appearance by comedian Jerry Colonna.
• Hollywood Victory Caravan: Filmed shortly after the end of the war, this star-studded 20-minute short was meant to drum up funding for the Victory Loan campaign to bring troops home and pay for medical care of disabled vets. Amongst the actors featured are Road to Utopia stars Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Robert Benchley.
• The original theatrical trailer
• Bonus trailers for Road to Singapore, Road to Zanzibar, Road to Morroco, Road to Utopia, and a brief Kino Lorber promo for some of their other Bob Hope titles.
• Optional English subtitles for the feature

Streaming: At the time of this review, Caught in the Draft was not streaming as part of any of the major subscription services.  The film was also not available for digital rental or purchase.

More to Explore: You can’t go wrong with most of the Bob Hope films produced between 1939 and 1954. Classic film fans are likely familiar with the Road pictures that Hope made with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour. Below I posted links to Blu-ray releases of some of the best of Hope’s films as a solo comedian.

Trivia: National Guardsmen drilled the actors, so that their performances as soldiers were reasonably accurate.

For More Info: There have been many film references and biographies written on “Old Ski Nose,” but the definitive tome on the comedian is Hope: Entertainer of the Century by Richard Zoglin. If you are looking for a Bob Hope film reference, The Road to Comedy: The Films of Bob Hope by Donald McCaffrey provides a nice overview.