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, the comedian 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 continued on February 1st with two of Hope’s “prime period” starring vehicles, Monsieur Beaucaire (1946), and Where There’s Life (1947). I’ll provide reviews of both titles in their original release order.

Monsieur Beaucaire (1946) was one of the most celebrated films of Bob Hope’s career, and after the Road pictures and The Paleface, it may be the comedian’s best known comedy. Other comedians, including Woody Allen, have cited the film as a standout in the Hope filmography. However, I have to take a contrarian opinion. Monsieur Beaucaire is a fine comedy. Still, in terms of quality, I would rank it somewhere in the middle of Hope’s “prime period” output. That’s not a knock on the movie. It’s a solid 3-star comedy. There are simply several Bob Hope features that I like a whole lot more than Monsieur Beaucaire (including The Cat and the Canary, Nothing But the Truth, My Favorite Blonde, Road to Utopia, and The Paleface).

I think part of the reason this particular Bob Hope comedy is so celebrated is due to its period setting and high production values. It is surprising that Hope made relatively few frilly costume pictures (The Princess and the Pirate and Casanova’s Big Night being the only other examples). Before Bob Hope eventually lost touch with contemporary culture (in the 1960s and beyond), he was one of the most modern-minded comedians of his day. A contemporary attitude and pop-culture jokes were a large part of his persona. Consequently, there was huge comic potential in placing the most modern of film comedians in a 18th Century setting. I think these films get an extra point from critics and audiences due to the conflicting styles of actor versus setting and the natural comic possibilities that derive from them.

The overly complicated plot of Monsieur Beaucaire (1946) is very loosely based on the Booth Tarkington novel of the same name, which was previously adapted in 1924 as a silent drama, starring Rudolph Valentino. The action is set during the reign of King Louis XV of France. To avoid war with Spain, King Louis (Reginald Owen) offers the Duc le Chandre (Patric Knowles) as a husband for the Spanish King’s daughter (Marjorie Reynolds). Louis has an ulterior motive in this marriage offer, as the Duke is Louis’ rival in a battle for the affections of Madame Pompadour (Hillary Brooke). The king’s barber, Monsieur Beaucaire (Bob Hope), gets mixed up in this political and romantic intrigue while trying to keep the king from noticing the pretty chambermaid, Mimi (Joan Caulfield), and he is sentenced to death. In order to save his neck, Beaucaire is forced to impersonate le Chandre, while le Chandre pretends to be a commoner, because le Chandre wants to woo the princess, who he believes is a commoner. Are you still following this? There’s also an evil General (Joseph Schildkraut) who is trying to kill Beaucaire/le Chandre in order to start a war and seize power from the king (or something like that), and he forces Mimi into his schemes. Too much plot, already. Get to the jokes.

In relation to other Bob Hope vehicles of the 1940s, Monsieur Beaucaire suffers from too many sub-plots, which rob Hope of screen time. There are also breaks in the mirth-making, due to a handful of musical production numbers. This isn’t unusual for comedies of the time, and I have a higher tolerance for musical interludes in classic comedies than most modern viewers. Unfortunately, the songs in Monsieur Beaucaire are instantly forgettable. Worse yet, song-and-dance man Hope doesn’t get to participate in any of the singing and dancing himself. As a result, the musical passages feel like padding in a film that is already flabby with plot.

While the supporting cast is strong, including a number of actors that will be familiar to fans of Abbott and Costello (Hillary Brooke, Patric Knowles, Marjorie Reynolds, Cecil Kellaway), one of the main reasons why this comedy fell a little flat for me was the female lead, Joan Caulfield. Hope was always at his best when he had a strong, formidable female presence to play against, such as Paulette Goddard (The Cat and the Canary), Dorothy Lamour (Road to Utopia), Madeleine Carroll (My Favorite Blonde), and Jane Russell (The Paleface). Joan Caufield as Mimi is simply not as strong a foil for the comedian. This isn’t entirely the actress’ fault. The part is poorly written. Mimi’s attitude towards Beaucaire changes nonsensically, based on the needs of the story. It would be a difficult role for anyone to play effectively.

Reservations aside, Monsieur Beaucaire is a very funny film that is as good or better than 75% of the comedies released during the same decade. Hope’s comedic timing is sharp, and the verbal and physical schtick of his “wisecracking brave coward” persona are on strong display. The production values are on a higher level than most studio comedies, and the bouncy score by Robert Emmett Dolan helps push the action along. All in all, it’s a fine film with much to recommend it. Fans of “Old Ski Nose” are sure to have fun.

USA/B&W-93m./Dir: George Marshall/Wr: Melvin Frank & Norman Panama (based on the novel by Booth Tarkington)/Cast: Bob Hope, Joan Caulfield, Patric Knowles, Marjorie Reynolds, Cecil Kellaway, Joseph Schildkraut, Reginald Owen, Constance Collier, Hillary Brooke

For Fans of: If you like the Road pictures with Bob, Bing, and Dottie, you’ll also enjoy this comedy in which Bing and Dottie take the day off.

Video: According to Kino Lorber’s website, the Monsieur Beaucaire Blu-ray is sourced from a new 2K master. The image is sharp with rich blacks, appropriate film grain, and excellent contrast. However, scratches and speckles are evident (especially during the first third of the film). This should not dissuade anyone from purchasing the disc. The image quality is an improvement over prior home video releases. You should simply be aware that while sharpness and detail are improved, there has not been digital clean-up applied to the scan. After watching so many pristine video releases, I actually kind of liked the fact that the image was imperfect and looked more like projected film.

The original mono DTS sound is solid, presenting dialogue, sound effects, and the lively musical score with clarity. I detected no age-related hiss or distortion. Whether you are a fan of this particular film or Bob Hope films in general, the disc is recommended.

The bonus features consist solely of promotional material for other Kino Lorber comedy releases:

• KLSC Bob Hope Promo: Clips from My Favorite Brunette, Road to Rio, The Lemon Drop Kid, Road to Bali, and Son of Paleface.
• Trailers for Bob Hope movies: The Cat in the Canary, Road to Singapore, The Ghost Breakers, Road to Zanzibar, Caught in the Draft, Nothing But the Truth, My Favorite Blonde, Road to Morocco, Road to Utopia, Where There’s Life, The Paleface, and Alias Jesse James
• Trailer for Murder, He Says (also directed by George Marshall and originally intended to be a Bob Hope movie)
• Optional English subtitles for the feature

Streaming: At the time of this review, Monsieur Beaucaire 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: When audiences reacted unfavorably to a test screening of the finished film, Paramount brought in Looney Tunes director Frank Tashlin to add more physical gags to the film, such as the climatic sword fight. Hope often asked Tashlin to punch up his subsequent films, and he had Tashlin direct Son of Paleface (1952).

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.