Now, this is how comedies should be made. If you want to make me laugh then this is a great place to start. One: A witty and well-written script (even though the concept might be a bit ridiculous). One-liners, sharp comebacks, and great punchlines. Situation comedy. Slapstick. Even facial ticks, playing to the camera and the audience - this is great as it breaks that fourth wall and brings the audience into the film and story more. Bob Hope is a master at making people feel comfortable, happy, and like one of his friends. Most people relate to him, if not to the character he's playing.This is the story of Sylvester The Great (Hope). An actor who is about to pursue his greatest role to date... that of a hero... though an unwilling - and sometimes cowardly - one at that. Princess Margaret (Mayo) is eloping to marry her one true love and not the arranged one her father has in mind. Though her father doesn't know of her plans, Captain Barrett "The Hook" (McLaglen) does. Along with his band of pirates, he plans to kidnap the Princess for a King's ransom... except, he's not planned for Sylvester...Bob Hope is brilliant, as usual, in the role of Sylvester and gives his customary top-notch performance. Though quite a few may say that his characters vary very little in his career, I would have to agree with them. However, he also gives a hundred percent in those roles. If you look at some comedians today, they do the same, but because their repertoire doesn't have as much scope they can become boring and tired pretty quickly. Whereas, Hope's joyful exuberance appears fresh with every film.It also helps that the rest of the cast is also top-notch. Virginia Mayo is as sprite and bubbly as Hope in her role and helps to make them into a lovable duo. Though it's both McLaglen and Walter Slezak, who plays La Roche, that add the "Straight" roles for Hope and Mayo to play off of. Both of these actors are brilliant as the bad guy's. McLaglen has both the physique and the face to pull off the fearful Pirate, he's also not too bad at humour; the fake mirror sequence is brilliantly pulled off. Slezack, as usual, has the air of a cunning fox about him; a man you just wouldn't trust. These two characters add the depth to the story and make the shade to the light of Hope and Mayo.Another great thing is the direction. Though there's nothing too original in differing camera shots, there are a couple of interesting angles. It's the pace of the movie which helps to keep the viewer's attention and build on their interest. The pace is as fast as the gags in the script. There was only one hiccup and that was in the Bucket of Blood Inn. The scene where Sylvester and the Princess do their routine is a little ineffective. I can understand why it's in the story, though in the context of the film this is the slowest section and feels awkward. Though I can forgive this because of the excellent beer swilling scene (who says we have a drinking problem today...). And even though the end punchline of a sight gag is telegraphed right at the start of the movie it's still funny... the secret of great comedy is...I would recommend this film to everybody who wants a good laugh and is sick and tired of the puerile and immature comedy around today. This should brighten your day quite well....Timing!!!

Many , many years ago , on the Spanish Main , there sailed the Seven Seas the most bloodthirsty buccaneer in history . Ruthless and daring he was , and , though his soul was black with foul deeds , he feared no creature , living or dead . Because he had an iron claw for a right hand , this terror of the Ocean lanes was known as ¨The Hook¨ . Bob Hope is Sylvester the Great , a conceited actor , the man of seven faces . He is a vaudvillian who falls for a gorgeous princess (Virginia Mayo) , both of whom being pursued by a nasty hooked pirate (Victor McLagen) and a governor (Victor Slezak) . Hope posing as a woman in order to escape , being saved by an old pirate (Walter Brennan). The Hook and his hoodlums (Mike Mazurki , Hugo Haas , Marc Lawrence) set out in pursuit Sylvester . They look for a valuable treasure and on the run Hope disguises as a gypsy . Meanwhile , Hope attempting to save the princess from being abducted . Hope and Mayo flee and find themselves surrounded by pirates . Later on , they go to the inn called ¨Bucket of Blood¨. Deciding to head back to treasure island . This is an original and entertaining swashbuckler comedy , spoofing numerous pirate situations and including a wonderful song titled ¨Kiss me in the moonlight¨. The film is a Bob Hope recital , he stooges , makes acrobatics , tongue twister and puts faces and grimaces . It's a pretty amusing farce with the master comic and he displays splendidly his portentous skills . Bob Hope show with his particular talent as a great comic about an issue of mistaken identities , maps , hidden treasures and many other things . This is one of Bob's early Technicolor entries , being spectacularly photographed by Victor Milner and William Snyder . Available digitally remastered stereo with original film trailer . This one Hope played on loan from Paramount to the great producer Samuel Goldwyn . Samuel Goldwyn paid Paramount $133,500 to borrow Bob Hope for twelve weeks. During that time, Hope made this film and ¨They got me covered¨. The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on March 26, 1945 with Bob Hope and Virginia Mayo reprising their film roles . Of course , at the end of the movie appears a famous guest star , Big Crosby , in a closing cameo performed . Bob Hope , Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour on their crazies starred the known series about ¨The Road To..¨, these are the following : ¨The road to Singapur¨ this one started it all ; ¨Road to Hong Kong¨, ¨The Road to Lebanon¨, The Road to Morocco¨ , ¨The Road to Rio¨, ¨The road to Zanzibar¨, ¨The road to Utopia¨ . ¨The princess and the pirate¨ results to be as funny as some the other ¨Road movies¨ , it's a great entertainment and fun . The motion picture was well directed by David Butler . Picture is a vehicle Bob Hope , he's an authentic comic and real Farceur . If you like Hope's crazy interpretation , in which he manages charm and humor , you will most definitely enjoy this one ; it's really a great amusement .

The Princess and the Pirate finds Virginia Mayo taken prisoner by the infamous pirate the Hook played by Victor McLaglen. She's a princess who's run away to marry a commoner, a reverse on what had happened in the United Kingdom a few years back. Unfortunately the only help she can find is a ham actor who's running away from bad notices and bill collectors and he's none other than Bob Hope.Hope did two films for Samuel Goldwyn and Goldwyn paid dear to Paramount for his services. Right after this film, success though it was, the price for Hope's services convinced Goldwyn he'd better sign a comedy star of his own as he had in the Thirties with Eddie Cantor. That was why Danny Kaye was brought over from New York to start his Hollywood career in Goldwyn's next film.But The Princess and the Pirate turned out to be one of the biggest successes for both Sam Goldwyn and Bob Hope. Hope is really at the top of his game in this one. Virginia Mayo makes a perfect foil for Hope, it's a pity she didn't do more films with him. Walter Brennan plays an addled old pirate who's not quite as dumb as he lets everyone think he is and he and McLaglen compete with Hope for laughs.The only one who looks like he's enjoying himself, but playing it very straight is crooked island governor Walter Slezak. He's got a working arrangement with McLaglen, but the two of them aren't above a little double cross.Of course this is a Bob Hope movie and Hope manages to blunder his way through to survival. But as we learn he loses Mayo right at the end to a visiting bit player from Paramount. Hope did make good on his word, he never did do another film for Goldwyn again. I guess he wanted to go out on a high note and The Princess and the Pirate is as high a comic note as Bob Hope ever struck in any of his films. Not to be missed by his legion of fans.

I saw this movie when it was first run in Chicago, at the good old Woods Theater. I was 14 at the time, and I've never forgotten it. Bob Hope was then at the height of his popularity, Virginia Mayo was just emerging as The Latest Dish, Walter Slezak, Walter Brennan, Victo McLaglen, et. Al., were at the top of their form. The Technicolor was smashing, the lovely ladies (i.e. The Goldwyn Girls) were delightful, the script sparkled with wonderful humor, and the plot not only made some sense, but was wonderful escapist entertainment, since we were then in the throes of World War II. I can't but agree with the previous comments about the great comedic humor we had then. Today's brand of humor is not only tasteless, but also vulgar and senseless. Bob Hope was a master, and remained such through much of his active career. Sam Goldwyn's production standards were impeccable, and the movie was a thorough joy. My summation is that people could laugh back then, and had the natural intelligence to "get" sophisticated, intelligent comedy.