I have never expected a great deal from Bob Hope's comedies and know perfectly well that his films were meant to amuse their audiences in a lighthearted, unpretentious way. Hope was always the same as an actor but even his sameness was somewhat brilliant and I tend to like him. I remember having had lots of fun seeing THE PALEFACE, Paris HOLIDAY, BACHELOR IN PARADISE and other of his films. THE PRIVATE NAVY OF SGT. O'FARRELL is just an average effort. Frank Tashlin was an excellent director but this is not one of his major comedies. The plot could have resulted in a more substantial screenplay, in better devised and more entertaining comic scenes. The film has an obvious 60's look and no effort was made to give it a more authentic 40's atmosphere. Hope and Diller are their usual selves, and occasionally make one laugh. Gina Lollobrigida is as beautiful as ever but has very little to do. As usual, she is merely seen as a decorative presence. She could be so much more, as we know from films such as COME September, HOTEL PARADISO and BUONA SERA, MRS. CAMPBELL. Mylène Demongeot does a sort of cameo. It would have been to the film's advantage to give her more screen time.

Abbott and Costello may have wreaked havoc on more branches of the military, but they never tangled with two at the same time the way Bob Hope does in "The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell". A somewhat uneven comedy, the film makes do with Hope's traditional one liners and does the best it can with a supporting cast that includes Jeffrey Hunter, Phyllis Diller, and Gina Lollabrigida. At the center of the story is Sgt. O'Farrell's (Hope) plan to bring women and beer to the island base of Camp Funapee. Once accomplished with mixed results, the story meanders off to allow Hope's character to capture a Japanese submarine single handedly, and close out the story arm in arm with the lovely Maria (Lollabrigida).As for the beer, I was surprised to see that it wasn't Budweiser cans floating all over the Pacific, but those of then heavyweight Milwaukee competitor - Pabst Blue Ribbon. It made me wonder if the Anheuser-Busch folks might have been given a shot at the picture. By the time the film really gets rolling, there's a can of Pabst in just about every scene. Being a long time Bob Hope fan, I can't recall today if Pabst was ever a major sponsor of his programming. But I sure do remember Texaco.Hey, did you catch the nod to one of Hope's earlier pictures? All the men are on the beach drinking when the Indian private says to Hope - "Excuse me Heap Big Paleface…" There's also that funny sequence attempting to reenact the beach scene in "From Here to Eternity"; Hope even throws Lancaster's name out there in a bit of self deprecation. Also, if you were waiting to see if Crosby would show up, there's that clip of "Pennies From Heaven" to keep the streak going.Yet even with all the typical Bob Hope humor, he seems just a bit out of place in this late 1960's flick pretending to be one from the 1940's. This one approached the beach blanket bingo genre just a little too close for my comfort, and I prefer virtually any of his earlier efforts in glorious black and white. For my money, if I'm looking for Hope in a military setting, I'd just as soon tune in to one of his many USO entertainment specials. If memory serves, one of them would also have showcased Gina Lollabrigida and Phyllis Diller.

This film seems (if you'll pardon the expression) inspired by "McHale's Navy" and "Hallalujah Trail". Hope, way too old for the part, tries to come across as a a McHale/Sgt. Bilko type but doesn't pull it off. He still manages to come across slightly better than former Enterprise Captain Jeffrey Hunter who just mugs his way through scene after scene. One wonders if he hurt his eyes popping them as much as he did.This was the last film by director Frank Tashlin, who had last directed Hope in "Son of Paleface". It's a sad reunion. There are occasional Tashlin type jokes (like Hope rowing in a submarine) but the story is a mess. Scenes seem to be missing (after setting up Phyllis Diller with the idea Lt. Commander Snavley has a crush on her, she waits for him. The next time we see them they are driving through the jungle in a jeep without explanation) and the narrative (if you're paying attention) is very choppy.You get the feeling Tashlin was wishing he was back with Jerry Lewis, who he'd directed in 8 films since last directing Hope.Whether you like Diller's shtick or not, she's one of the only strong performers in the film (you do wish Hope or someone would have explored the way they treat her though. Her character is actually fun and has a good heart yet they treat her like she was nothing). Gina Lollabridgida must have wondered how her career had gotten to this point and the French girl (a really underwritten part) with her I think went back to France to make movies after her experience with "The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell".

Many people cannot stand Bob Hope and his mannerisms, and, to be honest, I am one of them. Most of his films are little more than an extended stand-up routine of his with mostly rather predictable jokes.But sometimes he pulled off a better film, like his Paleface movies, and this one here is even better - it must surely be the best film of his career, although most critics failed to notice it. Apart from having better jokes and a better cast than the usual Hope effort, this film even comes with a message. It is anti-racism and anti-war but it does not wear this attitude on its sleeves, it merely subverts it under the cover of slapstick comedy into the mind of the viewer. I'll be hard pushed to name another anti-war movie which brings across its message so effectively, and this is an amazing thing to say about a Bob Hope flick, given the stiff and famous competition in this field.