Senteur
As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.
Kayden
This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama
Fleur
Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.
vincentlynch-moonoi
For the most part, Bob Hopes best movie roles were in his crisp comedies of the 1940s, including (but not limited to) the Road pictures. Then he did a series of slightly more serious comedy films in the 1950s and this one from 1960s, before he made quite a few rather inane comedies where -- at his age -- he thought he could still be a romantic screen star, albeit a comedy one. For my money, this is Bob Hope's last really good film, followed by a baker's dozen dumb movies.And, this film is quite good. It's not a laugh out loud comedy. More a romantic serio-comic outing, and it may surprise many, but both Hope and Lucille Ball show their serious acting chops here (she was nominated for a Golden Globe). There's great chemistry between Hope and Ball. And the supporting cast -- Ruth Hussey, Don DeFore, Philip Ober, and (believe it or not a restrained) Louis Nye do nicely, too, although this film belong solely to Hope and Ball.As to the plot, it's somewhat realistic. A man and woman, both married and in the same social group, are drawn together and have a rather low-key fling. While there is humor in many of the situations, this is probably a bit more on the dramatic side overall.I was a little disappointed at first that this 1960 film was in black and white, but the print I watched on TCM was in excellent condition and it seemed like quality cinematography.If you're expecting this to be a laugh-out-loud film, you'll be disappointed. But the films value is in solid acting by the two stars and an overall realistic script. Recommended.
jhkp
A sort of Southern California version of Brief Encounter, reinvented to suit Bob Hope and Lucille Ball, who play married (but not to each other) Pasadena country club types who find themselves on an Acapulco vacation without their spouses - and fall in love. Lucille Ball plays Kitty very well and without undue sentiment. This is a type of character you may not have seen her play before. It's her performance that draws you into the story and makes you care. Bob Hope, as Larry, isn't really in Ball's league, as far as dramatic acting goes. He was never an emotional actor. But Norman Panama and Melvin Frank (who wrote for him so many other times), do something brilliant. They make his character a frustrated amateur comic. A wannabe Bob Hope, if you will. So that he can, in a sense, play himself. And it works.Overall, there are some missed opportunities for a really sharp comedy such as Billy Wilder might have made. But Panama and Frank are experts at writing funny yet entirely natural dialogue, and creating realistic characters and situations. The black and white film also features Philip Ober (Vivian Vance's husband, at the time), and in the smallish but important roles of the spouses, Ruth Hussey and Don DeFore.
charlotte34-1
This is a pretty good movie, as far as situation comedies go. Very typical of the movies Hope was making at that time. Pepole who have only seen the Hope and Crosby Road shows think Hops did only one-liner jokes, actually more of his movies were in the vein of this one. I watched all these movies when they came out in the theaters. I started watching Ball and Hope in movies when I was 8 years old, and they were young people. Mostly, I get a kick out of reading the reader comments. Mature for it's time, Advanced for movies made in that era etc. This was NOT considered a racy movie for the times. There were many with a much more " like today's movies" story line and script. The bedroom farce movies were being made and shown to general public audiences i the 40, and take a look at some of the movies made in the late 20s and 30s, before censorship stepped in. They didn't use swear words and the language they use today in movies in the 30s, but those people made some really "broad minded?" movies then. This was just a run of the mill, cutest movie of the times. If you liked Hope in this, you will also like, That Certain Feeling-- 1956-- Bob Hope and Eva Maire Saint The Iron Pettycoat---- 1956-- Bob Hope and Katherine Hepburn I'll Take Sweden------ 1965-- Bob Hope, Dina merrill You don't want to over look Bob Hope in Beau James--- 1957. Tis is the story of the flamboyant mayor of New York City.
Fad King
Bob Hope and Lucille Ball team up very nicely here as each steps away from their well-known screen personas to play a suburban everyman and everywoman who unexpectedly fall for each other, despite the complication of being married to other people. The comedy includes some surprisingly tart satire on the claustrophobic lifestyles of the 50's suburban/country club/den mother families that we all know so well from "Leave it to Beaver," etc. But the big laughs come as the two sneak around town to try to be alone together.
