[lbo-talk] Hitch on Hope

[Dennis Perrin]

> Christopher Hitchens writes <<http://slate.msn.com/id/2086499/>:
>
> >Even the most determinedly fawning obituarists had to concede that most
of
> >his movies and many of his "joke" anthologies were basically insulting in
> >their unfunniness. Elvis Mitchell in the New York Times, stuck with
writing
> >an appreciation on the same day as Canby's labored obituary (and stuck by
> >the newspaper with the exact same vaudeville photograph as illustration)
> >fell back on the exhausted line that Hope always played the same
character,
> >which was Bob Hope. A fitting tautology. Hope was a fool, and nearly a
> >clown, but he was never even remotely a comedian.

Have to agree with Hitch -- Hope's rep far outweighed his talent. Hope, in
his prime, was a decent film comic actor, and displayed a loose manner amid
seemingly dangerous situations (the Brave Coward). But as he aged the comedy
went very south, so far south that some of it, like 1966's "Boy Did I Get A
Wrong Number!", are quite enjoyable to watch. Very bad comedy performed by
consummate pros has a grandeur of its own.

DP