In this follow-up to "The Big Broadcast of 1938", Bob Hope plays a novelist who switches places with his wife Shirley Ross so he can finish his book while she goes back to work as a model. A plethora of old friends keep popping in to take advantage of their hospitality (and especially their liquor) while misunderstandings erupt concerning the dizzy southern belle neighbor who lives next door. Finally, Hope explodes and moves out just as Ross is about to tell him some important news.
In most of his films, Hope joked around with wisecracks and gags so old that it seemed as if he was trying to bring vaudeville back from the dead. In this film, he has his share of jokes, but this is more a plot-driven comedy with music rather than one of his burlesque style joke fests that he later perfected with Bing Crosby in a series of "Road" movies. Hope and Ross are surrounded by a group of talented supporting players, most notably droll Charles Butterworth, wisecracking Hedda Hopper, tough-as-nails gold digger Roscoe Karns, and stout Laura Hope Crews, extremely funny as Karn's new wealthy wife who is stuffing Karn's piggy bank with silver dollars. Patricia Wilder is annoying as the too friendly neighbor, while Otto Kruger plays his usual older businessman (here a publisher) with designs on the heroine.
There are several pleasant songs, including the Oscar Winning Title Tune (sung by Hope and Ross in the same year's "The Big Broadcast of 1938"), with new lyrics to fit the situation, and "Two Sleepy People", a charming duet with lyrics by future Broadway legend Frank Loesser. This film is made better by the fact that Hope actually plays a real character, something he would only do a few more times, much later in "The Seven Little Foys" and "Beau James", films which were based on real-life people. Ross is a delightfully charming heroine, quite lovely in the outfits she models. This is the type of film where you can literally say at the fade out, "Thanks for a Story!"
In most of his films, Hope joked around with wisecracks and gags so old that it seemed as if he was trying to bring vaudeville back from the dead. In this film, he has his share of jokes, but this is more a plot-driven comedy with music rather than one of his burlesque style joke fests that he later perfected with Bing Crosby in a series of "Road" movies. Hope and Ross are surrounded by a group of talented supporting players, most notably droll Charles Butterworth, wisecracking Hedda Hopper, tough-as-nails gold digger Roscoe Karns, and stout Laura Hope Crews, extremely funny as Karn's new wealthy wife who is stuffing Karn's piggy bank with silver dollars. Patricia Wilder is annoying as the too friendly neighbor, while Otto Kruger plays his usual older businessman (here a publisher) with designs on the heroine.
There are several pleasant songs, including the Oscar Winning Title Tune (sung by Hope and Ross in the same year's "The Big Broadcast of 1938"), with new lyrics to fit the situation, and "Two Sleepy People", a charming duet with lyrics by future Broadway legend Frank Loesser. This film is made better by the fact that Hope actually plays a real character, something he would only do a few more times, much later in "The Seven Little Foys" and "Beau James", films which were based on real-life people. Ross is a delightfully charming heroine, quite lovely in the outfits she models. This is the type of film where you can literally say at the fade out, "Thanks for a Story!"