Critic's Choice (1963)

Bob Hope is a New York theater critic and his wife (Lucille Ball in their final motion picture pairing) writes a play that may or may not be very good. Now Hope must either get out of ... See full summary »

Director:

Don Weis

Writers:

Ira Levin (play), Jack Sher

Stars:

Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Marilyn Maxwell

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bob Hope	...	Parker Ballantine
Lucille Ball	...	Angela Ballantine
Marilyn Maxwell	...	Ivy London
Rip Torn	...	Dion Kapakos
Jessie Royce Landis	...	Charlotte Orr aka Charlie
John Dehner	...	S.P. Champlain
Jim Backus	...	Dr. William Von Hagedorn
Ricky Kelman	...	John Ballantine
Dorothy Green	...	Mrs. Margaret Champlain
Marie Windsor	...	Sally Orr
Joseph Gallison	...	Philip 'Phil' Yardley (as Evan McCord)
Joan Shawlee	...	Marge Orr
Richard Deacon	...	Harvey Rittenhouse
Jerome Cowan	...	Joe Rosenfield
Donald Losby	...	Geoffrey Von Hagedorn

Storyline

Bob Hope is a New York theater critic and his wife (Lucille Ball in their final motion picture pairing) writes a play that may or may not be very good. Now Hope must either get out of reviewing the play or cause the breakup of his marriage. Based on the Broadway play by Ira Levin.

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Plot Keywords:

director | psychologist | new york city | theater critic | jealousy | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 April 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

I proti nyhta tou gamou

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Because of poor audience reaction at test screenings, this film sat unreleased for a year before being sent to theaters. The delay did not help, as it received generally unfavorable reviews.

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Quotes

John Ballantine: For the record, Sisters Three was written by Angela Ballantine, directed by Dion Kapakos, and produced by mistake.

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Crazy Credits

Ending: "The absolute End"

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Connections

Referenced in Schlock! The Secret History of American Movies (2001)

User Reviews

Hope Won't Play Ball

Broadway theatre critic Bob Hope (as Parker Ballantine) is known for his stinging reviews of bad plays. When beautiful red-haired wife Lucille Ball (as Angela "Angie " Ballantine) decides to become a playwright, Mr. Hope decides he will be completely objective in reviewing her work. Hope doesn't like the first draft and refuses to help Ms. Ball during re-writes and run-throughs. Ball is encouraged by a producer's interest and works closely with younger director Rip Torn (as Dion Kapakos); a romance, or the potential for one, develops. Meanwhile, Hope is perused by still-interested first wife Marilyn Maxwell (as Ivy London)...

With all the re-writes, it's odd nobody re-wrote "Critic's Choice"...

Hope's character is unlikable, and he's not a competent reviewer; he walks out of the opening play, which the audience enjoys, and declares it bad. Hope writes a review of Ball's play even though he was too drunk to see anything. Hope should have helped Ball and excused himself from reviewing her play. The relationship between Ball and Mr. Torn is confusing. Little Ricky Kelman (as John) should have been Ball's son; in the original play, the character "Angela" was too old to have a 12-year-old son. By the way, young Kelman and older Jessie Royce Landis (as Charlotte "Charlie" Orr) do well in supporting the legendary co-stars.

**** Critic's Choice (4/3/63) Don Weis ~ Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Ricky Kelman, Rip Torn