Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

21 films produced between 1938 and 1949 - Bob Hope’s most productive decade (see list posted at end of this review). All but one received their first release on DVD twenty years ago. These are the same transfers (no complaints). Universal Home Video did a decent job, and even provided English SDH subtitles. One film, "Variety Girl" (1947) had to wait until 2014 for a first DVD release. Unfortunately it was part of Universal's "Vault Series" ($15/film). Most of the earlier titles were then reissued in the Vault Series. According to Amazon, the Vault Series titles are "manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media". For the new box, all 21 films are factory-pressed (much better), and at a greatly reduced price. This box also includes the feature-length Bob Hope “American Masters” documentary broadcast on PBS in December 2017. Very well-done. “The Big Broadcast of 1938” (in this box) was Bob Hope’s feature film debut. It’s actually a W.C. Fields vehicle, though Fields doesn’t have much to do. Hope shamelessly steals the movie. There are two motion picture songs that always make me cry, no matter how many times I’ve seen the picture: --- “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, sung by Judy Garland in “Meet Me in St.Louis” (look at Margaret O’Brien’s face during the song and try not to cry). --- “Thanks for the Memory”, sung by Bob Hope and Shirley Ross in “The Big Broadcast of 1938” They play a recently divorced couple who meet by accident (sung one hour into the film): “Many's the time that we feasted And many's the time that we fasted. Oh well, it was swell while it lasted. We did have fun, and no harm done. So thanks for the memory Of crap games on the floor, nights in Singapore, You might have been a headache, but you never were a bore. I thank you so much. …. We said goodbye with a highball And I got as high as a steeple But we were intelligent people No tears, no fuss, hooray for us Strictly entre nous, Darling how are you? And how are all those little dreams that never did come true? Awfully glad I met you, cheerio and tootle-oo. Thank you, thank you” For complete lyrics to “Thanks for the Memory” + a link to a film clip, see Comment One (click on “Sort by Oldest”) The song (with different lyrics) provided the inspiration for a sequel “Thanks for the Memory”, released later the same year (also in this box). Four Quibbles: --- Only the first four of seven Road pictures with Hope and Crosby are in this box (including the two funniest: “Road to Morocco” and “Road to Utopia”) Produced by Paramount Pictures - now owned by Universal. Pictures five and six were independent productions, only distributed by Paramount. Picture seven was produced by MGM. Missing from this box, but available separately: 5) Road to Rio [Blu-ray] - 1947 6) Road to Bali [Blu-ray] - 1953 (the only one in color) 7) Road to Hong Kong [Blu-ray] - 1962 (see photos) In addition to the four Road pictures in this box, Hope and Crosby also played themselves in two musical revues featuring Paramount’s biggest stars: “Star-Spangled Rhythm” (1942) and “Variety Girl” (1947). Bing Crosby also has a cameo (his first of many) in “My Favorite Blonde” (1942). (in this box) --- The bonus featurettes advertised on the box (“Bob Hope and the Road to Success”, “Entertaining the Troops”, “Command Performances 1944 & 1945”, “Hollywood Victory Caravan”) are newsreel cut-and-paste jobs, created for the original DVD releases twenty years ago. Just OK. --- The Bob Hope “American Masters” documentary is 1:53:00 with subtitles. This is 36 minutes longer than the version broadcast on PBS. It is also available in a "director's cut" with an additional 22 minutes: American Masters: This Is Bob Hope... (the documentary has English SDH subtitles, but the disc doesn't have a menu - just press the "subtitles" button on your DVD player's remote control while the disc is playing). --- Bob Hope actually made 28 feature films between 1938 and 1949. Seven films are missing from this collection. “Some Like It Hot” and “Let’s Face It” have not been released on DVD. The remaining five are available: 1939 Some like It Hot (not to be confused with the 1959 film of the same title)* 1943 They Got Me Covered 1943 Let’s Face It * 1944 Princess and the Pirate, The (DVD) (with a Crosby cameo) 1947 Road to Rio [Blu-ray] 1947 My Favorite Brunette [Blu-ray] (with a Crosby cameo) 1949 The Great Lover *never on DVD.