Truly horrific. This is NOT an adaptation of the 1933 musical ROBERTA but instead a typical Bob Hope TV special produced by the comedian himself. Granted some of the classic songs are there and there is a SLIGHT similarity to Otto Harbach's book but once again I stress the word slight. At one point midway we leave the show entirely so Hope can do one of his typical stand up comedy routines with topical jokes from 1969. It's a bizarre show with no redeeming qualities. It's not even campy. I've been a longtime fan of Janis Paige but her musical numbers are appalling. Her costumes are more suited to LAUGH IN and her voice doesn't sit well in the vocal arrangements given her. Then there's Michele Lee's HEAVY belt on such quiet numbers as "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes." Funny thing is the show starts off like a vintage musical from bygone days and then morphs into a really bad cheesy musical variety special common in the sixties. I guess TV audiences back then were easily entertained. Cross this off your viewing list at the Paley Center for Media. Not worth the time or effort.
2 Reviews
Truly dated '60's, missing the classic'30's touch.
mark.waltz2 November 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Setting this in the time it was made may have updated it for broadcast, but it's missing the '30's class. Already done twice on screen, this filmed stage production mixes '60's psychedelic fashions and big hair-do's with a Bob Hope special. His scenes are exactly like what you would see on one of his hundreds of TV specials, not showing what he was at all like during his obscure Broadway years. Hope tosses in 60's references that date instantly. Having done the show 36 years before, he's obviously changes styles of comedy as often as models changed styles of clothes, and he ends up being out of place in what is essentially an update of a very obscure show with a well remembered score.
The actual leads are Michelle Lee and John Davidson, co-heirs to the fashion house of Davidson's aunt (Ann Shoemaker). Having left an unsigned will, Aunt Minnie wanted to leave the building to Davidson and the business to Lee. Janis Paige joins two other stage "Mame's" (Ginger Rogers and Ann Miller) as a phony Russian, providing the sass. Snippets of most of the Jerome Kern/Otto Harbach score breaks up Hope's stand- up which is often a bit of a commercial or his opportunities to drop names, including his old pal Crosby. The musical highlight is Paige's very energetic "I Won't Dance" production number, choreographed almost in a disco style that is quite unintentionally funny, a camp classic to rival many 1960's variety special dance numbers.
Although this is stylishly filmed in color, it suffers from a cliff note style script that doesn't improve over the book that was praised as touching, funny and romantic, not filled with schtick and openings for Hope's stale jokes. But the presence of an audience does add charm, although it is obvious that this was meant to be a one nighter and not an extended or even limited run.
The actual leads are Michelle Lee and John Davidson, co-heirs to the fashion house of Davidson's aunt (Ann Shoemaker). Having left an unsigned will, Aunt Minnie wanted to leave the building to Davidson and the business to Lee. Janis Paige joins two other stage "Mame's" (Ginger Rogers and Ann Miller) as a phony Russian, providing the sass. Snippets of most of the Jerome Kern/Otto Harbach score breaks up Hope's stand- up which is often a bit of a commercial or his opportunities to drop names, including his old pal Crosby. The musical highlight is Paige's very energetic "I Won't Dance" production number, choreographed almost in a disco style that is quite unintentionally funny, a camp classic to rival many 1960's variety special dance numbers.
Although this is stylishly filmed in color, it suffers from a cliff note style script that doesn't improve over the book that was praised as touching, funny and romantic, not filled with schtick and openings for Hope's stale jokes. But the presence of an audience does add charm, although it is obvious that this was meant to be a one nighter and not an extended or even limited run.
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