Main Cast: Bob Hope, Rhonda Fleming, Roland Young, Roland Culver, Richard Lyon
Release Year: 1949
Country: US
Run Time: 80 minutes
Plot
In The Great Lover, Bob Hope plays "Boy Rangers" scoutmaster Freddie Hunter, who accompanies his young charges on a European tour. During the ocean voyage to the continent, Freddie falls under the influence of erudite cardsharp O. J. Dabney (Roland Young), who promotes a romance between Freddie and Duchess Alexandria (Rhonda Fleming), the daughter of chronic gambler Grand Duke Maximillian (Roland Culver). What Freddie doesn't know (but the audience does) is that Dabney is not only a crook, but a murderer. Musical highlights include the peppy romantic ballad "A Thousand Violins," delivered by a delightfully intoxicated Rhonda Fleming. Watch for cameos by George "Superman" Reeves and Jack Benny. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
The Great Lover is a fairly typical Bob Hope vehicle that takes many of the standard Hope ingredients (the star in a put-upon underdog role, lusciously beautiful co-star, high-concept setup, interesting location, a few songs by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, plenty of gags), shakes them well, and comes up with a moderately entertaining little picture. Those who are looking for a strong, well-structured narrative can look elsewhere, although the film does get off to a promising start with a surprisingly serious opening sequence. Once Hope and his boy scouts appear, however, the story becomes little more than a clothesline for hanging jokes on. That's fine, as long as the jokes are strong, but The Great Lover suffers occasionally from stretches where the humor is stretched a little too thin. Fortunately, Hope is in fine form, delivering every line as if it were a zinger and making most of them work. Rhonda Fleming is appropriately fetching, Roland Young nicely villainous and the rest of the cast gives fine support. Alexander Hall's direction is okay, but nothing more, and he isn't able to handle some of the film's odder moments (such as when it all of a sudden thinks it's a musical and lets Hope and Fleming engage in a duet that comes from nowhere and just as quickly goes back there). Not one of Hope's very best, but it definitely makes for nice viewing when the viewer is in a non-demanding mood. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Gary Gray - Tommy; Jerry Hunter - Herbie; Jackie Jackson - Joe; George Reeves - Williams; Jim Backus - Higgins; Sig Arno - Attendant; Karl Wright Esser - Steve; Orley Lindgren - Bill
Credit
Hans Dreier - Art Director, Earl Hedrick - Art Director, Edith Head - Costume Designer, Alexander Hall - Director, Ellsworth Hoagland - Editor, Ray Evans - Composer (Music Score), Joseph Lilley - Composer (Music Score), Joseph Lilley - Musical Direction/Supervision, Jay Livingston - Songwriter, Wally Westmore - Makeup, Charles Berner - Makeup, Carl Silvera - Makeup, Charles B. Lang - Cinematographer, Edmund Beloin - Producer, Sam Comer - Set Designer, Ross Dowd - Set Designer, Farciot Edouart - Special Effects, Gordon Jennings - Special Effects, Edmund Beloin - Screenwriter, Melville Shavelson - Screenwriter, Jack Rose - Screenwriter
The Great Lover is a 1949comedy film starring Bob Hope, Rhonda Fleming, and Roland Young. A scout leader takes his troop on an ocean cruise, pursues a beautiful duchess and is stalked by a murderer.
