Main Cast: Bob Hope, Virginia Mayo, Walter Brennan, Walter Slezak, Victor McLaglen
Release Year: 1944
Country: US
Run Time: 94 minutes
Plot
In his second film for producer Sam Goldwyn, Bob Hope is felicitously teamed with luscious Goldwyn contractee Virginia Mayo. Hope plays Sylvester the Great, a two-bit entertainer "touring" the West Indies in the 18th century. Mayo is Princess Margaret, who is kidnapped by a rough, tough buccaneer known only as The Hook (Victor McLaglen). Through a series of unbelievable circumstances, Sylvester rescues Margaret, and the two of them pose as travelling troubadors in a treacherous Pirate colony, where people are stabbed and dumped in the ocean for nonpayment of rent and other such offenses. Disguising himself as The Hook, Sylvester is befriended by corrupt colonial governor La Roche (Walter Slesak), but only until the real Hook shows up. Things look bleak for Sylvester and Margaret, but salvation is on the way-as well as a surprising romantic denoument, when a "bit player from Paramount" (guess who?) shows up to steal the Princess away from Sylvester ("Boy, this is the last picture I make for Goldwyn!") No fewer than six writers teamed up for this Technicolor extravaganza, which though not as consistently hilarious as other Hope farces still holds up beautifully. The best performance is offered by Walter Brennan as an addled pirate named Featherhead, a character right out of a Tex Avery cartoon! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
The Technicolor is glorious in The Princess and the Pirate, and the sets and costumes are quite lovely and lavish -- so who cares if the screenplay isn't any great shakes? Besides, this is a Bob Hope vehicle, so there's nothing really needed except a script that lets the star do his thing, right? If that's your thinking, Pirate will be right up your alley, and deservedly so. Hope is highlighted at every twist and turn, supplied with a ready string of one-liners and comebacks that may not always be gems but which Hope bats so well that they score much more often than they really deserve to. And though it's entirely his show, the star comic is aided by a delightful supporting cast. As his love interest, Virginia Mayo proves that she was made for sumptuous color photography. Walter Brennan is wildly amusing as an over-the-top pirate chum, and Victor McLaglen chews scenery in the most engaging fashion as the villainous pirate that sets things in motion. David Butler's direction is smooth and efficient, if not necessarily distinctive. But then there's that screenplay, which in addition to being slapdash and unconvincing, stops too often to allow the swashbuckling elements to come into play: it's not that kind of picture, and instead of just dropping them in and quickly moving on, a bit too much time is spent on them. Still, Pirate is an amusing way to pass the time. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
The Princess and the Pirate is a 1944 comedy film released by Samuel Goldwyn, starring Bob Hope and Virginia Mayo. This was the only appearance in a Goldwyn film by Paramount Pictures star Hope. It was a lavish pirate film with lots of action, filmed in Technicolor and with many great one-liners from Bob Hope.
The Hook (Victor McLaglen) buries his treasure on an island and kills the map maker so no one else will find it. He and his cut-throat crew go after the Mary Ann, a ship on which Princess Margaret (Virginia Mayo) is running away from her father, The King (Robert Warwick), so she can marry a commoner. The Hook plans to hold her for a large ransom. Sylvester the Great (Man of Seven Faces), actor is in the cabin next door to Margaret. The Hook's ship, The Avenger attacks the Mary Ann and after a big fight, the crew are killed or made to walk the plank by the pirates. Sylvester escapes by disguising himself as a gypsy woman and is taken on board The Avenger with Margaret.
The Ship's aged tattooist, Featherhead (Walter Brennan) has taken a fancy to the gypsy which is all that saves the disguised Sylvester. It turns out that he guessed the gypsy was a man and involves Sylvester in his plot to get the Hook's treasure for himself. He gives him the treasure map and helps Sylvester and Margaret escape in a boat and they are to pass the stolen map to Featherhead's cousin on the pirate island of Casarouge. The couple make it to the island which is extremely bloodthirsty. The couple check in at the Boar's Head Inn where they are to meet the cousin (who at present is not on the island) and do an act at the Bucket of Blood to get some money to pay for their stay.
Margaret is kidnapped and Sylvester goes to the Governor (La Roche) (Walter Slezak) to complain only to find out he was the kidnapper. La Roche has recognised Princess Margaret and plans on holding her for a million doubloon ransom. He stops Sylvester from leaving, planning to ransom him for 100,000 doubloons, sure that the King will want to hang him. Sylvester is well looked after and helps Margaret who is on a hunger strike. The Hook is in with La Roche and they threaten nasty things for the possessor of the map. Featherhead turns up under Sylvester's bed and knocks out Sylvester who wants to destroy the map to save his skin. Featherhead tattoos the map on the chest of the unconscious Sylvester and when he recovers, they both eat it.
After a meeting, the Hook guesses Sylvester is the gypsy who stole the map and returns to the Governor's house to kill him. The Governor sees the map on Sylvester's chest as the Hook arrives. The Hook chases him but is stopped from killing Sylvester by Featherhead who shoots him. As he has not returned, Pedro (Marc Lawrence), the Hook's second-in-command leads a raid on the Governor's house to rescue the Hook and after a big fight, inadvertently rescues Sylvester who has disguised himself as the Hook, along with Margaret.
Back on The Avenger, Sylvester as the Hook starts giving orders, not knowing that the real Hook has just been grazed by the bullet and is now also on the ship. Contradictory orders flow from the two different Hooks at different times, till Sylvester is unmasked. In chains and ready to kill themselves, The Avenger is attacked and they believe it is La Roche. It however turns out to be The King's ship and both are released (La Roche has been captured and has revealed all). The King says he is not going to stand in Margaret's way if she wants to marry a commoner and she rushes forwards. Sylvester is shocked as she passes him and into the arms of another man, Bing Crosby, who is playing a sailor. Indignantly, Sylvester says; "That is the last picture I do for Goldwyn" (which it was).
