tavm
Just watched this Bob Hope comedy on Netflix streaming. He plays Milford Farnsworth, a failed insurance salesman who has one last chance before he's fired. So he ends up in a western town that resides one Jesse James (Wendell Corey). Guess who Milford ends up selling his insurance to? There's also a lovely lass named Cora Lee Collins (Rhonda Fleming) in tow. I'll stop there and just say that I liked many of the wisecracks that Hope did but what I really found funny was some of the visual gags like Hope's hat changing shape when drinking whiskey, him accidentally using a rattlesnake to beat a ferocious creature, or seeing a brawl in slow motion after Bob spiked a punch with mushrooms (that last bit was a big surprise to me since I thought drug humor didn't appear in mainstream movies until the late '60s). There were also some amusing cameos of mostly western TV stars at the end though one of those was actually of a well-known co-star of Bob's that I won't dare reveal here if you don't know what I'm talking about. Oh, and one more thing, the reason I watched this now was because I have been reviewing many movies and TV episodes of the stars of the original "Dallas" in chronological order since mid-June when the new version premiered on TNT. So when I found out Jim Davis appeared here as Jesse's brother Frank, I had to check this out. He has a funny scene with Hope when they're playing cards. So on that note, I recommend Alias Jesse James.
gunnellis
SonOfMoog wrote an earlier review where he talked about being 11 years old in 1959 and laughing so hard at the movie's end that his sides ached. The scene of Bob Hope stuck halfway through the wagon floor and having to run to keep up with the speed of the horses was so damn funny I thought I would die. I was probably 11 as well. But I was seeing it triple feature style as a re release in !963? 1964?. What is interesting about this scene is that it gave me so much pleasure I naturally wanted to recapture those moments. So I watched it again, the same day. ( My Mom used to leave me for most of the day at these triple features.) It was my first lesson that humor requires surprise and discovery to be truly funny. I watched this no longer hilarious scene play out again with ten percent of it's original impact. Sad, but it's the way we are built. I just re watched it on Netflix Streaming. And barely laughed at all. 57 vs 11 is a big part of the problem there. The cameos are still great. It would be nice to find the original, intact, cut.
MartinHafer
This is one of Bob Hope's films before his movies really went downhill in quality in the 1960s. And, like his better films this is a period piece--his last one, in fact. Now I am not saying it's a great film but it is amusing and features a truly wonderful final climactic scene that makes the film worth seeing--but I'll say no more about this because it would ruin it.The film begins with Hope working for an insurance company but it's hard to understand why his poor boss (Will Wright) keeps him on the payroll. He hasn't sold a single policy and the closest he came to it was a guy who died before they could complete the required physical! In fact, after further screw ups, Wright has finally had enough and tells him to get lost. Soon afterwords, Hope meets up with a stranger (Wendell Corey--in an odd bit of casting) who buys a huge policy. Wright is so happy he rehires Hope. Unfortunately, it soon becomes apparent the new policy holder is Jesse James and Wright is worried this policy will bankrupt them, as EVERYONE seems to want James dead! So, he sends Hope out west--to find Jesse and stay with him to prevent an early demise or give him a refund and cancel the policy. Along the way, Hope has various cute encounters with tough guys and Rhonda Fleming. I don't want to say more, but this mildly amusing farce works up to a wonderful finale and was a was worth my time. Not a great film but pretty good.
Teenie-1
This is a treat for those of us who enjoy side-splitting slapstick without being silly. Bob Hope has been an all-time favorite of mine and in this film he really knows how to get the laughs. He plays an insurance salesman who sells a life insurance policy to Jesse James (played by Wendell Corey) and falls for Jesse's saloon-singer/girlfriend (played by the lovely Rhonda Fleming). It has so many sight gags that it has to be viewed all the way through to really enjoy them. And the cameos by all the western stars during the shootout - what a great idea! Even the kids will get a kick out of this one. My 15-year-old even loved it, considering the junk that's called entertainment today for their age group. Get the family, get some popcorn, gather 'round the set, you baby boomers, and enjoy some great comedy.
AD
