JohnHowardReid Produced by Paul Jones. Copyright 1 April 1954 (in notice: 1953) by Paramount Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Victoria: 17 April 1954. U.S. release: April 1954. U.K. release: 12 April 1954. Australian release: 11 March 1955. 7,707 feet. 86 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Pippo (Bob Hope) is a tailor's assistant who poses as Casanova. The Duchess of Castelbello (Hope Emerson) hires him to test the love of Elena (Audrey Dalton), who is engaged to the Duchess's son (Robert Hutton). Pippo is aided in his quest by Casanova's valet (Basil Rathbone) and grocer (Joan Fontaine), who hopes to collect on Casanova's grocery bills. All three become ensnared in the intrigue of the Doge (Arnold Moss).NOTES: Domestic rentals gross: a little over $3 million. The figure for negative cost is unavailable, but I would estimate $2 million, perhaps $2½ million. Assuming overseas rentals brought in another $1 million (and that's a generous estimate) it means that the picture at best did little more than break even, after deducting print, advertising and distribution expenses.COMMENT: "Casanova's Big Night" boasts two melodious new song hits, both of which have the makings of hit parade greatness. One, titled "Pretty Mandolin" (Tic-A-Tic-A-Tic) is sung in the film by Bob Hope and was written by the top tune-smith combination of Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. The other, "The Gondolier's Serenade", was penned by Mack David, Bebe Blake and Joseph J. Lilley, and is heard as the picture's background music. - Paramount publicity.Produced on the most extravagant budget Hope was ever given, Paramount hoped that this one would out-gross "The Paleface". Unfortunately, this didn't occur for two inter-related reasons. Exhibitors were unimpressed with the film, regarding it as just another Hope vehicle; and whilst Hope's many fans turned out in their usual droves, the picture didn't attract the wider general audience that flocked to "The Paleface" and :Fancy Pants". (Hope told me that exhibitors didn't support the film mightily because they were sore at him for signing with NBC for a series of television specials).Despite its brilliance, "Casanova's Big Night" did little more than break even. This changed the whole course of Hope's career, deflecting him from big-budget verbal and visual slapstick, firstly into character roles, and then back to slapstick pictures that were hastily shot on very tight budgets.But this picture does have many things going for it. Basil Rathbone, arguably the screen's best heavy and certainly its finest swordsman, was induced to make a comeback. He had been busy in theater, television and radio since his last screen appearance in "Dressed to Kill" (1946), though he had co-narrated the 1949 Disney feature "Ichabod and Mr Toad". It was great to have him back, especially as his brilliant "Court Jester" was soon to follow.

SimonJack Other reviewers have noted the fine cast in "Casanova's Big Night." Bob Hope was an excellent stand-up comedian, but his shtick in movies begins to wear thin rather fast. Part of it may be a lack of freshness among his writers, and part may be his performances. This film has an interesting premise, and some good comedy "action" scenes. Two things that boost it a notch or two above most of his films are the excellent costumes and sets in this film; and Hope's performance as a foreign baroness, especially his hilarious dance scene with the main villain, The Doge. The supporting cast are all quite good, and some big names in Hollywood of that time. Joan Fontaine, Basil Rathbone, Vincent Price, John Carradine, Raymond Burr and others. After I watched the film recently and saw Lon Chaney Jr. in the credits, I had to go back and watch his part again. The makeup was so good I still couldn't identify him clearly in Emo the Murderer.

MARIO GAUCI One of Bob Hope's last big-budget studio productions is an elaborate yet rather patchy costumer in Technicolor, with the star only impersonating the famed Venetian lothario (he's played, briefly, by an uncredited Vincent Price!). The film, in fact, has a truly imposing supporting cast (Joan Fontaine, Basil Rathbone, Hugh Marlowe, John Carradine, John Hoyt, Lon Chaney Jr., Raymond Burr and Paul Cavanaugh among others) which, however, doesn't really allow any of them to shine – while embarrassing somewhat Fontaine (an unlikely comedienne) and Rathbone (in the equally undignified role of Casanova's long-suffering valet); for the record, horror icon Chaney appears in a bit as a crazed prisoner.The plot has tailor's assistant Hope offering to replace the fleeing and debt-ridden Casanova; he's subsequently involved in a scheme wherein a lady is to be compromised – and in which the warmongering Doge of Venice (with the aid of advisers Carradine and Burr, who are naturally just as unscrupulous) sees an opportunity to start a war with a neighboring state. The film offers typical routines and lines for the star (he even gets to appear in drag) – which, ultimately, may be its problem as this is clearly a case of 'we've been here once too often' (even if his most obvious earlier title in this vein, MONSIEUR BEAUCAIRE [1946], I've yet to catch in its entirety); having said that, Hope did previously star in a film called THE GREAT LOVER (1949) – which I've haven't seen either – but in it he played a private eye.Incidentally, the character of Casanova is certainly among the more popular in cinema – a subject attracting to it all kinds of stars (not to mention a bevy of beauties) and film-makers: from Riccardo Freda and Vittorio Gassman to Luigi Comencini and Leonard Whiting, from Federico Fellini and Donald Sutherland to Ettore Scola and Marcello Mastroianni…not to mention Michael Sarrazin (under the direction of "Euro-Cult" stalwart Enzo G. Castellari), Tony Curtis, Richard Chamberlain and all the way down to the recent Lasse Hallstrom-Heath Ledger outing.

Neil Doyle BOB HOPE was just over the crest of his most popular films when he made CASANOVA'S BIG NIGHT and it has to be ranked as one of his poorest despite some lavish Techicolor, vivid costumes and sets. The script is too weak and even his one-liners have little sting to them.Furthermore, the whole set-up of the story is so improbable, with Hope as a meek tailor forced into impersonating the great lover before he finds out what a dangerous assignment it is. JOAN FONTAINE and AUDREY DALTON are the two fetching females and it's obviously not their fault that they're given little to do. Fontaine looks distracted most of the time, probably wishing she had nothing to do with playing Francesca to Hope's Casanova impersonation.VINCENT PRICE has a minor role as the real Casanova and if you look closely you can see RAYMOND BURR among the bit players. BASIL RATHBONE does what he can as Hope's enemy, but his role here pales in comparison to some of the great villains of his past.Worthwhile only if you're enough of a Hope fan to get amusement from watching him in one of his more foolish comedies.