Cancel My Reservation

source: Cancel My Reservation

Cancel My Reservation

This I am sorry to say this is the worst Bob Hope movie I have ever seen. The film is about ten years too late for his style of comedy to be considered funny, with both the storyboard and the production values best described as poor. At first I thought it was a TV movie but no it was a cinema release and I must say I was surprised. The studio executives must have wanted to chuck money away. In this film Bob Hope is a very old Bob Hope, and it is no surprise to learn that this finished his movie career, although his co star a very good looking Eva Marie Saint, went on to appear in many more movies, TV movies, and TV mini series. If you are a Bob Hope fan, then watch it especially as it his last movie, but if not, then do not bother.

An American comedy adventure; A story about a talk show host who is sent on a vacation to Arizona on doctor's orders and has to solve a series of murders in which he is prime suspect after he stumbles upon a conspiracy to defraud a local Native American group of part of its reservation. This film plays as a farce as well as a comedy. Bob Hope gives an entertainingly drole performance with his mousetrap one-liners but he is too old for the character he plays and some of the comedy is self-referential which misfires for a main feature film. The main problem is the screenplay which drags and is too nonsensical in between Hope's attempts to make it work.

Old-fashioned, leisurely paced private-eye (though there are no actual private eyes on the screen) spoof, littered with one-liners and then-topical pop references, some of which will mean nothing to today's viewers, though others will be caught by almost everyone even today. The bad guys are revealed in the middle of the picture, and the direction and - especially - the music score make the movie play like a prolonged TV series episode. But Bob Hope's lines have a reasonably high success ratio, and he is complemented by two lovely co-stars: classy, milf-y Eva Marie Saint (there is a showstopping frame of her legs), and fresh, bodacious Anne Archer. **1/2 out of 4.

"Cancel My Reservation" is just what it wants to be. In other words, it's a very successful movie, even if it's just successful at being completely confusing and silly. Bob Hope fumbles through this movie looking old and confused (even this far back), and the dated sexual roles and racist overtones are just one more factor that makes the viewer wince. There is a cute sight gag or two, but the movie just seems like a drawn out Hope skit from a television special. Fans of Johnny Carson or John Wayne can catch short cameos that will bring a smile.

What a horrible little film--so many talented players wasted in a piece of ephemeral tripe! Bob Hope's gags consist mainly of long outdated topical references. He says, 'Johnny Carson' or 'Dick Cavett', and we are supposed to fall about laughing. Hope, by 1972, was far too old for this sort of role. It is a flop as a comedy, is in no sense a mystery, and mostly it is tedious in the extreme. If you see this film on your TV program, avoid it--it will disappoint you.

This was just painfully bad. The script is just plain dumb and Hope seems resigned to just sleepwalk through it. Even worse is Ann Arrcher who is just plain awful in every single one of her roles.

Lighten up people. It is entertainment. I remember this film when I was young and it was great then and is still is today. Too many people take writing reviews seriously and if you want to watch a good "G" rated movie with a lot of good clean fun, then this is the one. Like Blazing Saddles, it isn't one to take too serious and look for the Oscar nod. I have very fond memories of the first time I saw this movie at a drive in theater. Yes it was fun and no the acting wasn't that great, but how many movies today get so much attention with less. If you want to turn back the clock and enjoy a movie with nothing under the covers except an old comedy, then this is a good one to pick. Have fun and enjoy and look for all the actors you may recognize.

Unlike many of the these reviewers, Cancel My Reservation does not take itself too seriously. It is no more than a fun flick, without pretensions of high drama. Much of the seemingly stilted dialogue may indeed be deliberate self-parody. The film reminds me of the old Saturday double feature presentations, for those of you who can remember those afternoons at the movies. Relax, and enjoy it as a pleasant diversion, as well as for nostalgic reminders of actors and comics of years past. Bob Hope is a true classic, who provided us with years of pleasure, and who had the courage to tackle many forms of entertainment. He was able to laugh at himself about his film flops, much as Jack Benny did with his The Horn Blows at Midnight. (And the critics are on the mark about the nubile Ms. Archer.)