The Princess and the Pirate

The title of this Samuel Goldwyn burlesque on swashbuckling is pretty much self-explanatory and is one of comedian Bob Hope's better vehicles. He plays the cowardly "Sylvester, the Great Man of Seven Faces", an 18th-century variety artist with an aversion to, you guessed it, pirates. Hope is surrounded by superb character actors like buccaneer Victor McLaglen and governor Walter Slezak, who became the definitive pirate-turned-governor in Vincente Minnelli's wonderful The Pirate. There's also a hilarious turn from Walter Brennan, who seems to have based his part on Disney's cartoon dwarf Dopey. Virginia Mayo partners Hope ably, especially when they do their vaudeville number in the splendidly art-directed Bucket of Blood inn. Oh, and don't miss the gag at the very end - it's one of Hope's best.