Casanova’s Big Night *** (1954, Bob Hope, Joan Fontaine, Audrey Dalton, Vincent Price, Basil Rathbone, Hugh Marlowe, John Carradine, Raymond Burr, Lon Chaney Jr) – Classic Movie Review 9846

Director Norman Z McLeod’s 1954 comedy Casanova’s Big Night stars Bob Hope, who is on tip-top form in his accustomed persona of cowardly braggard, in this case a tailor’s apprentice, Pippo Popolino, pretending to be Casanova to help out the real one (Vincent Price, uncredited), who has got a cash-flow crisis.

Hope also finds time for the odd duel and for romancing Francesca Bruni (Joan Fontaine) in Venice.

The Paramount Pictures studio gives Hope the high-spending Technicolor star production, and supports him with delicious players of the class of Basil Rathbone (Lucio), John Carradine (Minister Foressi), Raymond Burr (Minister Bragadin) and Lon Chaney Jr (Emo the Murderer).

Fontaine looks alluring, though she is understandably frustrated, in a hopeless role as Hope’s straight woman.

Casanova’s Big Night is written for the screen by Hal Kanter and Edmund L Hartmann, from a story by Aubrey Wisberg, and is an easy-going, funny, old-style pleasure.

Also in the cast are Audrey Dalton, Hugh Marlowe, John Carradine, Raymond Burr, Lon Chaney Jr, Arnold Moss, John Hoyt, Hope Emerson, Robert Hutton, Frieda Inescort, Primo Carnera, Frank Puglia, Paul Cavanagh, Romo Vincent, Henry Brandon, Natalie Schafer, Douglas Fowley, Nestor Paiva, Lucien Littlefield, Barbara Freking, Joan Shawlee, Oliver Blake, Fritz Feld, Bess Flowers, Walter Kingsford, John Doucette, Gino Corrado, Torben Meyer, Joseph Vitale, and Anthony Warde.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9846

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