Casanova's Big Night (1954)

Simply A Masterpiece

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Wow, what a cast! This Bob Hope film sure sported a long list of wonderful supporting actors, such as Joan Fontaine, Vincent Price, Basil Rathbone, Raymond Burr, John Carradine, John Hoyt, Lon Chaney, Jr.and even the ex-boxing champ, Primo Carnera! It's really amazing to see so many familiar faces in a rather ordinary sort of film.Hope plays a tailor's apprentice who is roped into impersonating the famous lover, Casanova. It seems the real Casanova is a deadbeat and his many creditors have devised a plan to use Hope in his place. All Hope needs to do is try to seduce a young lady (Hope Emerson) to see if she is or is not virtuous--as her prospective mother-in-law wants to test her. He is assisted by Rathbone and Fontaine (who is WAAAY to old for this role). Naturally, things don't go as they all planned and soon Hope is running for his life.As for the film, it's pretty much a typical 1940s-50s Bob Hope film--very pleasant and fun, but not particularly outstanding--even with the excellent supporting cast. High points would include a cute prison cell scene and a cute ending. And, among the lamest moments was Hope in drag. While cross-dressing is usually a sure laugh-getter, Hope's routine is pretty poor and this good idea falters.

Well, it's a period comedy with Bob Hope. If you like Hope, you will probably like this movie. Vincent Price, the "real" Cassanova was not even credited with his appearance in the film. As a person who is indifferent to Hope, I found this film to be generally annoying. It's a comedy and I maybe chuckled twice. I found Hope's performance to be completely consistent but ultimately tiring. It's like they thought up a 10 minute TV sketch and decided to make a full-length movie on it.If you're interested in 1950's comedy in a similar vein you would do much better by viewing The Three Musketeers with Gene Kelly and Vincent Price. It's funny, and has much better action and stunt work. For a straight 50's comedy, take a look at Champagne For Caesar starring Ronald Colman and Vincent Price. Both are miles ahead of this picture.

One of Bob Hope's funnier comedies was Casanova's Big Night which finds tailor's apprentice Hope exchanging places with the great Casanova who is played by Vincent Price in an unbilled cameo.Casanova's been down on his luck lately and he's beating it out of town owing the butcher, baker, and candlestick maker as well as his valet, Basil Rathbone. But after Dutchess Hope Emerson and her son Robert Hutton catch Hope in Casanova's outfit, Rathbone and the creditors decide to let the ruse continue.Emerson wants to hire the world's greatest lover to seduce her son's intended, Audrey Dalton, because she feels she's a titled goldigger. True, but that's beside the point. The proof will be if the great lover can steal a certain petticoat with a crest embroidered on it.The Doge of Venice Arnold Moss and his two scheming aides Raymond Burr and John Carradine also have their doubts that Hope might not be the great Casanova. What could ever give them that idea? By the way Cassanova's Big Night was unusual for Hope in that he went the entire film without one Crosby joke. The palace intrigue is as thick as a cement pudding, but Hope manages to bumble through it with the help of Joan Fontaine who is one of the creditors. As is the case in all his films, she develops as a soft spot for old ski nose.Paramount gave Hope an unusually good supporting cast here and they all perform well. Of course fans of the classics might well recognize that the plot was lifted from The Three Musketeers.But can you imagine the havoc that three Bob Hopes would have caused Venice?

This is a great film for all Bob Hope fans and lovers of vintage comedy everywhere. The colour, as in a lot of these old movies, is very rich and is a real treat for the eyes. As pointed out by other reviewers, the theme is quite similar to that of Bob's earlier black and white film "Monsieur Beaucaire", but none the worse for it.In order to save a group of merchants from bankruptcy, Bob, as Pippo Popolino, a miserable tailor's apprentice, agrees to impersonate the great lover "Casanova". As Casanova, he is engaged by a Duchess to test the love of her son's future bride and is promised a large sum of money if succeeding in the seduction. The jokes arrive thick and fast and as usual, Bob's delivery is masterful. Ironically though, for me, one of the funniest lines comes from Basil Rathbone who, playing Lucio, the former servant of Casanova sharing in the deception of the impersonation of his former master, declares to the hapless Pippo at a particularly frustrating moment "You'll never be anyone other than Pippo Popolino and I can't think of anything more insulting!". There are excellent supporting roles from the aforementioned Rathbone and Arnold Moss as the Doge, who our hero refers to as "a snake with a beard". There are some great visual jokes too with Bob remarking while dancing with his intended victim "I have a big following in Venice" at which point his sword drags a tablecloth loaded with crockery from a table, which he then trails behind him in the dance and tries to kick away nonchalantly. What really makes the film though is the pace and delivery of Bob's stream of one-liners.Mr Hope at his very best!