The Princess and the Pirate (DVD, 2005)

Bob Hope is at his comedic best in The Princess and the Pirate (1944). Bob is always funniest when he's wearing a ridiculous period-piece costume and thrown into some wacky situation. Here, he plays Slyvester the Great, a two-bit actor who is on the run from pirates with a beautiful princess (Virginia Mayo). She is escaping a betrothed marriage and trying to reunite with the commoner she loves.

Hope rattles off joke after joke (it helps if you know a bit about 1940s culture to get some of the gags) and dons some of the most outrageous costumes he ever wore. Director David Butler was a staple in these sorts of comedies at Paramount, and he keeps the ball rolling with this movie. There is plenty of action, adventure, and excitement, and one of Bing Crosby's funniest cameos comes at the end of the picture. Everybody of any generation will enjoy this classic Bob Hope movie.

If you like Old Ski Nose in this picture, check out Monsieur Beaucaire (1946), The Paleface (1948), and Casanova's Big Night (1954).