Never Say Die

Wealthy Bob Hope (Kidley) is a hypochondriac - one of those annoying people who always think there is something wrong with them - and is living in a quiet retreat in Switzerland. However, he is tracked down by husband-collector Gale Sondergaard (Marko). She murders her husbands, collects the money and then moves on to the next. Bob Hope is her new target and she arranges the wedding date for him, which is imminent. As fortune has it, farmer's daughter Martha Raye (Mickey) is due to marry Prince Alan Mowbray (Smirnov) on the same day and Hope and Raye come up with a scheme to help themselves out of their respective messes.

The film is a comedy and it doesn't really make any sense but it is surprisingly entertaining, despite the usually annoying cast members of Hope and Raye. They are actually funny! There is also some funny dialogue! I note that Preston Sturgess was involved in this film, usually a writer of complete drivel, so that is another rare thing, Sturgess actually being funny! We can't be sure, of course that he actually wrote anything funny. The funny lines may well have come from Hope. He definitely brings life and comedy into his interpretation of the dialogue. Everyone does well. Except the annoying butler character.

A surprisingly entertaining film.