Unless you were born after the new millennium, there is a very good chance you have at least some recognition when you hear the name Bob Hope. Up until his death at age 100 in 2003, Hope was one of the most prolific entertainers to come out of Hollywood for the century he was alive. As the star of 54 films, host of the Academy Award 19 times, author of 14 books, and performers at 57 USO tours – among other accolades – Hope was on a level all of his own during his career. Despite all of these endeavors, my personal experience with the career of this legend has been limited and not always the most pleasant. Hope came from a time where blatant sexism and objectification of women were the norm, and he often embraced this like a life preserver. Vintage television appearances are often quite cringeworthy as he goes for lazy joke after lazy joke at the expense of any female in his vicinity. This is what makes the fact that his 1961 film Bachelor In Paradise is not a nightmare such a delightful surprise. Hope mostly hits the right balance of playful bawdiness while embracing comedic turns from the talented ensemble of women.
At the onset, provocative best-selling author A.J. Niles (Bob Hope) is living his dream as he travels around Europe canoodling with local women as “research” for his next tawdry book. Unfortunately for him, an unscrupulous accountant has been stealing from him and A.J. is told he owes an exorbitant amount of back taxes to the government. In order to pay his debt, he must go undercover in an idyllic “planned community” in California replete with families to gather information on wives and their lives for his next book. Using the alias “Jack Adams”, he goes undercover as the only bachelor living in the community of Paradise Village. The only unmarried person besides the lovely co-manager of the community, Rosemary Howard (Lana Turner, Green Dolphin Street), who happens to own the house he is subleasing. The presence of Jack is one that stirs controversy in the community from jealous husbands, but it is his unexpected (to him) feelings for Rosemary that gives the film its emotional depth.
Undercover or not, Jack is nowhere near equipped to handle a domestic life, and the women of the community come together to help guide him through his trials and tribulations. Most helpful among them is new neighbor Linda (Paula Prentiss, The Stepford Wives) – a pairing that is refreshing in its platonic ideals. Not quite as platonically-minded is Dolores (Janis Paige, Romance On The High Seas), a neglected housewife on the verge of divorce from the community manager. All of the wives are mistreated or taken for granted in one way or another, and Jack tries to help repay the kindness of the women with some “helpful” tips to put a spark back in their marriages. The core idea of wanting these women to be appreciated by their dolt-ish husbands is excellent, but the way in which Hope advises them can verge on cringeworthy at times. Thankfully, the women in the film take this material and spin it into comedic gold. Sure, all the men in the town eventually believe that their wives are cheating on them with Jack, but their mass ridiculousness is a funny over-the-top touch.
Bachelor In Paradise is not an all-time great comedic gem, but it is an amiable use of your time that features the toned-down version of Hope that works best. Lana Turner is great in her role that has a bit more depth and sophistication than it might appear at first glance. The fact Rosemary is shown to have strength and independence outside of a marriage is an important message to see – especially from this time. With the film nearing two hours, the story feels as if it is a bit longer than it needs to be. The time spent in the fascinating 60s suburban sprawl is a ton of fun, but a bit probably could have been trimmed in order to get to the concluding court hearing with the amazing Agnes Moorehead (Show Boat) a bit sooner. The Hays Code was still in effect as of the time of this production, and this is one of the few rare times I feel it worked to the film’s advantage. By putting limitations on how far Hope could take things with these ladies, it made the film feel less problematic. Bachelor In Paradise may not rank among my favorite comedies from this decade, but it made enough of a positive impression that I would happily revisit it again.
Video Quality
Warner Archive presents Bachelor In Paradise with a beautiful new 1080p master transfer in 2.35:1 sourced from a 4K scan of the original camera negative. Warner Archive always knocks it out of the park when they revisit these hidden gems, and this one is no exception. The level of minute detail and clarity is stunning with a lovely amount of natural film grain intact. The film features some splendid colors within the costumes and 60s production design that pop off the screen with a great vibrancy. The film is practically pristine with no noticeable instances of damage or dirt detected here. The black levels are incredibly deep with a pleasing stability throughout. Compression artifacts, banding and other such issues do not pop up as an issue in this transfer. This presentation is another instance of Warner Archive showing off their technical mastery.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that is likewise quite enjoyable. Dialogue and background noises are represented perfectly along with the breezy score from Henry Mancini. There is no discernible age related wear and tear to the track such as hissing or popping. No sounds ever overpower the dialogue that is being spoken here. While mostly dialogue driven throughout, the more kinetic moments, such as when Jack floods his house with bubbles from the laundry machine, are handled with ease and give the track a bit of life. There are also optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. Warner Archive has provided a disc that sounds excellent in all respects.
Special Features
- Trailer: A three-minute trailer that starts with some Bob Hope narration before taking you into the core story and key players. This gives away quite a bit if you pay close attention, but it is a decent enough trailer.
Final Thoughts
Bachelor In Paradise finds Bob Hope in his comedic sweet spot of injecting quick-witted asides without being too cringeworthy and over the top with the sexism. The ensemble cast are all pretty great, especially the wonderful women of the neighborhood that inhabit the film. Lana Turner is a fantastic romantic interest who also has some agency as an individual. Intellectually you may not buy their pairing, but the chemistry works when they get together on screen. Warner Archive has released a stellar new Blu-Ray that sports a 5-star A/V presentation. If you are a fan of any of the cast members or just want a breezy 60s romantic comedy, this one is pleasant enough. Recommended
Bachelor In Paradise can be purchased directly through the Warner Archive Amazon Store or various other online retailers. The release will be available on May 11, 2021.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
