Fancy Pants – Bob Hope plays an American actor, playing an English butler, brought to America to be butler to an American Wild West tomboy – Lucille Ball
Editorial Review of Fancy Pants Fancy Pants (1950) starring Lucille Ball and Bob Hope, starring Bob Hope and Lucille Ball, courtesy of Amazon.com
Bob Hope is up to his classic shenanigans in Fancy Pants, a loose remake of the comedy favorite Ruggles of Red Gap. Hope plays Humphrey, an American actor playing a British butler in a hokey play in London. When a fortune-hunter hires the cast to help him woo a wealthy American girl (Lucille Ball, playing her character like a female John Wayne), the girl’s domineering mother takes a shine to Humphrey and hires him to be their butler back in New Mexico.
But when they arrive out West, the townsfolk believe that Humphrey is British nobility, and even Teddy Roosevelt drops by for a visit. Despite their different comic styles, Hope and Ball have an oddball chemistry together; throw in some musical numbers, physical slapstick, and a shaggy dachshund, and the results will please any Hope fan. (There are, however, some unfortunate racial stereotypes.) —Bret Fetzer
Songs in Fancy Pants
Trivia for Fancy Pants, starring Bob Hope and Lucille Ball
- In a scene involving Lucille Ball and Bob Hope on a mechanical horse, Bob Hope took a tumble off the horse and suffered a mild concussion.
- The second of four films that Bob Hope and Lucille Ball made together
- “Lux Radio Theater” broadcast a 60-minute radio adaptation of the movie Bob Hope and Lucille Ball reprised their film roles.
- The interior set at Paramount Studios representing the first floor of Norma Desmond’s mansion in Sunset Blvd. starring Gloria Swanson was also used in this film. This gives fans of that classic a rare opportunity to see it in full color.
Funny movie quotes from Fancy Pants
[during opening credits]
Arthur Tyler (Bob Hope): No popcorn during my performance … peasants!
Agatha (Lucille Ball): Gee, if you’re an actor, we’ve got a chance, and if you’re a good actor this could be the biggest job you ever had.
Arthur Tyler (Bob Hope): Yeah, and I’d be the star – that’s a step up … and an audience of three – that’s a step up.
Agatha (Lucille Ball): You act if gravy was on it![as Sir Wimbley kisses her hand]
[Arthur (Bob Hope) jumps onto the horse behind Agatha (Lucille Ball), only for both of them to fall off]
Arthur Tyler (Bob Hope): Wouldn’t it be much simpler to call a cab?