Casanova's Big Night

"In this gay and colourful extravaganza he plays as a humble tailor's apprentice who, masquerading in a suit made for the great lover, is hired by a duchess to test the virtue of her son's fiancee. Hope's performance is always piquant without any tinge of nastiness and the spectacularly-produced story is kept moving merrily by Hope and a fine cast which includes Vincent Prince, playing the real Casanova, Basil Rathbone, his valet, and Joan Fontaine." —Belfast News-Letter, 22 June 1954

"Rathbone played well with Hope and the comic considered the actor a definite asset to the film: 'It was a privilege to work with Basil. Character actors like him made entertainers like myself look good on the screen. He was terribly charming and funny. A great guy.'" —Michael Druxman, Basil Rathbone: His Life and His Films

"Casanova's Big Night"

Funny is the word for Bob Hope's latest endeavor in which the able and deft comedian, along with Joan Fontaine, Basil Rathbone, and newcomer Audrey Dalton provoke chuckles, laughs, and giggles in a Venice, Italy, setting. It is a costume affair which will bring business to the theatres. The Paul Jones production, directed by Norman Z. McLeod, is slow in starting, but will keep audiences happy. It is in color by Technicolor. Hope is cast as a tailor's apprentice who has a yen for Miss Fontaine, who deems him ridiculous. Opportunity in the form of great lover and swordsman Casanova, played by Vincent Price, comes along in which Hope switches identities and goes on a petticoat stealing quest along with Miss Fontaine and man-servant, played by Rathbone. A coward at heart, Hope cavorts, romps through palaces, boudoirs, love-making scenes and song in which women scream, throw roses and try to climb into his gondola.

Rathbone in a villainous deal sells out Hope and Miss Fontaine to secure Miss Dalton's petticoat and Hope is shuffled off to prison. Refusing to abandon the slapstick comedian, Miss Fontaine manages to get him out of the bastille. She lends him one of her petticoats and in the wild, zany finale, Hope proves heroic. His reward comes in the form of a passionate embrace from Miss Fontaine who is now convinced that the real Casanova is a mere child compared to the great Hope.

L. D.

—Motion Picture Daily, March 1, 1954

"The writing and the frenzied direction of Norman Z. McLeod are not quite sufficient to stave off the disintegration that the jest foredooms. Somewhere beyond the mid-point, 'Casanova's Big Night' explodes. Everyone works hard, however—including Mr. Hope. He leaps about as though a tailor's apprentice could easily be 45. Joan Fontaine as a grocery merchant whom the tailor's apprentice really wants clatters and bangs along with him, smirking and giggling all the way. Basil Rathbone, Arnold Moss, Hugh Marlowe, Lon Chaney and John Carradine are only a few of the name players who likewise project themselves in farce." —Bosley Crowther, The New York Times, April 19, 1954

"Casanova’s Big Night has an excellent cast who all look like they are having the most tremendously good time and might start laughing any minute." Christina Wehner Blog, 2014

"Embellished by the costumes, backgrounds, and Technicolor, and with star and feature players galore, the shapes up as one of the better recent Hopes. It is slow in getting started, but once it hits its pace, it should be responsible for plenty of laughter. The film is played in broad farce, and Hope makes the most of his opportunities." —The Exhibitor, March 10, 1954

"Any resemblance to history is purely coincidental, but this is Hope, for tired audiences." —Motion Picture Herald, May 8, 1954

"Bob Hope was often at his best as an anachronistic comic presence in lavish period romps. ... Basil Rathbone (making his return to the screen after a five-year absence) and Joan Fontaine ... both enter into the spirit of the farce with great gusto. ... Casanova's Big Night is a breezy, often delightful comic trifle that wisely does not outstay its welcome and climaxes with arguably one of the most memorable endings featured in any Bob Hope comedy." —Andrew Pragasam, The Spinning Image

Casanova's Big Night

Bob Hope's in fine fettle during his latest jape, undertaking the preposterous job of impersonating Casanova. The famed great lover of Renaissance Italy has skipped out of town to escape his creditors. Just after he's left, these angry tradespeople find he was about to be offered a job—to test the virtue of a nobleman's fiancee (Audrey Dalton). If he succeeds in leading her astray, he'll be paid handsomely. Bob, a humble tailor, cowardly as ever, is drafted to cash in on Casanova's reputation, do the job and collect the pay-off. With him on his crazy venture go Joan Fontaine, a determined shop-keeper, and Basil Rathbone, supercilious valet to the real Casanova. Wild gags mix with hair-breadth escapes; in one scene Joan wields a rapier to defend Bob, reversing the usual routine.

—Janet Graves, Photoplay, June 1954

"Hope is at the top of his game in this 1954 Technicolor laugh-fest co-starring Joan Fontaine and Basil Rathbone. ... Hope is a marvel here, perfecting his neurotic and vain coward persona while engaging in some pretty inspired slapstick." ScorpioTV.com

"Casanova’s Big Night is definitely a light watch. It mixes adventure, funny (and quotable) dialogue, a bit of physical comedy, character quirks and even a bit of cross-dressing which in combination make for an exciting viewing experience full of laughs." Lindsey D., The Motion Pictures

"Basil Rathbone gives a slick performance as the valet of the real Casanova." —Los Angeles Examiner, March 1, 1954

"Bob Hope and a host of fine players, who should have known better, are fouled up by a fantastic script and loose direction in this period Technicolor production by Paul Jones. Hope's frantic efforts to make something of the proceedings are labored. Balance of cast, names like Joan Fontaine, Basil Rathbone, John Carradine are stymied by the screenplay." —Independent Exhibitor's Film Bulletin, March 8, 1954

"The ending is the best part of the movie as Hope breaks the 3rd wall and actually asks the audience how the movie should end. If only the rest of the movie would have been that entertaining." —Ultimate Movie Rankings

Images on this page are from the film "Casanova's Big Night," copyright Paramount Pictures.

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Casanova's Big Night
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