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Rating: 
Summary: A Hope-filled Double Feature!
Review: Bob Hope, known for his dedication to entertaining our soldiers from World War II through the Persian Gulf War, stars in two pre-WWII military roles in this wonderful double helping of Hope humor."Caught in the Draft" co-stars Hope leading lady Dorothy Lamour, Eddie Bracken, and the inimitable Clarence Kolb. A bit weak overall, the comedy is nevertheless a fun farce as a weak-kneed movie star (Hope) finds himself drafted into the Army when all he really wanted was to con his new girlfriend into marriage so he can avoid the draft. To complicate matters, his girl is the Colonel's daughter, and the Colonel finds Hope to be a poor soldier and an even worse choice for his daughter's hand! There are at least two really fun bits; one is a wild tank ride, and the other is when Hope has to go on guard duty without his uniform, and has to avoid being discoverd by Col. Fairbanks (Kolb). As Lamour commented in her autobiography ("My Side of the Road"), it was strange to see Hope play a draft-dodger and goldbrick when compared to his real-life efforts to bring a little humor into the lives of our troops stationed overseas. The real prize on this disc is "Give Me a Sailor", a Hope film from 1938. Betty Grable, Jack Whiting, and Martha Raye co-star in this naval farce. Brothers (Bob and Jack), are in love with the same gal (Betty). Meanwhile, Betty's sister (Martha) is in love with Jack. Bob and Martha scheme to break up the romance between Betty and Jack so that each can win their prospective sweetheart. Naturally, comedic havoc ensues. This film has more outright laughs than "Caught in the Draft", and seems to be more tightly directed. I also really liked Martha Raye's efforts here, and most of the real laughs come from her misadventures. I especially liked her character's poignant reaction when she learns that Jack asked her to the big dance just so he can ditch her and spend time with Betty. The pre-war attitudes on display in both films are kind of strange knowing what was about to happen a only short time after they were released. The Army depicted in "Caught in the Draft" and the Navy depicted in "Give Me a Sailor" are both laden with WWI-level uniforms, customs, and equipment, making the films an odd sort of historical artifact. That being said, the disc is a fun time for fans of Hope, Grable, Raye and Lamour. Getting two movies for the price of one is also a good deal, and there are also production notes, cast profiles, and the trailer for each film on the disc.
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