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The Seven Little Foys
Bob Hope, cast radically against type, anchors a 1955 biopic about Eddie Foy called The Seven Little Foys, a showbiz story beautifully blended with a family drama that was impossible to resist.
Yes, there was a real Eddie Foy and I have no idea how factually accurate this story was, but, according to this film, Foy was a struggling comic who marries a beautiful Italian ballerina and continues to become a star while his wife gives up her career to raise his seven children. The arrangement works for Eddie until the mother passes away from a mysterious illness while he's on the road. When his sister-in-law threatens to take the children away from him, Foy feels he has no option but to bring the kids on the road with him to become a vaudeville act called Eddie Foy and the Seven Little Foys.
Director and screenwriter Melville Shavelson has mounted a warm and engaging story rich with humor, but not the slapstick that we expect from a Bob Hope movie. Shevelson's screenplay actually earned him an Oscar nomination. His vision of Eddie Foy is likable even if it is a little contradictory at times. The beginning of the film establishes Foy as a confirmed bachelor who has no interest in marriage or family and before the halfway point of the film, he is married and the father of seven. The death of his wife does bring about a credible change in Foy (the scene where he learns of her death is quite moving, he was on the road when it happened). The initial scenes of Foy trying to teach the kids how to sing and dance are very funny and their contempt of show business is understandable, making their complete 180 at the climax of the film a little contrived.
The absolute marvel of this film is an incredible performance by Bob Hope that was unlike anything we had seen him do before. Hope proved for the first time that he was more than a clown with a talent for delivering a great punchline, but comes off as a full-fledged triple threat performer here...whether it is his rendition of the Bert Williams classic "Nobody" or the glorious tap showdown on a banquet table with James Cagney, reprising his role as George M. Cohan, or learning that his children have rejected the Xmas stockings he has provided for them while on the road, Hope easily gives the richest performance of his career in this film, proving what an immensely underrated actor he was.
As mentioned, I don't know how factually accurate this film was, but as far as I know, only one of the seven Foy children continued in the business as an adult. Eddie Foy Jr. managed to carve out a pretty impressive career for himself, including appearances in films like Yankee Doodle Dandy, The Pajama Game, Lucky Me, and Bells are Ringing.
Paramount Studios pulled out all the stops for this one, the production values are first-rate, with particular nods to art direction and cinematography, but more than anything, this film opened my eyes to what an incredible actor Bob Hope was and how, when given this opportunity, proved to be an actor of substance. BTW, Foy's oldest son, Bryan, is played by Billy Gray, who squeezed in this movie during his first hiatus from the sitcom Father Knows Best. I've been wanting to see this film for a long time and it definitely lives up to its reputation.
Bob Hope, cast radically against type, anchors a 1955 biopic about Eddie Foy called The Seven Little Foys, a showbiz story beautifully blended with a family drama that was impossible to resist.
Yes, there was a real Eddie Foy and I have no idea how factually accurate this story was, but, according to this film, Foy was a struggling comic who marries a beautiful Italian ballerina and continues to become a star while his wife gives up her career to raise his seven children. The arrangement works for Eddie until the mother passes away from a mysterious illness while he's on the road. When his sister-in-law threatens to take the children away from him, Foy feels he has no option but to bring the kids on the road with him to become a vaudeville act called Eddie Foy and the Seven Little Foys.
Director and screenwriter Melville Shavelson has mounted a warm and engaging story rich with humor, but not the slapstick that we expect from a Bob Hope movie. Shevelson's screenplay actually earned him an Oscar nomination. His vision of Eddie Foy is likable even if it is a little contradictory at times. The beginning of the film establishes Foy as a confirmed bachelor who has no interest in marriage or family and before the halfway point of the film, he is married and the father of seven. The death of his wife does bring about a credible change in Foy (the scene where he learns of her death is quite moving, he was on the road when it happened). The initial scenes of Foy trying to teach the kids how to sing and dance are very funny and their contempt of show business is understandable, making their complete 180 at the climax of the film a little contrived.
The absolute marvel of this film is an incredible performance by Bob Hope that was unlike anything we had seen him do before. Hope proved for the first time that he was more than a clown with a talent for delivering a great punchline, but comes off as a full-fledged triple threat performer here...whether it is his rendition of the Bert Williams classic "Nobody" or the glorious tap showdown on a banquet table with James Cagney, reprising his role as George M. Cohan, or learning that his children have rejected the Xmas stockings he has provided for them while on the road, Hope easily gives the richest performance of his career in this film, proving what an immensely underrated actor he was.
As mentioned, I don't know how factually accurate this film was, but as far as I know, only one of the seven Foy children continued in the business as an adult. Eddie Foy Jr. managed to carve out a pretty impressive career for himself, including appearances in films like Yankee Doodle Dandy, The Pajama Game, Lucky Me, and Bells are Ringing.
Paramount Studios pulled out all the stops for this one, the production values are first-rate, with particular nods to art direction and cinematography, but more than anything, this film opened my eyes to what an incredible actor Bob Hope was and how, when given this opportunity, proved to be an actor of substance. BTW, Foy's oldest son, Bryan, is played by Billy Gray, who squeezed in this movie during his first hiatus from the sitcom Father Knows Best. I've been wanting to see this film for a long time and it definitely lives up to its reputation.