MovieChat Forums > Spies Like Us (1985) Discussion > The significance of Bob Hope?

The significance of Bob Hope?

posted 18 years ago by joe2002
13 replies | jump to latest

I might be too young to know much about Bob Hope other than he was funny. Was there some significance to his cameo that I totally missed, or was it just supposed to be silly?

Thanks
Joe

[–] wildthing226 18 years ago

Yeah, I am only 23 so I dont know much about him. But I think he used to visit troops oversea's and was always doing stuff like that. So he does a cameo in the film as a knock to him always being somewhere out of the country where goodwill is being done.

[–] ptaran 18 years ago

The Significance of Mr. Hope is that he and Bing Crosby made a series of "road" films in the 1940's -50's "The Road to Rio", "The Road to Morocco", "The Road to Zanzibar" etc. These were pictures that showed the duo off on some madcap adventure to some far away locale, and gave many oppertunities for comedy, song, and dance. Hope and Crosby were both avid golfers who worked golf gags into these pictures. hence the Bob Hope "play through" cameo. hope this answers your question

[–] joe2002 18 years ago

Both answers make sense. Thanks!

[–] paolovf 18 years ago

Not that this is the reason for Bob Hope's cameo but Chevy Chase has a similar line in Caddyshack to Bob hope's line in Spies Like us,
Chevy Chase hits his golf ball into Bill Murray's gaf and asks if he can play through.

I only know this cause i watched these two films last night, in a row.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] whosit 15 years ago

There's another "Road" referrence...when Chevy and Dan escape from the yuppy Russians they stomp on their feet in unison...reminiscent of the patty cake escape routines.

[–] MickBarr-1 17 years ago

Spies Like Us is essentially a "Road To" buddy picture, the kind that Hope and Bing Crosby were famous for years earlier.

[–] ram-30 17 years ago

Dave Thomas, best known as Hoser MacKenzie brother on STRANGE BREW and Moose brother on BROTHER BEAR, co-wrote this film. I think he intended to play the Bob Hopish character on the film.

It's been said, other than the great Rich Little, no one can impersonated Bob Hope like Dave Thomas.

What I would love to see is a true Hope-Crosby homage with Dave Thomas as Bob Hope and fellow SCTV Joe Flaherty as Bing Crosby. That would be worth seeing.

[–] doorkeeper 16 years ago

>> What I would love to see is a true Hope-Crosby
>> homage with Dave Thomas as Bob Hope and fellow
>> SCTV Joe Flaherty as Bing Crosby. That would be
>> worth seeing.

Compared to some of the sequel and remake crap that comes out of Hollywood, this sounds like a very good idea... unfortunately nobody under 50 knows Bing Crosby or Bob Hope!

[–] chris3-4 15 years ago

Nor can beat their wife and kid so well as Bing Crosby was known for either...

I met Bob Hope once. Very nice man. Bing? Bleah!

[–] stevenackerman69 14 years ago

It is mentioned in the trivia section. This was a takeoff on the Bob Hope road movies, so they had him do a cameo.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] greenbudgie 10 years ago

I think it is reminiscent of Bob Hope's Road films. Those films are referenced a fair bit during this movie. I think the camel is from 'Road To Morocco.' And those animal skin coats from 'Road To Utopia.'