Never Say Die (1939 film)

Never Say Die
VHS cover
Directed by	Elliott Nugent
Written by	Play: William H. Post William Collier Sr. Screenplay: Dan Hartman Frank Butler Preston Sturges
Produced by	Paul Jones
Starring	Martha Raye Bob Hope
Cinematography	Leo Tover
Edited by	James Smith
Music by	Songs: Ralph Rainger (music) Leo Robin (lyrics) Score: Charles Bradshaw John Leipold Leo Shuken
Production company	Paramount Pictures
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release dates	March 9, 1939 (1939-03-09) (New York City) April 14, 1939 (1939-04-14) (United States)
Running time	82 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Never Say Die is a 1939 American romantic comedy film starring Martha Raye and Bob Hope. Based on a play of the same title by William H. Post and William Collier Sr.,^[1] which ran on Broadway for 151 performances in 1912,^[2] the film was directed by Elliott Nugent and written for the screen by Dan Hartman, Frank Butler and Preston Sturges. The supporting cast features Andy Devine, Alan Mowbray, Gale Sondergaard, Sig Ruman and Monty Woolley.

The Post/Collier play had previously been adapted in 1924 as a silent film of the same name^[3] and was remade as the 2004 South Korean film Someone Special. Other films with the same or similar titles are not related.

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Plot

When test results get mixed up, multi-millionaire hypochondriac John Kidley (Bob Hope) is told that he only has a month to live. He dumps his fiancée, Juno Marko (Gale Sondergaard), while he is at the Swiss spa of Bad Gaswasser, there he meets a young Texas heiress, Mickey Hawkins (Martha Raye).

Mickey has been betrothed to the fortune-hunting Prince Smirnov (Alan Mowbray), but is in love with Henry Munch (Andy Devine), a bus driver from back home. Believing he is dying, and wanting to help out, John suggests that Mickey and he get married, planning on leaving her his fortune so that she can marry who she wants when he's gone. On their honeymoon, with Henry along as a chaperone, the couple fall in love for real, although, of course, they don't realize it right away.

During the honeymoon ,Mickey makes a bet that she can tell which man is kissing her while she's blindfolded. The experiment takes an unexpected turn when a gorilla scares off John and Henry and Mickey ends up enthusiastically kissing the animal.

Eventually, John bests the Prince in a duel, Henry and Juno get engaged, and John and Mickey get to stay together.^[4]^[5]

Cast

Martha Raye as Mickey Hawkins
Bob Hope as John Kidley
Andy Devine as Henry Munch
Alan Mowbray as Prince Smirnov
Gale Sondergaard as Juno Marko
Sig Ruman as Poppa Ingleborg
Ernest Cossart as Jeepers
Paul Harvey as Jasper Hawkins
Frances Arms as Momma Ingleborg
Ivan F. Simpson as Kretsky
Monty Woolley as Dr. Schmidt
Foy Van Dolsen as Kretsky's bodyguard
Christian Rub as The mayor

Cast notes:

Hans Conried has a small uncredited part, only his second film appearance.^[6]
Albert Dekker, who plays the uncredited role of "Kidley's second" was an established Broadway star^[7] before turning to film acting.^[8]

Songs

"The Tra La La and the Oom Pah Pah" - by Ralph Rainger (music) and Leo Robin (lyrics)^[9]

Production

Never Say Die was originally slated to star Jack Benny and Franciska Gaal, under the direction of Raoul Walsh and produced by Arthur Hornblow Jr.^[10] The film was in production from early October to early December 1938, and premiered in New York on 9 March 1939.^[11] It went into general release on 14 April of that year.^[12]