Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! Blu-ray Review

Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller lead this comic romp from director George Marshall

Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! is a good-natured comedy from the 1960s starring Bob Hope, Phyllis Diller and the vivacious Elke Sommer. A famous European actress known for her bathing scenes goes on the lam from Hollywood, throwing the married life of a mild-mannered real estate agent into comic high jinks. The comedic team of Hope and Diller largely deliver the goods in this sanitized Hollywood film from when comedies played it much safer.

Real estate agent Tom Meade (Bob Hope) has his life turned upside down when a phone operator mistakenly connects him to Didi (Elke Sommer), a blonde bombshell on the run from her domineering Hollywood director. Didi is famous for appearing in nude bathing scenes and has grown tired of being objectified in her films. The starlet is hiding out from Pepe (Cesare Danova) and needs help breaking free of his control.

Elke Sommer is perfectly cast as the buxom bombshell.

Tom Meade is a happily married man with two children, but he can’t turn down Didi when she requests a favor over the phone. Phyllis Diller plays Tom’s housekeeper and Hope’s comedic sidekick. Diller and Hope play off each other with veteran ease. These are two veteran comedians well versed in delivering their punch lines with impeccable timing. A series of misunderstandings escalates into trouble for Tom as the police and his wife become involved. Tom has to do his best in keeping his wife unaware of Didi’s presence.

A couple of hilariously staged scenes are the real comedy gold in the movie. Hope and Diller show a penchant for physical comedy with an exquisitely crafted scene involving a sleeping Didi. Knocked out by pills, Didi’s body is pushed around on a skate board as Hope struggles to keep her presence a secret from his wife. It’s the kind of funny slapstick that harkens back to Hope’s Vaudeville days as a comedian and stage performer.

The 1966 comedy is safe, mainstream filmmaking from Hollywood starring a big comedic presence in Bob Hope. Released in the latter stages of his Hollywood career as he was transitioning to television stardom, it’s a mildly funny film with a few great moments. Elke Sommer is perfectly cast as the buxom bombshell. The movie likely doesn’t work without her ample contributions. Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! smartly plays with its suggestive and risqué scenarios in a fun, clean manner.

Video

Olive Films has licensed the 1966 comedy from MGM. Likely taken from an older telecine transfer, this is a solid presentation with stable colors. The adequate definition reveals fairly average levels of detail and grain reproduction. The 99-minute main feature is shown at its intended 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Its AVC video runs at healthy bitrate parameters that largely handles the movie’s grain and texture.

Clarity is consistently strong with a steady contrast. Befitting an older telecine job, a touch of softness is introduced. Some brief bursts of grain and texture devolve into mild chroma noise. This is a colorful presentation with a bright palette. There isn’t much digital processing visible, the elements are in solid condition without significant abnormalities.

Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! receives a solid catalog transfer from decent elements. No one will confuse its average depth and texture with a new film scan but the older HD transfer gets the job done.

Audio

The film’s original monaural audio is heard in a quality 2.0 DTS-HD MA soundtrack. Dialogue is completely intelligible with crisp fidelity. Made during the days when Hollywood’s craftsmanship really meant something, the audio recording is clean and fairly robust.

Optional English subtitles are displayed in a white font.

Extras

No special features are included for this Bob Hope film.

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