''Cancel My Reservation'' is a 1972 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

starring

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...

and Eva Marie Saint, and directed by

Paul Bogart Paul Bogart (né Bogoff; November 13, 1919 – April 15, 2012) was an American television director and producer. Bogart directed episodes of the television series Way Out'' in 1961, ''Coronet Blue'' in 1967, ''Get Smart'', '' The Dumplings'' ...

. The movie was Bob Hope's last of over 50 theatrical features as leading man, a screen run begun in 1938. It was also Eva Marie Saint's last film before she took a break from the big screen until 1986's '' Nothing in Common''.

Plot

Television personality Dan Bartlett, having difficulties with his wife and TV co-star Sheila, retreats to his Arizona ranch. When the body of Mary Little Cloud is found in the back seat of his car, Dan is placed under arrest. Freed for lack of evidence, Dan returns home to find attractive, scantily clad Crazy Hollister there. Her stepfather John Ed owns a 50,000 acre property nearby. Crazy is upset that John Ed has blocked her inheritance and may have even murdered her mother. Sheila shows up and believes she has caught Dan having an affair, but Crazy convinces her that's not true. Meanwhile, county recorder Snagby tries to blackmail John Ed with information Mary Little Cloud gave him, but John Ed's evil henchman Reese has him killed. Sheriff Riley once again thinks Dan is responsible. The Bartletts are taken captive by Reese and sealed inside a cave. There they renew their love. Riley is able to free them while Crazy finds proof that Mary Little Cloud had a document showing her tribe to be the lawful owner of John Ed's land. Reese is betrayed by John Ed, who ultimately learns that crime doesn't pay. Dan and Sheila can't wait to get back to their old lives.

Cast

as Dan Bartlett * Eva Marie Saint as Sheila Bartlett * Ralph Bellamy as John Ed * Forrest Tucker as Reese *

Anne Archer Anne Archer (born August 24, 1947) is an American actress. Archer was named Miss Golden Globe in 1971, and in the year following, appeared in her feature film debut ''The Honkers'' (1972). She had supporting roles in ''Cancel My Reservation'' (1 ...

as Crazy Hollister *

Keenan Wynn Francis Xavier Aloysius James Jeremiah Keenan Wynn (July 27, 1916 – October 14, 1986) was an American character actor. His expressive face was his stock-in-trade; and though he rarely carried the lead role, he had prominent billing in mos ...

as Sheriff 'Houndtooth' Riley *

Chief Dan George Chief Dan George (born Geswanouth Slahoot; July 24, 1899 – September 23, 1981) was a chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, a Coast Salish band whose Indian reserve is located on Burrard Inlet in the southeast area of the District of No ...

as 'Old Bear' * Pat Morita as Yamamoto * Tracy Bogart as Teenage Girl *

Betty Ann Carr Betty Ann Carr (1942-1995) was an American actress, musician, composer and film editor best remembered for her television work. Early life Carr was born to William Raymond and Helen Marie Brown as one-half Cherokee and one-half French and was t ...

as Mary Little Cloud * Henry Darrow as Joe Little Cloud * Doodles Weaver as Cactus (Deputy Sheriff)

Uncredited cameo appearances

Johnny Carson John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known as the host of ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson received six Pr ...

as himself *

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

as himself *

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

as himself * Flip Wilson as himself

Reception

Like most of Bob Hope's later movie efforts, ''Cancel My Reservation'' was not a success at the box office and was panned by critics. Hope and his wife

Dolores Dolores, Spanish for "pain; grief", most commonly refers to: * Our Lady of Sorrows or La Virgen María de los Dolores * Dolores (given name) Dolores may also refer to: Film * ''Dolores'' (2017 film), an American documentary by Peter Bratt * ' ...

attended the film's premiere at

Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Nicknamed "The Showplac ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

(incidentally during a strike by the Musicians' Union, which prevented the band or the Rockettes from performing) and he reputedly bemoaned that he was getting too old to play a leading man and therefore would not make another feature film, although he would make cameo appearances in later films.

References

External links

* {{Louis L'Amour 1972 films 1972 comedy films American comedy mystery films 1970s comedy mystery films 1970s English-language films Films directed by Paul Bogart Films based on works by Louis L'Amour Films scored by Dominic Frontiere Films set in Arizona Warner Bros. films 1970s American films