TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Bergorks If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Taha Avalos The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

SimonJack Other reviewers have noted the fine cast in "Casanova's Big Night." Bob Hope was an excellent stand-up comedian, but his shtick in movies begins to wear thin rather fast. Part of it may be a lack of freshness among his writers, and part may be his performances. This film has an interesting premise, and some good comedy "action" scenes. Two things that boost it a notch or two above most of his films are the excellent costumes and sets in this film; and Hope's performance as a foreign baroness, especially his hilarious dance scene with the main villain, The Doge. The supporting cast are all quite good, and some big names in Hollywood of that time. Joan Fontaine, Basil Rathbone, Vincent Price, John Carradine, Raymond Burr and others. After I watched the film recently and saw Lon Chaney Jr. in the credits, I had to go back and watch his part again. The makeup was so good I still couldn't identify him clearly in Emo the Murderer.

MartinHafer Wow, what a cast! This Bob Hope film sure sported a long list of wonderful supporting actors, such as Joan Fontaine, Vincent Price, Basil Rathbone, Raymond Burr, John Carradine, John Hoyt, Lon Chaney, Jr.and even the ex-boxing champ, Primo Carnera! It's really amazing to see so many familiar faces in a rather ordinary sort of film.Hope plays a tailor's apprentice who is roped into impersonating the famous lover, Casanova. It seems the real Casanova is a deadbeat and his many creditors have devised a plan to use Hope in his place. All Hope needs to do is try to seduce a young lady (Hope Emerson) to see if she is or is not virtuous--as her prospective mother-in-law wants to test her. He is assisted by Rathbone and Fontaine (who is WAAAY to old for this role). Naturally, things don't go as they all planned and soon Hope is running for his life.As for the film, it's pretty much a typical 1940s-50s Bob Hope film--very pleasant and fun, but not particularly outstanding--even with the excellent supporting cast. High points would include a cute prison cell scene and a cute ending. And, among the lamest moments was Hope in drag. While cross-dressing is usually a sure laugh-getter, Hope's routine is pretty poor and this good idea falters.

MARIO GAUCI One of Bob Hope's last big-budget studio productions is an elaborate yet rather patchy costumer in Technicolor, with the star only impersonating the famed Venetian lothario (he's played, briefly, by an uncredited Vincent Price!). The film, in fact, has a truly imposing supporting cast (Joan Fontaine, Basil Rathbone, Hugh Marlowe, John Carradine, John Hoyt, Lon Chaney Jr., Raymond Burr and Paul Cavanaugh among others) which, however, doesn't really allow any of them to shine – while embarrassing somewhat Fontaine (an unlikely comedienne) and Rathbone (in the equally undignified role of Casanova's long-suffering valet); for the record, horror icon Chaney appears in a bit as a crazed prisoner.The plot has tailor's assistant Hope offering to replace the fleeing and debt-ridden Casanova; he's subsequently involved in a scheme wherein a lady is to be compromised – and in which the warmongering Doge of Venice (with the aid of advisers Carradine and Burr, who are naturally just as unscrupulous) sees an opportunity to start a war with a neighboring state. The film offers typical routines and lines for the star (he even gets to appear in drag) – which, ultimately, may be its problem as this is clearly a case of 'we've been here once too often' (even if his most obvious earlier title in this vein, MONSIEUR BEAUCAIRE [1946], I've yet to catch in its entirety); having said that, Hope did previously star in a film called THE GREAT LOVER (1949) – which I've haven't seen either – but in it he played a private eye.Incidentally, the character of Casanova is certainly among the more popular in cinema – a subject attracting to it all kinds of stars (not to mention a bevy of beauties) and film-makers: from Riccardo Freda and Vittorio Gassman to Luigi Comencini and Leonard Whiting, from Federico Fellini and Donald Sutherland to Ettore Scola and Marcello Mastroianni…not to mention Michael Sarrazin (under the direction of "Euro-Cult" stalwart Enzo G. Castellari), Tony Curtis, Richard Chamberlain and all the way down to the recent Lasse Hallstrom-Heath Ledger outing.

soranno The usually hilarious Bob Hope generates very few laughs in this slapstick satire that has him portraying a con man who passes himself off as Casanova so he can test the virtues of a maiden (Joan Fontaine) whose marriage is being arranged for her. Most of the scenes fall flat and it winds up being a surprising letdown considering the talent involved.