There's Always Hope! Bonus Question....

In the July 22, 2025 posting, Movie Trivia is Back, I posed several quiz questions for you to answer in order to identify the film. Three subsequent postings featured Bob Hope at a poker table and how he ended up in only his union suit in Alias Jesse James. In that movie he played Milford Farnsworth, insurance salesman in the late 19th century wild west. 

A bonus question was included in the trivia questions:

All movies have editing mistakes in their filming that are inadvertently left in the final cut. One such slip involves this actor's long underwear. Can you determine the mistake from viewing an earlier scene in the poker game? It's pretty obvious. What is it? 

Four of you emailed me with the correct answer which began just prior to Milford being forced to pony up his bowler hat, shirt and tie before he had lost his pants too. He then had to sit there at the poker table in only a bright red union suit! 

The editing mistake showed Milford initially wearing a white union suit showing at the buttoned cuff of his shirt while playing a hand of poker: 

 

 

Later, when stripped of this clothes, poor ole Milford sat there in a personally monogramed suit of long red underwear and not in the earlier shwoing white union suit.

Thanks to the actors, director, and editor and Hope Enterprises and United Artists for some great scenes from Alias Jesse James!

There's Always Hope!  Part 3

In last week's posting, the intripid Milford Farnsworth, insturance agent, had escaped an illicit poker game in only his union suit and had scrambled up the staircase located behind the card table while his fellow card players blasted away at his backside with their six-shooters. He sought and fortunately found refuge in a hotel room on the second floor.

Just as he had decided there was no escape by jumping out the two story window without injury, he heard footsteps! They apparently came from the guest of the very hotel room in which he had entered. A woman's voice was heard shouting out to her mother before entering.

Still in his long red underwear, holding the clothes he had not taken time to put on, he met face to face with the lodger, Cora Lee Collins (Rhonda Fleming). She, for some unknown reason, was dressed in her underclothes too:  

 

Milford told Cora Lee he's from the fire department... 

and that he was simply inspecting the building. "Yep," he says, "it will burn!"  And, tipping his hat, takes his leave.  

 

 

Cora Lee is speechless. She doesn't even inquire as to why a representative from the fire department is in her room unattired in only his long underwear?!?!  

 

 

Having backed out of the door, Milford turns around and is surprised at seeing an elderly woman, the apparent mother of the undressed woman on the other side of the door. She too is surprised at seeing a man coming out of her daughter's room in only his long underwear!  

She looked the unclothed Milford up oneside and down the other....

 

How ghastly. But she can't seem to say a word. Mother is as speechless as her daughter. Taking his leave.... 

 

Milford, doffs his hat again, saying "very warm" to cover why he is in his union suit. He then makes his way down back stairs to the alley behind the hotel, hoping to finally put on his clothes. 

 

When the sheriff sneaked up behind him, with gun drawn, saying to "get 'em up." Milford (with yet another great "one-liner), hastily replies "That's what I'm trying to do," meaning his trousers not his hands! 

 

The sheriff placed his gun on Milford's back and asks him if he knows just whose room he came out of. At Milford's reply of no, he is told it is the girl friend of none other than Jesse James!!  

 

Milford then asked the sheriff if he knew who he was. When the sheriff answered "no," Milford said "Thanks! When does the next train leave?"

 

Does erstwhile Milford make a clean get away or does he face dire, possible consequences? 

Find out by streaming on a number of services or by purchasing this great film! You'll enjoy Hope at his finest. No one, except perhaps Bob Newhart, was better at one-liners.  And, I don't know about you but I have never seen Newhart in a suit of long red (or any other color) underwear.

There's Always Hope, Part 2

When we last left 19th century insurance agent extraordinaire, Milford Farnsworth (see last week's Bob Hope posting), he had just been cheated in an involuntary game of poker. Card miscreants enjoyed stripping the tenderfoot right down to his bright red, monogramed union suit! With his bowler hat perched high on his head, a ridiculous figure he made.

When Milford had enough though, he had jumped up from the table, reclaiming his clothes. But the poker cheats he'd been playing with had other ideas!  What happens next? Take a look: 

A little gun play seemed to be the next order of business for the greenhorn in red underwear! 

 

Milford decided make a run for it so he turned, and up the staircase he scrambled. Could he make it?

 

The boys decided to have some fun. Why, they'd scare the pants right off of Milbord, 

if he were wearing any, that is! 

Get moving you johnny-come-lately before we blow the buttons right off your drawer's drop seat...

 

Phew, he made it up the staircase to the second floor. Now where to hide?  

 

The door at the end of the hallway was locked tight. The next door he tried was open. Hopefully, no one was inside. He'd just slip in and slip on his clothes. He couldn't keep running around making a spectacle of himself in long underwear. What would his mother say?

Footsteps! He's going to be caught in what appears to be a lady's boudoir! And he, only his union suit! He can't get caught like that....perhaps, he can climb out the window....

 

 ....oops, too far down! Trapped!  

What do to do now? 

Find out in Part 3 of Alias Jesse James coming next week!