Marking the first feature film in Bob Hope’s career and the last Paramount film starring W.C. Fields, The Big Broadcast of 1938 is now on Blu-ray. Much as it was the only film in the Big Broadcast anthology series to be released on VHS or DVD, the same now applies to its release on Blu-ray. It certainly helps that the film is home to the Oscar-winning “Thanks for the Memory,” which would become Hope’s theme song for the rest of his career. Hope would later reteam with co-star Shirley Ross in Thanks for the Memory, which released a year later and is available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Hope would also reteam with co-star Dorothy Lamor in the Road to… series alongside Bing Crosby. Because of the variety and anthology format, there is not enough screen time to go around for everyone over the course of an hour and a half, especially with needing to fit in six songs by Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin. “Thanks for the Memory” earned them their only Oscar.

Interestingly enough, there is a universe where Hope is not associated with the Oscar-winning tune. The role of Buzz Fielding had previously been offered to Jack Benny, but the Chicago native turned down the role. Benny previously appeared in The Big Broadcast of 1937. Fans of Hope or W.C. Fields will be pleased with The Big Broadcast of 1938 making its Blu-ray debut.

The Big Broadcast of 1938 is presented in 1080p High Definition with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 with a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono soundtrack. Unfortunately, there are no bonus features included with the release.

Synopsis:

Make way for The Big Broadcast of 1938 with a plethora of Hollywood’s brightest stars, including W.C. Fields, Martha Raye, Dorothy Lamour and Bob Hope in his feature film debut. T. Frothingill Bellows (Fields) and S.B. Bellows (Fields again!) take sibling rivalry to new extremes of hilarity when they embark on a transatlantic race across the Atlantic in their giant steamships. Yet everyone’s a winner in this competition, with show-stopping tunes such as “Thanks for the Memory,” “That Moon Is Here Again” and “You Took the Words Right Out of My Heart” hitting the waves amidst moments of pure comic genius. It’s an all-star extravaganza you won’t want to miss!

DIRECTOR: Mitchell Leisen
SCREENWRITERS: Walter DeLeon, Francis Martin and Ken Englund
CAST: W. C. Fields, with Martha Raye, Dorothy Lamour, Shirley Ross, Bob Hope, Ben Blue, Lynne Overman, Rufe Davis, Leif Erickson, Grace Bradley, Kirsten Flagstad, Tito Guízar, Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm Orchestra

Paramount Pictures released The Big Broadcast of 1938 in theaters on February 11, 1938.

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