Bob Hope in film noir surprise (My Favorite Brunette (DVD))

Member Name: sunmeilan

Product:	My Favorite Brunette (DVD)
Date:	29/12/08 (166 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great atmosphere, entertaining

Disadvantages: Not really laugh out loud funny

The film opens with Ronnie Jackson on death row, about to be executed for a murder he didn't commit. As he explains to waiting journalists, he is a baby photographer turned private eye - or at least he was minding his next-door neighbours business while he was away. Then Baronness Carlotta Montay came to ask for his help in tracking down her missing uncle. Before he knew it, he was entangled in a dastardly plot to find the Baron's uranium. How did Ronnie end up on death row? And is there anyone that can help him from a certain death?

I hadn't really heard of this film before I watched it, but as Bob Hope has a starring role, I presumed that it would be a comedy. I was therefore suprised to find out it is actually a spoof of a film noir, parodying such classics as The Thin Man and The Maltese Falcon. As I love film noir, I was a little concerned that it would be too much of a mickey-take, but actually this is a highly entertaining film with a reasonable plot, albeit with some comedy mixed into it.

Bob Hope plays Ronnie Jackson and is, I think, really excellent in the role. He does have some cracking lines; for example, 'You've got me in so much hot water, I feel like a teabag!', and although I didn't often find myself laughing out loud at his antics, he did keep me smiling, and I felt his comedy fitted in with the film very well - at no point did it feel like he was over-acting. As the film was made in 1947, he doesn't have technology at his fingertips as detectives these days do and it is great to see him trying to handle such high-tech (for the time) objects, such as a dictaphone, which is the size of a record player, and indeed involves recording onto vinyl!

Although I love black and white films and watch a good many of them, I'm not all that familiar with Dorothy Lamour, who plays the Baronness. However, I thought she was great in the role. Again, she isn't overly silly, unlike some of the ditzier blondes of the period, and so she is very watchable, and she has fantastic on-screen chemisty with Bob Hope - I really enjoyed watching the two of them together.

Two other actors deserve a mention. One is Peter Lorre, who appears as the evil Kismet, the right hand man of the master criminal after the uranium. Choosing him in the role was a master stroke - he has just the right sort of face and voice for a criminal and yet is able to fit into a comic role without any difficulty. It also adds authenticity to the film noir theme as Lorre appeared in one of the most famous film noirs - The Maltese Falcon. He was a pleasure to watch. The other actor is Lou Chaney, who plays Willie, another of the master criminal's men - he is completely adorable and grows fond of Ronnie. Having starred in a number of horror films, he also adds a touch of authenticity to the film. Fans of Bing Crosby will be delighted to know that he has a cameo in the film - apparently Hope and Crosby used to do this for each other's films on a regular basis. I thought I'd missed him, but he does appear right at the end.

Considering this is a spoof of a hard-boiled detective story, it actually mirrors films of this type quite closely, and I think that is ultimately why I enjoyed it. It does take the mickey, but in a gentle and amusing way, and I enjoyed it more as a detective story than I did as a comedy. That is not to say that it isn't funny, because it is, but it is also quite a good and intriguing story. Of course, parts of it are far-fetched - the whole Baron and the uranium story for example, but that aside, this is a very entertaining film.

There are no extras on the version that I have. However, there are a number of different versions available, so if you want extras and are willing to shop around, you should find something to suit. The quality of the version that I have is not all that great - the screen flickers at times - but it is not so bad that it ruined my enjoyment of the film. And after all, it was made in 1947, so it isn't going to be of the greatest quality. And it is, of course, in black and white, which some people will find off-putting - personally I still think it is worth watching regardless.

Although it is a film noir, albeit it a comic one, there is very little violence in it, hence the PG rating.

I really enjoyed this film. It isn't as funny as I expected, but it is still light-hearted enough to appeal to someone who wants something entertaining rather than thought-provoking. Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Peter Lorre and Lou Chaney are all great in their roles, and the story is good too. Recommended, whether you're a fan of Bob Hope's usual comedy or not.

The DVD is available from play.com for a variety of prices, starting at £2.82.

Classification: PG

Running time: 87 minutes

Summary: An enjoyable film noir spoof