Product: My Favorite Brunette [VHS] (1947)
Rating: 5.0
"You see, I wanted to be a detective too. It only took brains, courage, and a gun... and I had the gun. "
The film opens in San Quentin, with the warden granting the imprisoned Ronnie Jackson the privelege of telling his story to a bevy of reporters before he is executed. As Ronnie spins his tale, the camera pans back in time to San Francisco as Ronnie plies his baby photography trade. Ronnie has always wanted to be a part of the McCloud Detective Agency. He gets a chance when McCloud is away and the Baroness Carlotta Montay assumes Ronnie is a real private eye and hires him to search for her missing husband (later, she changes it to a missing uncle). Soon, Ronnie is nose-deep in side-splitting danger, mysterious maps, escapades in a brooding mansion and a shady sanitorium, and potentially crazy brunettes.With this 1947 thriller-comedy, Bob Hope is back in perilous surroundings. But, this time, his allegiance is shifted from his favorite blonde, Madeleine Carroll, to his favorite brunette, Dorothy Lamour. The look of this film is very dark, with many scenes taking place at night or in very dim locations. Everyone but Bob plays it straight and, if not for Bob's constant barrage of humor, this easily could have been a typical film noir. As it is, old Ski-nose zanily spins plenty of detective cliches.Dorothy Lamour teams up again with familiar co-star Bob in this "Road"-less enterprise and makes the most of her sarong-free femme fatale role. There's a certain comfort level between Dorothy and Bob that translates very well onto the film. But just when you think this movie is Crosby-bereft, guess who has a cameo somewhere in the film? Charles Dingle, Frank Puglia and John Hoyt have nice supporting roles, with Lon Chaney Jr. and the great but creepy Peter Lorre rounding off the cast nicely. Alan Ladd also has a tiny but amusing cameo.At this stage of his career, Bob Hope had already perfected his screen persona of cowardly, self-deprecating funnyman. As usual, the jokes come in fast and furious, in strafe-like fashion. My Favorite Brunette is yet another excellent showcase for Bob's natural timing and hilarious one-liners.Ironically, the funniest line of the movie is uttered not by Bob Hope, but by a state trooper (threatening Hope): "If you bother us again, I'll personally punch you in the nose so hard it will look like other peoples' noses." The second funniest line is said by Bob Hope as he reaches up into a chandelier and pulls out a champagne bottle: "Aha! Ray Milland's been here!" (If you don't get that, check out The Lost Weekend.)