Detroit evening times., 1942-05-09
Hope Film,
at Michigan
Full of Fun
BY WALTER STEVENSON

my FAVORITE BLONDE
and your favorite comedian romped
across the Michigan Theater
screen yesterday in one OF the fun
NEST comedies OF the year.
War or no. we still have Hope,
and as long as we can look forward
to such enjoyable Bob Hope films
as this. one, then we are sure OF
obtaining the necessary relaxation
from war worries in order to
strengthen ourselves for the strug-
gle ahead.
Relief for the army and navy as
we'll as for several thousand people
was provided by Bob Hope when
he appeared with the Hollywood
Victory Caravan show at the Coli
scum. His gags and jokes were
funny indeed, but wait until you
see him at the Michigan with such
a beautiful blonde as Madeleine
Carroll for a foil, and with such a
pretty penguin as Percy stealing
IBob's stuff. You'll laugh yourself
silly and even forget that next
years income tax will be twice
the yearly salary you've been ac-
customed to.
HOPES BEST FILM
In all seriousness, though. this
is Hopes best film to date. II
combines just the right amount
of melodrama and comedy to hold
your interest throughout. In fact,
it's the comedy that relieves all OF
the tense situations.
AS a ham" vaudeville actor
who thinks he's the star and not
his prize penguin. which actually
is responsible for success of the
act, Bob Hope has his troubles
When Madeleine, British secret
service agent seeking refuge from
Nazi spies who know she possesses
military information, imposes or
Hope backstage, Bob is at once
amazed, happy but unknowingly
in more trouble. They become fast
friends and Bob agrees to accom-
pany her by train to Chicago.
At the train depot Madeleine
secretly pins a metal-molded scor'
pion, which contains the military
plans, under the lapel of Bob's
coat, shoves him on the train anc
then departs. The Gestapo, mean
while, has watched each action be.
tween the two, and as a result
Hope is surrounded by enemies
who want something that Hope
hopes he hasn't got.
This situation is screamingly
funny. His pantomime is terrific
and he plays each change of emo
ton to the utmost. He finally es.
Icapes with the scorpion and his
life by some clever maneuvering
and fast talk.
Not until Bob confronts Made.
leine in Chicago does she reveal
the mystery of her identity and
of the wild and merry chase. This
revelation comes too late, however
for in the apartment where they
meet lies a second British agent
with a knife in his back, and their
pursuers have them trapped.
Hope suggests that they begin
fighting, create a lot of noise in
the apartment, thereby summoning
the manager and the police and
pulling them out OF a perilous pre-
dicament.
DOMESTIC TROUBLE
For the next few minutes you'll
laugh your head off at Hope and
Carroll tossing tables, chairs, pic
lures and what-have-you at each
other.
All this is but a few of the many
hilarious incidents which happen
during the course of the spy chase,
which eventually comes to happy
Bob Hope has never had a better
role in his whole screen career
and he takes full advantage of the
opportunity by acting as he's never
acted before. His gag lines are
snappy and his takes" are perfect.
Madeleine Carroll does a grand
bit of acting and fits the role of
a lovely British agent to a ct" II
can be readily understood why
Bob often refers to her as MY
Favorite Blonde"
A prominent supporting cast
lists Walter Kingsford. Gale Son.
dergaard and George Zucco.
MY Favorite Blonde" is comedy
in its rarest form and a picture
well recommended to chase the
blues.
Torpedo Boat starring Rich
ard Arlen and Jean Parker. is the