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Image source: Internet Archive (archive.org)
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Movie Source: Internet Archive (archive.org)
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Other Versions of this Movie

My Favorite Brunette

1947

This was one of the three films that Bob Hope did for Paramount with the theme of favorites: blonde, spy and brunette. He was at one of the best moments of his career when this spoof about the detective movie genre went into production. "My Favorite Brunette" was directed by Elliott Nugent with a style that made it fun and light to watch. The screen play by Edmund Beloin and Jack Rose parodies those films that showed a charismatic private eye get into all kinds of dangerous situations. In this film, Ronnie Jackson, a photographer in San Francisco is suddenly, thrown into a web of intrigue when he steps into the office of his neighbor, the real P.I, Sam McCloud, who is fed up with the job and is leaving town. Enter the femme fatale, something that is a must in this type of film, Carlotta Montay. She will get Ronnie into all kinds of difficult situations and even the gas chamber as he tries his best to deal with all the bad people that are chasing Carlotta. Bob Hope was excellent in his take of Ronnie Jackson. Dorothy Lamour, in all her beauty, made the most of her Carlotta. Two cameos in the film were notorious because they are uncredited and unexpected: Alan Ladd, and Bing Crosby. Others in the film are Peter Lorre, Lon Chaney Jr., Charles Dingle, Frank Puglia, Reginald Denny, among the supporting cast. The film is still a lot of fun as it makes fun of other more dramatic movies thanks to the direction of Elliott Nugent.


My Favorite Brunette is a 1947 American romantic comedy film directed by Elliott Nugent and starring Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour.< name="imdb"></> Written by Edmund Beloin and Jack Rose, the film is about a baby photographer on death row in San Quentin State Prison who tells reporters his history. While taking care of his private-eye neighbor's office, he is asked by an irresistible baroness to find a missing baron, which initiates a series of confusing but sinister events in a gloomy mansion and a private sanatorium. Spoofing movie detectives and the film noir style, the film features Lon Chaney, Jr. playing Willie, a character based on his Of Mice and Men (1939 film) role Lennie; Peter Lorre as Kismet, a comic take on his many film noir roles; and cameo appearances by film noir regular Alan Ladd and Hope partner Bing Crosby. Sequences were filmed in San Francisco and Pebble Beach, California.< name="imdblocations"></>

Plot

The story is told in Flashback (narrative) from Death Row as Ronnie Jackson (Hope) relates the events to a group of reporters the events that lead to his predicament. Jackson is a baby photographer who dreams about being a real private detective like his friend Sam McCloud (Ladd). One day he is mistaken for a detective by a mysterious lady in distress (Lamour) and soon finds himself involved in a murder mystery.

Cast

  • Bob Hope as Ronnie Jackson
  • Alan Ladd as Sam McCloud (cameo appearance)
  • Dorothy Lamour as Baroness Carlotta Montay
  • Frank Puglia as Baron Montay
  • Peter Lorre as Kismet
  • Lon Chaney, Jr. as Willie
  • John Hoyt as Dr. Lundau
  • Charles Dingle as Major Simon Montague
  • Reginald Denny (actor) as James Collins
  • Ann Doran as Miss Rogers< name="imdbcast"></>

Reception

My Favorite Brunette was described by a reviewer for the St. Petersburg Times as a "first rate [Bob] Hope performance".<></>

Home video

In 1975, the film entered the List of films in the public domain in the United States due to the copyright claimants failure to renew the copyright registration during the 28th year after release.<></> However, all authorized editions currently available are copyrighted by Sony Pictures Television.
My Favorite Brunette has been widely available on home video, with most copies varying in picture and sound quality. There have been authorized video releases of the film, under license from the Bob Hope estate and distributor FremantleMedia North America, using the original negatives stored at Sony. One such release was licensed to Shout! Factory in 2010 in a DVD box set with other Hope films.

See also

  • List of films in the public domain
  • My Favorite Blonde (1942) with Bob Hope and Madeleine Carroll
  • My Favorite Spy (1951) with Bob Hope and Hedy Lamarr


Category:1947 films
Category:American criminal comedy films
Category:Black-and-white films
Category:Paramount Pictures films
Category:Films set in San Francisco, California
Category:1940s romantic comedy films
Category:Films directed by Elliott Nugent
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Elliott Nugent

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