Bob Hope's wisecracks don't age well
The 1940s was a productive time for Bob Hope. Beginning with “The Ghost Breakers” and the Hope-Crosby “Road to Singapore,” Hope was on a roll. He was already a star of radio, and the decade offered audiences more than twenty opportunities to see Hope’s antics and laugh at his quips and wisecracks.<br /><br />One of his most popular films of that period is “My Favorite Blonde,” a spy drama/comedy that begins with a murder on board a ship. It’s the work of Nazis chasing British agent Karen Bentley (Madeleine Carroll), who must deliver a brooch containing revised U.S. bomber flight plans to a fellow agent in Chicago, who in turn will deliver it to an air base in California. Trying to elude her pursuers, she slips into a vaudeville house where Larry Haines (Hope) is performing with his penguin, Percy. Larry is preparing to board a train for California, where Percy has been offered a lucrative job in the movies. Karen’s feminine wiles induce Larry to let her tag along, but the German spies led, by Dr. Streger (George Zucco) and Madame Runick (Gale Sondergaard) never let them out of their evil sight.<br /><br />The cross-country chase plot leaves plenty of room for Hope to turn danger into zaniness, and there’s never any doubt that Larry and Karen will emerge from peril intact and in love. Director Sidney Lanfield keeps the pace brisk and is especially effective in setting up the cloak-and-dagger aspect of the movie, with its mist-shrouded opening looking more suggestive of a Sherlock Holmes whodunit or a film noir than a Bob Hope comedy. The atmosphere drips with foreboding but changes quickly when Hope’s Larry is introduced performing with a talented penguin. Once Hope is on screen, his barrage of one-liners and asides punctuates the action and the villains become mostly comic foils for Hope’s verbal barbs.<br /><br />Extremely popular when initially released, “My Favorite Blonde” has not aged well. Hope is loud and brash throughout, with little nuance in his performance. Most of the gags fall flat, and he appears more entertained than the viewer by his own quips. Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, Hope’s longtime radio collaborators, stuffed the screenplay by Don Hartman and Frank Butler with many gags to suit Hope’s style and delivery. So sure of the laughs was director Lanfield that he allowed for beats after each joke before continuing the dialogue so that audience laughter would not obscure the follow-up lines. Bob Hope is an acquired taste. His career spanned vaudeville, the stage, radio, and television, so generations were familiar with him, but the formulaic plot has none of the sparkle and topical relevance it had in 1942.<br /><br />Madeleine Carroll keeps up with Hope’s pace and hold her own as straight woman, with more than a few zingers of her own. At one point, posing as Larry’s wife, she averts disaster by cooing cloying baby talk. Carroll is a fine actress, and her Karen convinces us that she is in real danger while Larry consistently makes light of whatever situations arise. A broad slapstick scene in which Larry and Karen attempt to summon the police so they can escape the clutches of the spies is a comic highlight. The two destroy a hotel room as they act out a marital spat. Hope and Carroll’s screen chemistry is effective and they work well as a team, keeping viewers attuned to the plot as non-stop wisecracks provide chuckles.<br /><br />Gale Sondergaard and George Zucco are perfectly cast as the bad guys. Unfortunately Sondergaard, who has a way with a withering comment, has hardly any dialogue and sells her character mostly with her icy, dour appearance. Bing Crosby and Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer (from the Our Gang comedies) appear in unbilled cameos.<br /><br />The film’s scene stealer isn’t Bob Hope. It’s Percy the penguin. With his sweet appearance, top hat and tails, waddle of a walk, and proficiency at rollerskating, Percy has some very funny scenes. The joke, of course, is that it is Percy, not Larry, who has been offered a job in Hollywood. Larry is forced to rely on the good fortune of his stage partner.<br /><br />Based on the success of “My Favorite Blonde,” there were two follow-ups, “My Favorite Brunette” (1947) and “My Favorite Spy” (1951), but the stories are not related.<br /><br />Featuring 1080p resolution, the new 2K Blu-ray restoration is presented in the aspect ratio of 1.37:1. Picture varies according to mood. The opening aboard ship is misty and mysterious. Larry’s act with Percy features high key lighting. Night scenes are obviously filmed on the back lot. Scenes on the train feature rear projection to suggest the movement of the train. This was a commonly used technique at the time. Editing is crisp and the running time is only 78 minutes, enough for the plot to be resolved and for Hope to deliver his signature wisecracks.<br /><br />The soundtrack is English DTS-High Definition Master Audio 2.0 Mono. Optional English SDH subtitles are available. Dialogue is sharp throughout. Though Hope speaks quickly, his words are distinct and his timing precise, qualities essential in putting a joke across. Carroll’s natural accent gives her British agent credibility. Though playing Nazi spies, Sondergaard and Zucco don’t use cliched German accents. Hope is much louder than other actors and self-consciously zany, making him overbearing at times and taking him out of character.<br /><br />“My Favorite Blonde” doesn’t retain the zip it might have had nearly 70 years ago. Tailored as a vehicle for Paramount star Bob Hope, it revolves around his everyman buffoonery. The film starts promisingly, but once Hope’s character is introduced, the plot becomes secondary and often inconsequential as long as Hope has enough one-liners to get to the final fade-out. The film has none of the devil-may-care nonchalance of the Hope-Crosby pictures and hasn’t aged nearly as well.<br /><br />Bonus materials include an audio commentary, a Bob Hope Promo, and several theatrical trailers.
The movie title "My Favorite Blonde [Blu-ray]," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.4 from 179 reviewers. 
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 {"Genre": "Comedy", "Format": "NTSC, Anamorphic", "Contributor": "Bob Hope, Madeleine Carroll, Gale Sondergaard", "Language": "English", "Runtime": "1 hour and 18 minutes", "MPAA rating": "NR (Not Rated)", "Product Dimensions": "0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 2.12 Ounces", "Media Format": "NTSC, Anamorphic", "Run time": "1 hour and 18 minutes", "Release date": "March 2, 2021", "Actors": "Bob Hope, Madeleine Carroll, Gale Sondergaard", "Studio": "Kl Studio Classics", "Country of Origin": "USA", "Number of discs": "1"}

Here is a brief synopsis of the title : Comedy legend Bob Hope (Nothing But the Truth) stars in this wonderful espionage comedy directed by Sidney Lanfield (The Lemon Drop Kid). It’s “all aboard” for intrigue, laughs and romance as Hope and Madeleine Carroll (The General Died at Dawn) contend with German spies during a daffy but dangerous cross-country chase. Bing Crosby makes a memorable cameo appearance in this free-wheeling comedy gem. Beautifully shot in glorious black-and-white by legendary cinematographer William C. Mellor (A Place in the Sun) and co-starring Gale Sondergaard (Road to Rio), My Favorite Blonde was the first of three “My Favorite” movies starring Hope, followed by My Favorite Brunette (1947) and My Favorite Spy (1951).Special Features:Brand New 2K Master -NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Samm Deighan -Theatrical Trailer -Dual-Layered BD50 Disc -Optional English Subtitles.