Movie Review: My Favorite Brunette (1947)
Synopsis: A photographer that specializes in baby portraits poses as a detective to impress a beautiful woman and, a few days later, winds up in jail for murder. As he faces execution, he tells a group of reporters how he got there.
Who's in it? The movie stars Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Peter Lorre, Ann Doran and Lon Chaney, Jr.
Review: I don't watch many Bob Hope movies but, on occasion, come across one that looks somewhat unique. That was the case with this film, which I happened to find this morning and, after watching it, I have to say it was a good choice.
From a comedy standpoint, this film was pretty much what I would expect from a Bob Hope film. There is some slapstick, but the best parts are the result of Hope's quick wit. My favorite scenes had to be that weird golf game at the sanitarium and the way he escaped his pursuers by convincing numerous women in an apartment building he was their lover.
I also have to say I loved Lon Chaney Jr.'s character in this film. The slow-witted and super strong orderly character seemed custom made for him and his scenes were some of the funniest in the film.
In addition to being a good comedy, this was also a halfway decent mystery as well. Part of the reason for this is it was hard to know whether or not his client (Lamour) was legitimate, insane or secretly one of the bad guys. She seemed like the first at times, but her seductiveness could also easily be a ploy to keep Ronnie (Hope) distracted.
The fact he eventually winds up facing the death penalty on a murder charge is also an intriguing part of the film, mostly because it was unclear how he would be able to clear his name without any sort of evidence. While I expected it to have a happy ending, I also couldn't rule out with the movie ending with him in the gas chamber.
Final Opinion: The film ultimately exceeded my expectations because, while I was expecting it to be a decent comedy, the fact I liked the mystery was a nice bonus. I recommend taking the time to watch it.
My Grade: A
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