This early wartime Bob Hope comedy is one of his best, and is from a time in the comedian's career when his movies hadn't become routine, and when his was a bit less buffoonish and incompetent than in his later efforts. Aided by the lovely Madeline Carroll, Bob is up to his neck in Nazi spies in this satire of Hitchcock-type thrillers, and the "straight" scenes are menacing enough to give the story real bite. The supporting cast is lively and eclectic, and includes George Zucco and Dooley Wilson. Gale Sondergaard is on hand, and as was so often the case in the forties she seems to be doing a send-up of Judith Anderson's malevolent Mrs. Danvers from Rebecca. She does it very well, but one wonders why this beautiful woman was never cast as a female lead. My Favorite Blonde is fast-paced and has some good lines from Hope regulars Frank Butler and Don Hartman. Watching this movie always makes me wonder why Hope's later films, which also tend to be spoofs, are so sloppy, since he is so much funnier and more effective in early vehicles like this one, which are played at least half-straight, and far better for it.
28 Reviews
very funny Bob Hope movie
blanche-217 October 2005
After swooning for quite some time on his radio show about Madeline Carroll, the actress, enjoying the publicity, approached him about being a guest on his show. Hope suggested that instead, they do a film together. The result is the delightful "My Favorite Blonde" about a British spy, Carroll, trying to deliver a coded message to Los Angeles. Attempting to escape German agents, she barges into a theater dressing room inhabited by Hope, who is performing as straight man to a penguin.
Hope is a riot, with the wisecracks coming quickly throughout the film, and Carroll is a good leading lady for him - classy, serious, and the character she plays is game for anything to reach her goal. Gale Sondergaard has precious little to do - one wonders if her role was cut; Dooley Wilson has an unspoken bit on the train; and Bing Crosby directs Hope to a bus in one scene. Hope starts to walk away from him, stops, takes a beat and says to himself, "No. It couldn't be." There are other in jokes as well - Hope turns the radio to his own show and turns it off, commenting, "I can't stand that guy." As someone who was a young adult in the '60s, it wasn't kosher to like Bob Hope because of his politics, but I've always enjoyed his film performances. "My Favorite Blonde" is one of his best.
Hope is a riot, with the wisecracks coming quickly throughout the film, and Carroll is a good leading lady for him - classy, serious, and the character she plays is game for anything to reach her goal. Gale Sondergaard has precious little to do - one wonders if her role was cut; Dooley Wilson has an unspoken bit on the train; and Bing Crosby directs Hope to a bus in one scene. Hope starts to walk away from him, stops, takes a beat and says to himself, "No. It couldn't be." There are other in jokes as well - Hope turns the radio to his own show and turns it off, commenting, "I can't stand that guy." As someone who was a young adult in the '60s, it wasn't kosher to like Bob Hope because of his politics, but I've always enjoyed his film performances. "My Favorite Blonde" is one of his best.
A great intro to Bob Hope
dave13-126 July 2009
My Favorite Blonde is not just one of Hope's very best films, but an excellent introduction for new fans. Hope's usual roles were as a vaudevillian or radio comedian who finds himself having to reluctantly participate in some dangerous intrigue which is way over his head, and this movie shows the formula at its cleanest and most smoothly executed. Madeleine Carroll plays a British agent delivering a coded message who has run afoul of Nazis operating in the U.S., and Hope, a ne'er do well road company performer who does an act with a penguin, meets her on a train and bravely (well, sort of bravely) pitches in to keep her safe. The cloak and dagger nonsense on the train is a deft nod to Carroll's star-making turn in The 39 Steps, and this movie has much of that earlier film's energy. Carroll and Hope banter amusingly as they are chased across half of the U.S. The bright dialogue is the film's best feature and Hope's reluctant hero persona, introduced in The Cat and The Canary and Ghost Breakers, is a fully polished comic gem at the the film's center. The look of the film is very 'film noir' with looming shadows and danger on staircases and other now-familiar devices, but it still comes off as fresh entertainment even now. This one movie alone was enough to convince me that Hope is one of the great comic actors in all of movie history and this is an excellent showcase of what he could do. Also a must see for fans of the deliciously sinister Gale Sondergaard, here at something near her best.
Easily carried by a great wise cracking Hope
bob the moo1 September 2003
Larry Haines is a vaudeville entertainer who's act involves a roller skating penguin. He becomes entangled in a war time plot when British agent Karen Bentley is forced to use him as cover to help her get American bomber plans into the right hands and keep it safe from the Nazis.
It's a shame that this film has eluded me until the great man himself has actually died, but it was to mark his passing that this film got screened on television recently. The plot is largely meaningless but is good natured and involving enough to keep the film moving along as a thriller of sorts. However it is really no more than a nail from which to hang a series of quips, one liners and wise cracks from Bob Hope. These are scripted well and the film manages to be very funny even more than half a century later.
Hope is at his best here as the cowardly, self-depreciating performer who is sucked into the plot with his trademark unwillingness. His lines are still sharp and his delivery here is as good as some of his best work. Madeline Carroll was never going to be able to share the limelight with Hope given that she has to carry the plot side of the film, however she does really well and has some laughs herself. The nazis fail to make a significant mark in the film and I struggle to remember them other than stooges even a short time after watching the film.
Regardless of this, the film should and will be enjoyed for it's main selling point the wise cracking comedy of Bob Hope. This film seems to be forgotten against some of his other works but it is a fine example of the wisecracks, jokes and delivery that made Bob Hope famous years after he left show business and will keep him famous for many more years yet.
It's a shame that this film has eluded me until the great man himself has actually died, but it was to mark his passing that this film got screened on television recently. The plot is largely meaningless but is good natured and involving enough to keep the film moving along as a thriller of sorts. However it is really no more than a nail from which to hang a series of quips, one liners and wise cracks from Bob Hope. These are scripted well and the film manages to be very funny even more than half a century later.
Hope is at his best here as the cowardly, self-depreciating performer who is sucked into the plot with his trademark unwillingness. His lines are still sharp and his delivery here is as good as some of his best work. Madeline Carroll was never going to be able to share the limelight with Hope given that she has to carry the plot side of the film, however she does really well and has some laughs herself. The nazis fail to make a significant mark in the film and I struggle to remember them other than stooges even a short time after watching the film.
Regardless of this, the film should and will be enjoyed for it's main selling point the wise cracking comedy of Bob Hope. This film seems to be forgotten against some of his other works but it is a fine example of the wisecracks, jokes and delivery that made Bob Hope famous years after he left show business and will keep him famous for many more years yet.
Better than the Road pictures
oldmovieman17 August 2005
Carroll is a British secret agent on the run from German spies. She's carrying valuable information that must reach Los Angeles. She lands in New York and eludes her pursuers by dashing into Hope's dressing room while he's on stage doing a bad act with a penguin. The thin plot has Hope and Carroll traveling across country with the bad guys always on their tail. So far, just formula. But Hope is excellent here, much better than in the Road pictures. He's less self-conscious here -- no talking to the camera, no in-jokes between him and Crosby, no leering at Lamour. Woody Allen once said that his film persona was to a large extent modeled after Bob Hope's character and nowhere is this more evident than here. As you watch the movie, try to imagine Woody playing Hope's role. You can easily visualize Woody doing the lines as Woody and it's not much different from Hope (though Hope's character isn't a New York neurotic). Definitely worth watching.
Nice spy comedy
utgard145 March 2014
Pleasant comedy about a guy (Bob Hope) who has a vaudeville act with a penguin getting mixed up with a British secret agent (Madeleine Carroll). It's not the funniest comedy you ever saw but darned if it isn't one of the most likable. Hope and Carroll have nice chemistry and their banter is great. Lots of snappy lines. The villains are played by George Zucco and Gale Sondergaard. It's pretty much impossible to have a bad movie that features both Zucco and Sondergaard. Nice cameo from Bing Crosby. Very funny bit about halfway through between Edward Gargan and James Burke over who is really Mulrooney (watch and you'll see). It's a good comedy with a fun spy plot and a great cast.
Hitchcockian spoofery Hope style.
hitchcockthelegend4 March 2008
Madeline Carroll is British spy Karen Bentley, she has in her possession British aeroplane plans that the Nazis obviously want, so she's on the run with the baddies in hot pursuit. During one escape she hides away in a theatre and comes across Larry Haines (Bob Hope) and his performing penguin Percy, she doesn't have to work hard to get Haines smitten with her and he helps her escape. This sets us up for a mad cap cross country chase movie with quips aplenty and incredulous scenes to enjoy. Hope is on prime form and the chemistry between Carroll and himself is one of the film's chief bonus points, and in view of the back story to the film it's not hard to see why the pair were a believable duo. By all accounts Hope really had the hots for Carroll and she spent the whole shoot fighting him off since she was happily involved with Sterling Hayden at the time. It's a fun film that takes a while to get going, but once it does it doesn't disappoint on the fun front, and Bing Crosby of course turns up for one of his many cameos. 7/10
Very funny comedy with just enough serious spy movie elements
csteidler4 April 2012
A good spy thriller: British agent Madeleine Carroll attempts to transport a scorpion-shaped brooch that conceals microfilm holding key military information. She is chased by Nazi spies led by George Zucco and Gale Sondergaard. Two agents are killed in the first ten minutes.
Cut to Bob Hope—or rather, his penguin. Hope and penguin are Haines and Percy, a sort of vaudeville act. The penguin has just gotten the call from Hollywood; Hope would like to think that he is the real star. Paths cross when Carroll, hoping to shake the Nazis from her trail, ducks into Hope's dressing room. And the fun begins.
Needing cover and hoping to conceal her true identity, Madeleine feigns romantic interest in Bob, and plays it up good. He is surprised and mystified by her attention—and soon by attention from Zucco and gang, who want the scorpion and know he is somehow involved. The scene where spies surround and stare him down on the train's club car is classic Hope, as his nervousness starts slowly but gradually bubbles over.
The scenes between Hope and Carroll are even better she plays it fairly straight and he plays it goofy and the interplay just works like a charm. One especially funny scene in the train compartment: having pressed up close to him with a kiss and retrieved the brooch from his lapel, she stands up and moves away; not having a clue, Hope grabs her and tries to kiss her again—and she slaps him indignantly. "Take your hands off me!" she snaps. Poor Bob.
The dialog is bright and funny throughout, with Hope naturally getting the best lines, including some vintage Hope gems: "I've given up kissing strange women." "What made you stop?" "Strange women."
Zucco and Sondergaard have only small roles, but they sure can play the baddies. Talk about sinister!
However, Bob and Madeleine are pretty much the whole show here. The relationship between the two leads develops nicely—we have a pretty good idea how it's going to turn out, but it grows at a careful pace, not too fast or too slow or too sudden.
Top notch and full of great laughs.
Cut to Bob Hope—or rather, his penguin. Hope and penguin are Haines and Percy, a sort of vaudeville act. The penguin has just gotten the call from Hollywood; Hope would like to think that he is the real star. Paths cross when Carroll, hoping to shake the Nazis from her trail, ducks into Hope's dressing room. And the fun begins.
Needing cover and hoping to conceal her true identity, Madeleine feigns romantic interest in Bob, and plays it up good. He is surprised and mystified by her attention—and soon by attention from Zucco and gang, who want the scorpion and know he is somehow involved. The scene where spies surround and stare him down on the train's club car is classic Hope, as his nervousness starts slowly but gradually bubbles over.
The scenes between Hope and Carroll are even better she plays it fairly straight and he plays it goofy and the interplay just works like a charm. One especially funny scene in the train compartment: having pressed up close to him with a kiss and retrieved the brooch from his lapel, she stands up and moves away; not having a clue, Hope grabs her and tries to kiss her again—and she slaps him indignantly. "Take your hands off me!" she snaps. Poor Bob.
The dialog is bright and funny throughout, with Hope naturally getting the best lines, including some vintage Hope gems: "I've given up kissing strange women." "What made you stop?" "Strange women."
Zucco and Sondergaard have only small roles, but they sure can play the baddies. Talk about sinister!
However, Bob and Madeleine are pretty much the whole show here. The relationship between the two leads develops nicely—we have a pretty good idea how it's going to turn out, but it grows at a careful pace, not too fast or too slow or too sudden.
Top notch and full of great laughs.
British agents + Hope vs. German agents compete for secret message
weezeralfalfa4 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
A highly contrived secret agent farce, taking place in early WWII. The plot concerns an effort to transmit a message from England to British agents in the US concerning plans for deployment of a squadron of Lockheed Hudson light bombers the RAF has bought. The microfilm message is hidden inside a scorpion medallion which gets transferred back and forth several times between agent Madeleine Carroll (Karen) and Bob Hope(Larry: a vaudeville performer with a penguin(Percy) act. Madeleine ran into Hope while trying to lose a couple of German agents on her tail, who had killed her partner on the ship from England(Why wasn't she sent by plane for such an important mission??) Hope tries to lose this mysterious lady at first, but she finds him wherever he goes. They separately board a train for Chicago to meet an agent there. But, the Germans have beat them there and killed the agent, who leaves a note for a contact in L.A.. Madeleine and Hope have quite a time getting from Chicago to L.A., including stealing a bus and a small plane, and stowaways in a boxcar. Periodically they are running from police or sheriffs, being charged with murder or theft, along with running from the German agents, who are always hot on their heels and even ahead of them(How did the Germans know where they were going next??). At L.A., the Germans have tied up and hidden the British agent, so Madeleine steals their car and makes for the Air Base where the Hudsons are, leaving Hope behind to deal with the Germans. Somehow, he escapes the Germans and gets to the air base a little later.
I had no prior knowledge of Madeleine Carrol. She didn't impress me as especially beautiful or charismatic, although she had been popular through the '30s both in the US and her native England. It was 5 years before she did another film, in the meanwhile devoting herself to various functions relating to WWII, being saddened by the death of her sister from a London air raid. I would have preferred Betty Hutton, a new arrival at Paramount, in her place in this film. I don't believe Betty ever costarred with Hope: a lost opportunity for some fantastic comedy.
There were many holes in the screenplay(nothing terribly unusual),a few of which I already alluded to, for example the uncanny ability of the Germans to keep up with or anticipate Bob and Madeleine. "My Favorite Brunette", also costarring Hope, had a similar problem, with Peter Lorre popping up wherever the stars went, sometimes ahead of them. On the other hand , there is a fair amount of humor Hope-style.
Note :Some factual details about the 2 engine Lockheed Hudson light bomber featured here: As shown in the film, they were made in southern California. Especially before the US entered the war, they were mostly sold to the RAF, for use in coastal patrol, sub chasing, training, transport and reconnaissance. They were not powerful enough to take part in massed bombing raids(limited range and bomb capacity). However, pilots reported they were exceptionally maneuverable for a 2 engine plane. At least early in the war, they were shipped disassembled in crates to England. Thus, the idea that a squad of Hudsons were ready to fly to England and take part in mass bombing raids doesn't jibe with the facts. The range of these planes was too short to fly across the Atlantic, at least until air bases were established in Greenland and Iceland. Hollywood often used Hudsons as proxies for larger bombers, because they were available nearby.
I had no prior knowledge of Madeleine Carrol. She didn't impress me as especially beautiful or charismatic, although she had been popular through the '30s both in the US and her native England. It was 5 years before she did another film, in the meanwhile devoting herself to various functions relating to WWII, being saddened by the death of her sister from a London air raid. I would have preferred Betty Hutton, a new arrival at Paramount, in her place in this film. I don't believe Betty ever costarred with Hope: a lost opportunity for some fantastic comedy.
There were many holes in the screenplay(nothing terribly unusual),a few of which I already alluded to, for example the uncanny ability of the Germans to keep up with or anticipate Bob and Madeleine. "My Favorite Brunette", also costarring Hope, had a similar problem, with Peter Lorre popping up wherever the stars went, sometimes ahead of them. On the other hand , there is a fair amount of humor Hope-style.
Note :Some factual details about the 2 engine Lockheed Hudson light bomber featured here: As shown in the film, they were made in southern California. Especially before the US entered the war, they were mostly sold to the RAF, for use in coastal patrol, sub chasing, training, transport and reconnaissance. They were not powerful enough to take part in massed bombing raids(limited range and bomb capacity). However, pilots reported they were exceptionally maneuverable for a 2 engine plane. At least early in the war, they were shipped disassembled in crates to England. Thus, the idea that a squad of Hudsons were ready to fly to England and take part in mass bombing raids doesn't jibe with the facts. The range of these planes was too short to fly across the Atlantic, at least until air bases were established in Greenland and Iceland. Hollywood often used Hudsons as proxies for larger bombers, because they were available nearby.
Before "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," there was this side-splitting comedy
SimonJack5 February 2015
Warning: Spoilers
"My Favorite Blonde" is one of the zaniest, fast-paced, and great comedies of all time. I count no fewer than 18 specific sequences of hilarity. Each has some sidesplitting lines. And, the only types of transportation missing seem to be a rowboat and a hot air balloon. This isn't just a film of one-liners. It isn't a film full of slapstick. It is a masterful work of witty dialog, repartee, and wonderful action combined that will keep an audience laughing throughout.
The writers did a great job with the script. The direction is excellent and the settings and technical values are very good. But, it's the casting that nails this film. Bob Hope and Madeleine Carroll are perfectly matched for this wonderful farce. They play Larry Haines and Karen Bentley. With the breezy, witty and at times, uproariously funny script, they bounce off each other with ease and perfection. There are no real supporting roles, but many minor ones. The nemeses of Karen and Larry carry out their roles well in providing the occasional slightly serious overtone to the film. Gale Sondergaard, George Zucco and Lionel Royce are Nazi spies trying to knock off Larry and Karen and steal the secret scorpion message. But, several minor comic roles add to the overall comedy of the film.
Edward Gargan as Spike Mulrooney, and James Burke as the union secretary, go at it in two short hilarious scenes. If a movie was continuous shooting, these would have been timely to allow Larry and Karen to catch their breath. Fred Kelsey and Edgar Dearing play Los Angeles policemen, Sam and Joe. They can't stomach the "icky-wicky" chatter of Larry and Karen in the back of their squad car, so they turn them loose. Their looks and lines are very funny.
After a dramatic slow start aboard a passenger ship, the story gradually picks up speed and it accelerates throughout the film. Larry and Karen move from scene to scene using different modes of transportation. They dodge pursuers by taxi, passenger train, airplane, bus, more taxis, a hopped freight train, police cruiser, sheriff's car, stolen pickup, stolen bus, stolen airplane and stolen hearse. The movie is one frantic and hilarious scene after another. Karen frequently changes her persona, reacting to the appearance of her pursuers. At first, this catches Larry off guard because he's not convinced of her plight. His expressions and reactions to her changes nearly had me rolling with laughter.
Here are some sample lines to whet one's appetite. Karen, "My name's Karen Bentley. I can't tell you any more." Larry, "My name's Larry Haines. There's no more to tell." Karen, "Be quiet please. I'm being followed by two men in black." Larry, "You sure you don't mean two men in white?"
Leaving the theater with Larry, Karen sees two pursuers nearby, so she changes her voice to a hilarious one. Karen, "Say, Jack, remember dat week in Wacko when we was Flip and Nip? Boy, did we wow 'em. And dat hotel, Floppy Louie's. Was it crawlin? Was it crawlin'?" Larry, "Yeah, Flip and Nip at Floppy Louie's institution."
At the train station, Karen says she is going with Larry to Chicago. She glimpses the spies on her trail. She kisses Larry and pushes him onto the train car, "Goodbye. Goodbye." Larry, "Hello." Karen, "Don't forget to take your pills. And, that green stuff, take lots of that. It's good for you." Larry, "OK. But don't you drink any more. You've got quite a snoot full now." Karen, "And don't you worry about Winky and Pinky. I'll see that they don't ride their bicycles in traffic." Larry, "Hey, how do you ride bicycles in straitjackets? Winky and Pinky!"
In an apartment, with spies all around outside, they have no way to escape. Larry starts throwing vases at the windows. He throttles Karen and tells her to scream. She gets it and they call each other goofy names and destroy the apartment before the police come to haul them away. Larry, "So I'm a snit drivel, am I?" Karen, 'Yes! And you're also a scridge podge!" Larry, "A scridge podge! Why you!"
In the back of the police cruiser, Karen snuggles up to Larry, and they start babbling. We can see the faces of the two burly cops turning sour and grimacing. Karen, "Is daddy sorry he hit his boopsy woopsy with his lampy?" Larry, "Yes, daddy is sorry he hit boopsy woopsy with the itsy bitsy piano stool. And, daddy's going to kiss where he made a little bumpy wumpy. Does boopsy woopsy forgive daddy waddy?" The police stop the car and tell them to scram. Joe, "Sam, I couldn't take any more of that." Sam, "Me either. I was ready to throw up."
Larry and Karen get on a Teamsters bus going to a picnic. The repartee with Turk O'Flaherty (played by Charles Cane) is hilarious. The bus breaks out singing "When Irish Eyes are Smiling." Bob Hope has a good voice, and Larry adds some harmony solos in the song to everyone's delight. Karen's smiles seem almost to break out in laughter as she watches Hope at his best.
Of the many movies Bob Hope made, this is by far his best and funniest. His match with Madeleine Carroll is perfect. They seem to play off one another spontaneously and with ease. This movie is a real hoot and one the entire family should enjoy. The younger kids will be entertained by some of the antics and the babbling scenes. Adults can explain the subtleties of the dialog to teens and others where needed.
I wonder if John Hughes, the writer and director, didn't get his idea from this film for his 1987 smash comedy, "Planes, Trains & Automobiles." I have both films in my comedy library. "My Favorite Blonde" is one of the best.
The writers did a great job with the script. The direction is excellent and the settings and technical values are very good. But, it's the casting that nails this film. Bob Hope and Madeleine Carroll are perfectly matched for this wonderful farce. They play Larry Haines and Karen Bentley. With the breezy, witty and at times, uproariously funny script, they bounce off each other with ease and perfection. There are no real supporting roles, but many minor ones. The nemeses of Karen and Larry carry out their roles well in providing the occasional slightly serious overtone to the film. Gale Sondergaard, George Zucco and Lionel Royce are Nazi spies trying to knock off Larry and Karen and steal the secret scorpion message. But, several minor comic roles add to the overall comedy of the film.
Edward Gargan as Spike Mulrooney, and James Burke as the union secretary, go at it in two short hilarious scenes. If a movie was continuous shooting, these would have been timely to allow Larry and Karen to catch their breath. Fred Kelsey and Edgar Dearing play Los Angeles policemen, Sam and Joe. They can't stomach the "icky-wicky" chatter of Larry and Karen in the back of their squad car, so they turn them loose. Their looks and lines are very funny.
After a dramatic slow start aboard a passenger ship, the story gradually picks up speed and it accelerates throughout the film. Larry and Karen move from scene to scene using different modes of transportation. They dodge pursuers by taxi, passenger train, airplane, bus, more taxis, a hopped freight train, police cruiser, sheriff's car, stolen pickup, stolen bus, stolen airplane and stolen hearse. The movie is one frantic and hilarious scene after another. Karen frequently changes her persona, reacting to the appearance of her pursuers. At first, this catches Larry off guard because he's not convinced of her plight. His expressions and reactions to her changes nearly had me rolling with laughter.
Here are some sample lines to whet one's appetite. Karen, "My name's Karen Bentley. I can't tell you any more." Larry, "My name's Larry Haines. There's no more to tell." Karen, "Be quiet please. I'm being followed by two men in black." Larry, "You sure you don't mean two men in white?"
Leaving the theater with Larry, Karen sees two pursuers nearby, so she changes her voice to a hilarious one. Karen, "Say, Jack, remember dat week in Wacko when we was Flip and Nip? Boy, did we wow 'em. And dat hotel, Floppy Louie's. Was it crawlin? Was it crawlin'?" Larry, "Yeah, Flip and Nip at Floppy Louie's institution."
At the train station, Karen says she is going with Larry to Chicago. She glimpses the spies on her trail. She kisses Larry and pushes him onto the train car, "Goodbye. Goodbye." Larry, "Hello." Karen, "Don't forget to take your pills. And, that green stuff, take lots of that. It's good for you." Larry, "OK. But don't you drink any more. You've got quite a snoot full now." Karen, "And don't you worry about Winky and Pinky. I'll see that they don't ride their bicycles in traffic." Larry, "Hey, how do you ride bicycles in straitjackets? Winky and Pinky!"
In an apartment, with spies all around outside, they have no way to escape. Larry starts throwing vases at the windows. He throttles Karen and tells her to scream. She gets it and they call each other goofy names and destroy the apartment before the police come to haul them away. Larry, "So I'm a snit drivel, am I?" Karen, 'Yes! And you're also a scridge podge!" Larry, "A scridge podge! Why you!"
In the back of the police cruiser, Karen snuggles up to Larry, and they start babbling. We can see the faces of the two burly cops turning sour and grimacing. Karen, "Is daddy sorry he hit his boopsy woopsy with his lampy?" Larry, "Yes, daddy is sorry he hit boopsy woopsy with the itsy bitsy piano stool. And, daddy's going to kiss where he made a little bumpy wumpy. Does boopsy woopsy forgive daddy waddy?" The police stop the car and tell them to scram. Joe, "Sam, I couldn't take any more of that." Sam, "Me either. I was ready to throw up."
Larry and Karen get on a Teamsters bus going to a picnic. The repartee with Turk O'Flaherty (played by Charles Cane) is hilarious. The bus breaks out singing "When Irish Eyes are Smiling." Bob Hope has a good voice, and Larry adds some harmony solos in the song to everyone's delight. Karen's smiles seem almost to break out in laughter as she watches Hope at his best.
Of the many movies Bob Hope made, this is by far his best and funniest. His match with Madeleine Carroll is perfect. They seem to play off one another spontaneously and with ease. This movie is a real hoot and one the entire family should enjoy. The younger kids will be entertained by some of the antics and the babbling scenes. Adults can explain the subtleties of the dialog to teens and others where needed.
I wonder if John Hughes, the writer and director, didn't get his idea from this film for his 1987 smash comedy, "Planes, Trains & Automobiles." I have both films in my comedy library. "My Favorite Blonde" is one of the best.
Pleasant but the star of the film is Percy, not Bob Hope!
planktonrules10 April 2010
The film begins with Bob Hope performing on stage with his sidekick, Percy the Penguin. While the film stars Hope, at times Percy is the best thing about the movie--mostly because it infuses a bit of fun into the film! Soon, Hope meets a blonde who apparently is in some sort of trouble (Madeleine Carroll). While it's uncertain whether she's telling the truth or is a criminal, Hope decides to help her for the noblest of reasons--she's good looking! However, for his trouble HE is soon accused of murder and the two set out on a cross-country chase to California. Why California? Well, Carroll is apparently a spy for the British and has information that could save a squadron of Boston bombers (a really crappy plane--called the Lockheed Hudson in the states but sold to the Brits). Why this takes her to California, I have no idea! During this trek, they are pursued by cops as well as a gang of Nazi spies who are intent on finding a scorpion pin on which the secrets are hidden.
Overall, this is NOT a laugh out loud sort of comedy but is more a pleasant little film--the sort of thing Hope made very well in the 1930s-50s--before his career went into hibernation about 1960 (he DID make more films after this, but they were pretty listless). Despite one reviewer calling it "one of the funniest American comedies ever made", I just can't see that. Instead, it's more of a pleasant little diversion--a nice time-passer and not even among Hope's best films. I was tempted to give the film a 6, but decided on a 7 simply because of the presence of Percy! He's the best.
Overall, this is NOT a laugh out loud sort of comedy but is more a pleasant little film--the sort of thing Hope made very well in the 1930s-50s--before his career went into hibernation about 1960 (he DID make more films after this, but they were pretty listless). Despite one reviewer calling it "one of the funniest American comedies ever made", I just can't see that. Instead, it's more of a pleasant little diversion--a nice time-passer and not even among Hope's best films. I was tempted to give the film a 6, but decided on a 7 simply because of the presence of Percy! He's the best.
One of the funniest American comedies ever made.
bluheron122 May 2004
Bob Hope was in his prime in this one, and once the roller coaster of laughs starts it doesn't quit for 90 minutes. It's a road format movie: Bob and Madeleine Carroll have to get across WWII America from New York to Los Angeles with secret plans before the Nazi spies intercept them. It's a formula plot but handled most inventively and Sidney Lansfield's competent comedic direction gives Bob a perfect opportunity to develop what became his trademark character. The scenes of Percy the Penguin loose on the train, the bus driver's picnic, Hope impersonating a child psychologist for a meeting of proper small town ladies - they're little miracles of laughter. If you don't think you like Bob Hope - try this one.
Comic version of "The 39 Steps"
gridoon202430 April 2022
With the same leading actress, no less. And it is made with enough technical proficiency to pass muster as a "real" espionage thriller, invaded by Bob Hope's jokes (my favorite: a debate session with himself). Madeleine Carroll proves equally adept at the comedic and the serious moments; George Zucco and Gale Sondergaard always add good value as villains, but they are underutilized this time. **1/2 out of 4.
A capital "M" and one "ooney"
AAdaSC12 December 2015
Entertainer Bob Hope (Larry) gets dragged into World War 2 spy shenanigans when British agent Madeleine Carroll (Karen) attaches secret information onto his jacket via a brooch as she is being chased by a Nazi unit headed by the always excellent Gale Sondergaard (Madame Runick). Can Bob and Madeleine reach the authorities before they get caught? Well, it's a comedy, so no guesses
..
Our two leads really do get involved in a lot during the course of this film - planes, trains and automobiles. The story keeps going at a fast pace and keeps the audience watching. Not sure it's a very good film, though. I thought it was OK but it may ultimately depend on what you think of Bob Hope and stories that are completely unrealistic. Carroll seems to be able to do everything including flying an aeroplane.
It's a comedy so there are funny moments as would be expected by the law of averages, but there are also scenes that aren't particularly funny, eg, the whole Irish are stupid stereotype thing. The best part is the appearance of Bing Crosby.
Our two leads really do get involved in a lot during the course of this film - planes, trains and automobiles. The story keeps going at a fast pace and keeps the audience watching. Not sure it's a very good film, though. I thought it was OK but it may ultimately depend on what you think of Bob Hope and stories that are completely unrealistic. Carroll seems to be able to do everything including flying an aeroplane.
It's a comedy so there are funny moments as would be expected by the law of averages, but there are also scenes that aren't particularly funny, eg, the whole Irish are stupid stereotype thing. The best part is the appearance of Bing Crosby.
One of Bob Hope's best comedies ever!
caribeno7 July 2002
I can't believe no one has reviewed this film until now. The teaming of Bob Hope and Madeleine Carroll in "My Favorite Blonde" is comic heaven. Madeleine Carroll shows a flair for comedy she was rarely allowed to display in her films.
"My Favorite Blonde" is funny, fast, and sharp in the banter between Hope and Carroll. Check out the scene where they get out of what appears to be certain capture: the most hilarious scene in the film. A fine supporting cast of Paramount contractees make this one of Bob Hope's best constructed comedies. It's plotting and editing make this even more of a road picture than the "Road" pictures, a precursor to "Romancing The Stone".
"My Favorite Blonde" seamlessly shows the mixing of '30's romantic comedy with World War II plots, something that would soon become obsolete as the war dragged on. Catch it whenever you can!
"My Favorite Blonde" is funny, fast, and sharp in the banter between Hope and Carroll. Check out the scene where they get out of what appears to be certain capture: the most hilarious scene in the film. A fine supporting cast of Paramount contractees make this one of Bob Hope's best constructed comedies. It's plotting and editing make this even more of a road picture than the "Road" pictures, a precursor to "Romancing The Stone".
"My Favorite Blonde" seamlessly shows the mixing of '30's romantic comedy with World War II plots, something that would soon become obsolete as the war dragged on. Catch it whenever you can!
Bob Hope constantly running . . . At the mouth
aramis-112-8048803 May 2023
Lovely Madeleine Carroll reverses (well, sort of) her situation in Hitchcock's "The Thirty-Nine Steps" as a British "agent" in World War II who has to get a McGuffin from New York to California by enlisting the aid of wise-cracking Bob Hope.
No one ever cracked wiser than Hope and he's hilarious. But his constant shtick leaves any actual plot thin on the ground. The kindest thing one can say is, the movie is episodic.
On the plus side, the movie has a surprising guest star. Or, in retrospect, not so surprising.
After constant wisecracking, even the great Bob Hope can wear a bit. But he's game and keeps it up to the end. It's his movie all the way. We can see why he kept a revolving door of writers.
Nice stunt in the early scenes, btw. Keep your eyes peeled for it.
No one ever cracked wiser than Hope and he's hilarious. But his constant shtick leaves any actual plot thin on the ground. The kindest thing one can say is, the movie is episodic.
On the plus side, the movie has a surprising guest star. Or, in retrospect, not so surprising.
After constant wisecracking, even the great Bob Hope can wear a bit. But he's game and keeps it up to the end. It's his movie all the way. We can see why he kept a revolving door of writers.
Nice stunt in the early scenes, btw. Keep your eyes peeled for it.
"Say, what do you operate on, alternating current?"
classicsoncall22 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
What makes so many of Bob Hope's films so entertaining is his self-deprecating manner. In this one, his character, Larry Haines, hears his own voice on a radio program and remarks how 'I can't stand that guy'! Robert Mankiewicz, host of Turner Classic Movies, stated how Hope had developed kind of a crush on Madeleine Carroll, and it was Hope's suggestion to have her co-star with him in this picture. I didn't really catch any real chemistry between the two, but then again, their characters were at odds with each other over the course of the story. As a secret British agent, Karen Bentley (Carroll) was in possession of a scorpion pendant that was etched with the location and destination of one hundred fifty military planes bound for London from Los Angeles. Those dastardly Nazis, led by George Zucco and Gale Sondergaard would have loved to get their hands on the little doo-dad, but it kept getting surreptitiously passed between Bentley and Haines, ultimately leading to chaos in a hotel room and a manhunt for Larry after being accused of murder! Lending a hand to his 'Road' buddy Bob, Bing Crosby makes a quick cameo outside a union hall, but I was left scratching my head over a bit involving Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer that I thought was done in poor taste. Many consider this to be one of Hope's better films, and in my list of his movies I've seen and reviewed here on IMDb, it currently ranks number four out of twenty-eight pictures, so obviously that claim has some merit.
An Especially Good Performance by Bob Hope and a Penguin Named Percy
Uriah4329 March 2024
This film essentially begins with a British agent being murdered on a ship as it enters the harbor of New York City. Prior to his death, however, he manages to hand off a small locket in the shape of a scorpion which contains top secret information to his colleague "Karen Bentley" (Madeleine Carroll). Needless to say, recognizing that she now has this information, the German agents immediately make it their main priority to obtain it at all costs. What they don't count on, however, is Karen enlisting the aid of a clueless Vaudeville performer named "Larry Haines" (Bob Hope) who relies upon a penguin to propel his otherwise lackluster act. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that I was pleasantly surprised at how good this comedy actually turned out to be--with Bob Hope putting in an especially good performance. Likewise, the penguin was also quite good as well. In any case, I recommend this film for those viewers looking for a good comedy, and I have rated it accordingly. Above average.
"Is that your real hair or did you scalp an angel?"
Sylviastel27 June 2018
Bob Hope and Madeleine Carroll star in this film about going to California and dealing with German spies in the midst of World War II. The film is a comedy. Hope and Carroll do a fantastic job together. They have great chemistry. Bing Crosby makes a cameo. The film is quite a decent comedy and enjoyable. The film is a light-hearted adventure with the great Bob Hope and Madeleine Carroll and a memorable cast of the old Hollywood stars.
Bob Hope was in the hysterical Groucho Marx mode and did considerably well in the spy comedy.
SAMTHEBESTEST7 December 2023
My Favorite Blonde (1942) :
Brief Review -
Bob Hope was in the hysterical Groucho Marx mode and did considerably well in the spy comedy. Bob Hope is mostly known for his "Road to.." series with Bing Crosby, but if you really want to know his talent, then you should watch My Favorite Blonde. It might feel like a spy thriller version of Capra's cult rom-com, "It Happened One Night" (1934), due to its pattern of events, but there is something different for you in the second half. The film is about a peculiar vaudeville performer with an eccentric bird who gets mixed up with British and German secret agents in the days just before the United States' entry into World War II. The female British agent is using his help to transport the codes she's carrying, but the German people who are after her would stop at nothing. Since the man has been seen with her, he comes under the radar of the bad gang, and then they both try every single trick to chuck them and the "scorpion." Bob Hope plays a very hysterical character in the movie. You know that Groucho Marx stuff, right? Well, then prepare yourself to see Bob Hope doing a similar verbal comedy in his own style. In every sentence he speaks, he tries to crack a joke, be it a slapstick, PJ, or spoof of something popular. From John Doe to two fingers to Dr. Rings only twice, and then to many other movies and celebrities' references, Hope had a blast during every single minute of his presence. Madeleine Carroll looked beautiful as a blonde and has done a good job in the role of a British agent. She didn't look like an agent from any angle, though. Maybe because she was too pretty for that. Gale Sondergaard looked deadly, and her gang members have also done well. The engaging screenplay is the key here. Sidney Lanfield sums up a hysterical with less mess, and that's a tough job, I believe. Moreover, the spy genre made it more difficult. Well done, Sidney and his team.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Bob Hope was in the hysterical Groucho Marx mode and did considerably well in the spy comedy. Bob Hope is mostly known for his "Road to.." series with Bing Crosby, but if you really want to know his talent, then you should watch My Favorite Blonde. It might feel like a spy thriller version of Capra's cult rom-com, "It Happened One Night" (1934), due to its pattern of events, but there is something different for you in the second half. The film is about a peculiar vaudeville performer with an eccentric bird who gets mixed up with British and German secret agents in the days just before the United States' entry into World War II. The female British agent is using his help to transport the codes she's carrying, but the German people who are after her would stop at nothing. Since the man has been seen with her, he comes under the radar of the bad gang, and then they both try every single trick to chuck them and the "scorpion." Bob Hope plays a very hysterical character in the movie. You know that Groucho Marx stuff, right? Well, then prepare yourself to see Bob Hope doing a similar verbal comedy in his own style. In every sentence he speaks, he tries to crack a joke, be it a slapstick, PJ, or spoof of something popular. From John Doe to two fingers to Dr. Rings only twice, and then to many other movies and celebrities' references, Hope had a blast during every single minute of his presence. Madeleine Carroll looked beautiful as a blonde and has done a good job in the role of a British agent. She didn't look like an agent from any angle, though. Maybe because she was too pretty for that. Gale Sondergaard looked deadly, and her gang members have also done well. The engaging screenplay is the key here. Sidney Lanfield sums up a hysterical with less mess, and that's a tough job, I believe. Moreover, the spy genre made it more difficult. Well done, Sidney and his team.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Giving the British Some Hope
bkoganbing16 September 2007
My Favorite Blonde has in the title role Madeleine Carroll a most beautiful blond player, who is a British secret agent trying to get some microfilm about air routes for American planes to go to Great Britain as part of lend lease. But just as her boat is docking in New York, some nasty Nazi spies shoot her male companion.
The microfilm is hidden in a pin that she's wearing and with the Nazis hot on her trail. she ducks into a vaudeville house which has Bob Hope and a roller skating penguin on the bill. I'm sure back in the day Hope played in vaudeville with many type acts like these. Vaudeville was moribund in those days and Hope wasn't helping to revive it.
In fact he's got to get to Hollywood because some movie company wants to star the penguin in a film. That fits in real nice with Carroll's plans and as it usually goes, the bumbling Mr. Hope is in the clutches of a beautiful who actually falls for old ski nose as he tries to help her when she levels with him.
My Favorite Blonde is a fast paced 78 minute film, one of the shortest of Hope's feature films. Carroll looks like she's enjoying spoofing a part she did in Alfred Hitchcock's 39 Steps across the pond. Of course she's the one dragooned into help.
But it's Hope's show all the way. My favorite two sequences is both trying to sleep and feed the penguin in an upper on a train and when Hope and Carroll are at an Irish picnic in Chicago. James Burke and Edward Gargan are very funny as a pair of thick headed Irish teamsters.
Though My Favorite Blonde is terribly dated with the World War II background the laughs still hold up very well.
The microfilm is hidden in a pin that she's wearing and with the Nazis hot on her trail. she ducks into a vaudeville house which has Bob Hope and a roller skating penguin on the bill. I'm sure back in the day Hope played in vaudeville with many type acts like these. Vaudeville was moribund in those days and Hope wasn't helping to revive it.
In fact he's got to get to Hollywood because some movie company wants to star the penguin in a film. That fits in real nice with Carroll's plans and as it usually goes, the bumbling Mr. Hope is in the clutches of a beautiful who actually falls for old ski nose as he tries to help her when she levels with him.
My Favorite Blonde is a fast paced 78 minute film, one of the shortest of Hope's feature films. Carroll looks like she's enjoying spoofing a part she did in Alfred Hitchcock's 39 Steps across the pond. Of course she's the one dragooned into help.
But it's Hope's show all the way. My favorite two sequences is both trying to sleep and feed the penguin in an upper on a train and when Hope and Carroll are at an Irish picnic in Chicago. James Burke and Edward Gargan are very funny as a pair of thick headed Irish teamsters.
Though My Favorite Blonde is terribly dated with the World War II background the laughs still hold up very well.
wartime fun
SnoopyStyle18 August 2023
British secret agent Karen Bentley (Madeleine Carroll) takes over the mission after her fellow agent is murdered. She has to deliver scorpion medallion to Chicago. While being pursued by enemy agents, she entices entertainer Larry Haines (Bob Hope) and his penguin.
This is a bit of fun and Bob is doing his bit for the war effort besides his USO tours. The only thing I want is more penguin. It has the screwball comedy. It has some slapstick. Carroll is able to throw it back at Bob. It's fun. I do hate his fake penguin carrier. If the penguin is actually in that, it would be suffering a thousand concussions.
This is a bit of fun and Bob is doing his bit for the war effort besides his USO tours. The only thing I want is more penguin. It has the screwball comedy. It has some slapstick. Carroll is able to throw it back at Bob. It's fun. I do hate his fake penguin carrier. If the penguin is actually in that, it would be suffering a thousand concussions.
Fast and witty, but maybe only to squidge-podges like me.
Spondonman2 November 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I found this a really funny film when I was young, and then again when my daughter was young, but now I find time has taken its usual toll on once-treasured items. Maybe I saw it ten times too often. Sure, it stills makes me laugh at various scenes, Hope has a relentless supply of memorable class-A killer quips, and there's a beautiful glossy Paramount atmosphere, but the laboured contrivance around the microfilm McGuffin and the farcically flat ending now get in the way too much for me.
Alluring British secret agent Carroll forcibly enrols mediocre vaudevillian Hope to help her escape from the clutches of an omnipresent Nazi gang who are after her secret warplane plans. Their slapdash flight to California is littered with witty scenes and romantic humour, but some were also flat and even embarrassing too (eg the baby psychologist scene). Favourite bits: Carroll and Hope's deliberate violent fight about her birthday and their subsequent icky sticky reconciliation in the police car; Hope's comical discomfiture at being gradually surrounded by unsmiling Nazis in the train club car; the impeccable Zucco/Sondergaarde partnership; the sight of Percy the Penguin in his monogrammed pyjamas and the gargling Hope chiding the porter for keeping the passengers awake; only study Hope's slapstick expressions upon ordering the cab driver to "follow that cab"; the entire Mulrooney sequence but especially with Toirk the Joirk; many others. The last 20 minutes or so slow it down and spoil it imho, but even so there's still plenty of smart ass one liners from Hope in there.
With its flaws I certainly couldn't call it the greatest American comedy ever made like another commenter here has: it's a very pleasant time filler which I've confirmed to myself many times – and not quite even My Favorite Hope movie, but certainly in the top 10.
Alluring British secret agent Carroll forcibly enrols mediocre vaudevillian Hope to help her escape from the clutches of an omnipresent Nazi gang who are after her secret warplane plans. Their slapdash flight to California is littered with witty scenes and romantic humour, but some were also flat and even embarrassing too (eg the baby psychologist scene). Favourite bits: Carroll and Hope's deliberate violent fight about her birthday and their subsequent icky sticky reconciliation in the police car; Hope's comical discomfiture at being gradually surrounded by unsmiling Nazis in the train club car; the impeccable Zucco/Sondergaarde partnership; the sight of Percy the Penguin in his monogrammed pyjamas and the gargling Hope chiding the porter for keeping the passengers awake; only study Hope's slapstick expressions upon ordering the cab driver to "follow that cab"; the entire Mulrooney sequence but especially with Toirk the Joirk; many others. The last 20 minutes or so slow it down and spoil it imho, but even so there's still plenty of smart ass one liners from Hope in there.
With its flaws I certainly couldn't call it the greatest American comedy ever made like another commenter here has: it's a very pleasant time filler which I've confirmed to myself many times – and not quite even My Favorite Hope movie, but certainly in the top 10.
The Penguin Should Have Had A Bigger Role
ccthemovieman-116 April 2006
This was an extremely silly (downright stupid in spots) farce of a comedy-adventure that gets by because it's so fast-moving and generally entertaining despite the cornball material.
Even by Bob Hope standards - and his films were not the highlight of his incredible career - this film is not that funny. A major part of the problem is simply that the humor is too dated. This kind of slapstick isn't the clever stuff some of older silent comics performed, which is still great material. This is just plain dumb.
The adventure part deals with Hope and British spy "Karen Bentley" (Madeline Carroll) and her attempts to stay one step ahead of the Nazis and the police as she transports valuable microfilm. Hope is along to help her and provide laughter.
Hope's pet penguin was a lot funnier than Bob in this film. Dressed up in different outfits, the little creature was hilarious to view and made this film tolerable enough to sit through some 60 years later. In fact, this would have been a keeper if they had made the penguin the star, instead of the two dopey lead actors!
Even by Bob Hope standards - and his films were not the highlight of his incredible career - this film is not that funny. A major part of the problem is simply that the humor is too dated. This kind of slapstick isn't the clever stuff some of older silent comics performed, which is still great material. This is just plain dumb.
The adventure part deals with Hope and British spy "Karen Bentley" (Madeline Carroll) and her attempts to stay one step ahead of the Nazis and the police as she transports valuable microfilm. Hope is along to help her and provide laughter.
Hope's pet penguin was a lot funnier than Bob in this film. Dressed up in different outfits, the little creature was hilarious to view and made this film tolerable enough to sit through some 60 years later. In fact, this would have been a keeper if they had made the penguin the star, instead of the two dopey lead actors!
Stylish and Amusing
Handlinghandel3 May 2005
Writing as someone who can definitely take or leave -- more likely leave -- Bob Hope, I call this a charmer. He is restrained here. Madeleine Carroll is a chic partner. The penguin I could do without but maybe that was fun for kids.
I like some of the "Road" pictures and they're OK. Bing Crosby is way down near the bottom of stars in terms of my own preference. And Hope's politics -- well, it is hard to ignore them. This one is very different, though. Hope really plays a character, though he at times reverts to playing Bob Hope.
The movie looks good and is well plotted.
What puzzles me is that Gale Sondergaard, third-billed, seems to have almost no lines. At least in the print I saw she has very, very few.
I like some of the "Road" pictures and they're OK. Bing Crosby is way down near the bottom of stars in terms of my own preference. And Hope's politics -- well, it is hard to ignore them. This one is very different, though. Hope really plays a character, though he at times reverts to playing Bob Hope.
The movie looks good and is well plotted.
What puzzles me is that Gale Sondergaard, third-billed, seems to have almost no lines. At least in the print I saw she has very, very few.
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