#80 - My Favorite Blonde

Oh...to be pleasantly suprised when you aren't paying attention. Some of you may remember WAAAAAAAAY back in the early reviews when I watched a few movies about homosexual topics. Admittedly, I am a little bit homophobic and since I wasn't paying attention...well...you can read the reviews yourself. In the case of My Favorite Blonde, I was not paying attention...again. When it cleared my queue and was sent to me, I was assuming I was going to get stuck with a lame Hollywood musical that would leave me beating myself in the face with a rusty metal spatula in order to take away from the pain of what I was watching. In other words, what I should have been doing while watching Bus Stop. Instead, I pull the DVD out of the envelope and see the classic profile drawing of Bob Hope. A strong "WHEW" soon followed.

I love Bob Hope. You have to. Even if you don't like golf. Unfortunately, most of my exposure to him is in the later years of his life. His cameo in Spies Like Us, for example. I've seen clips from when he hosted the Oscars and other appearance on the television. I have seen bits and pieces of some of Hope and Crosby's "road" movies, but that was SO long ago, I remember little of it other than a song sung on the back of a camel. If you couldn't figure it out, I was excited to watch this movie.

Usually, when I have a long, positive buildup, it is quickly followed by a review explaining how the movie was the exact opposite of what I expected. This is because I am a hack writer, and I don't know any better. Well, I am here to tell you that in this case, the movie was just okay. Is that an amazing break in my formula or what? The movie has its moments, and it's entertaing and all, but I can't say that there are any moments that are hysterically funny. Mostly, it's amusing at best.

I guess it's mostly due to the fact that I am not the biggest fan of ramantic comedies, but can be a sucker for them, which makes me sick, but that's the way it is. But this isn't exactly the ramantic comedy that we are used to today. I wonder if I didn't like it more because of the fact that Hope doesn't have Crosby to work against. He has plenty of one liners that he delivers with his own unique style, and I think that his ability to give some of them directly to the camera is only better by the genius of Groucho Marx, but it still wasn't enough to make this movie great.

Oh, there is a cameo by Mr. Crosby himself, and it is quite amusing. Probably the best moment of the movie. I think that speaks volumes when the best part of a movie starring a solo performer from a comedy team is the short cameo with their partner.