My Favorite Spy (1951) User Reviews (22)

Hope's First Glimmer of Trouble.

[theowinthrop · 7/10 · 5 July 2005]

As an entertaining comedy for Bob Hope, MY FAVORITE SPY is one of the best films in his career. It is typical for his normal plot line - a glib, slightly sleazy coward is forced into some job in which he conflicts with dangerous types. He manages to bungle his way to victory. It was the plot line for MY FAVORITE BLONDE, MY FAVORITE BRUNETTE, THE PRINCESS AND THE PIRATE, MONSIEUR BEAUCAIRE. THE LEMON DROP KID, PALEFACE, SON OF PALEFACE, SORROWFUL JONES, even FANCY PANTS. In each film he'd be assisted by the heroine (Jane Russell, Dorothy Lamour, Lucille Ball, or whoever), and would confront serious villains like Bruce Cabot, Lloyd Nolan, Charles Dingle, Walter Slezak, Joseph Schildcraut, Otto Preminger, and Peter Lorre. In each of these films the villain is interested in money, stolen secrets, the chance at marrying the heroine, or power. The comedy would center on Hope's behavior and antics, sometimes pulling in the heroine and the villains as accidental recipients of Hope's blunders (like his attempt to give Lucille Ball a special hairdo in FANCY PANTS). If he confronts the villain the villain might be temporarily discomforted (like Schildkraut is momentarily in the duel sequence in BEAUCAIRE). But the villain is normally captured by outside forces running to Hope's rescue - he is incapable of beating the villains by himself (in FANCY PANTS he just barely beats Bruce Cabot with an assist by Teddy Roosevelt - John Alexander). It is all familiar, but Hope is still in top form.

It was in MY FAVORITE SPY (1951) that Hope finally got a glimmer of trouble in his paradise. The trouble was from his co-star: Hedy Lamarr.

Hedy Lamarr's movie career, unfortunately, is considered something of a joke today. From the start of it, her classic pornographic masterpiece ECSTASY, her critics considered her solely as a beautiful woman with little talent - a wooden actress. This is very unfair, because when given good direction and a top script (H.M. PULHAM, ESQ., THE STRANGE WOMAN, SAMSON AND DELILAH) she proved a first rate actress. Maybe she was not "Oscar" caliber, but she was close to it on these occasions. Moreover, Lamarr had brains. She actually is one of the few actresses who holds a patent. She was determined to show her best acting if she could.

When Hope made a comedy he chose actresses who were perfectly willing to be second bananas to him. Even long time "Road Film" partner Dorothy Lamour reacted to his comedy in their movies (in her case she usually could also depend on co-star Bing Crosby in those films; but she made MY FAVORITE BRUNETTE with Hope alone). It was rare for any of these actresses to act zany in his films. Hope liked it that way. He appreciated being at the center of attention in his films.

But with MY FAVORITE SPY he discovered that the formula would not totally work. Lamarr rarely had a chance to play pure comedy (HEAVENLY BODY with William Powell was more typical of the quiet comedies that she got cast in). She was determined to really be Hope's equal in this film - and Hope had problems with that.

In the plot of MY FAVORITE SPY, Lamarr was an adventuress named Lily Dalbray who had formerly been romanced by spy and thug Eric Augustine (Hope - playing a rather unscrupulous villain for a change). Augustine is injured while going to retrieve valuable microfilm, and the government find that he resembles a burlesque comic named Peanuts White (Hope again). They force White to go in place of Augustine. Lily has been hired by Eric's old rival and enemy Karl Brubaker (Francis Sullivan) to romance and stop or thwart Augustine. The film follows the mix-up, with Hope assisted by a government agent Tasso (Arnold Moss).

As I mentioned before the film is very entertaining, but Hope had problems he never experienced before. Lamarr insisted on equal comic time to Hope, especially in the conclusion - a slapstick chase involving a fire and a fire engine. Her performance in the film actually shows that she was enjoying slapstick. But most of her performance actually ended on the cutting room floor. Hope had control of the production, and saw to it. Lamarr protested but Hope had legal right to it. Lamarr never forgave Hope, and never appeared opposite him again in film (unlike other leading ladies) or on his television specials.

The film showed Francis Sullivan to good form as the forbidding Brubaker - who actually so hates Augustine that he tries to shoot him at the conclusion of the film. Although made by Paramount, one wonders if Sullivan was the original choice for the role. One can imagine Sidney Greenstreet playing Brubaker as well. Possibly Greenstreet was thought of for the film, but either was in poor health or had other commitments. Arnold Moss also does well as Tasso, having to deal with that hopeless simpleton Peanuts White. As I said Hope's film is entertaining, but he was put on notice that his formula could not last if he had problems with his cast. The next time it happened he was unable to control the filmed appearance of his co-star. It was Katherine Hepburn in THE IRON PETTICOAT.

Hope Plays For Peanuts

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 26 July 2006]

Haven't movie fans wondered how Bob Hope has managed to have so many glamorous leading ladies fall for the schnooky characters he played in his career? It's a source of amazement and amusement too. But I've always thought that was part of the secret of Hope's appeal, that if he could get the glamor girl, anyone could.

They don't get much more glamorous than Hedy Lamarr who was in the midst of a mini-comeback because of Samson and Delilah. Unfortunately the roles she got post DeMille didn't sustain her career.

When one works on a Bob Hope film as a leading lady you will definitely be second banana. Hedy Lamarr was not second banana material and that was a source of some friction between her and Hope. But being second banana was something she should have known walking in.

In My Favorite Spy, Hope was spoofing all those espionage/adventure films set in various exotic places like Casablanca. He gets to play a dual role here. First as Eric Augustine, Bogart like adventurer, and secondly as Peanuts White burlesque comic who is a dead ringer the U.S. government drafts into getting some secret microfilm before Sidney Greenstreet stand-in Francis L. Sullivan does. Of course Hope has a Peter Lorre type factotum in Arnold Moss.

Though uneven in spots, mainly because Hope doesn't have the chemistry between him and Lamarr the way he did with Jane Russell or Madeleine Carroll, or Dorothy Lamour, My Favorite Spy does have some good moments. My favorite moment is when the truth serum is administered to Peanuts White and he starts doing his burlesque shtick for Sullivan.

It's not the best of Hope's Paramount films, but it does have some good moments.

And besides only Bing Crosby could ever really expect to not be a second banana.

not quite a "Road to " movie, but almost

[ksf-2 · 6/10 · 28 April 2008]

In this remake of the 1942 film of the same name, Bob Hope is Peanuts White, a hack Vaudevillian looks just like the thug Eric Augustine, who is wanted by the police. They ask White to help them by impersonating the crook to fool a gang of spies into turning over the microfilm. The nightclub scene is kind of fun, as he tries to pass for the crook with Lily (Hedy Lamarr) and Augustine's friends and enemies. Arnold Moss is Tasso, a non-singing Bing Crosby- type straight-gag-guy who doesn't take any jabs at Hope. Tasso one of the good guys, trying to keep White out of trouble in Tangiers. Not a lot for Lily (Hedy ) to do in this film...she's kind of along for the ride. Lamarr only made a few more films after this. It would have been interesting to have the actual locations listed; appears to be mostly the backlot and PCH. Like most of the "Road" movies, this one goes all over the map, in the casino, riding on a firetruck, thru the bazaar. Not the funniest Bob Hope movie caper, although it DOES have its laughs. Not bad.

Funny Hope-Hedy comedy

[Harri85274 · 24 November 2007]

I read somewhere here in this forum a readers take on the Bob-Hedy friction. Let me settle this once and for all. Hedy was always Bob favorite...look at some of the old war newsreels with the stars getting involved in the war, in their own way. There's a clip where Bob is surprisingly sharing a bed with his crony, Bing Crosby and in his dreams, he keeps calling out for Hedy. Hedy was an MGM player, so odds were against them making a movie together, each under contract to different studios. It turned out that some of Hedy's best funny scenes were cut, because the studio head at Paramount, didn't want anyone to be more funnier than their bread and butter comedian. She resented it, after all she was in the midst of making a comeback, as they called it in those days, after her terrific success in Samson and Delilah for that same studio a year before. Its odd that in 1951, Bob and Hedy made a comedy radio stint on top of a U.S.Navy flattop, in front of the sailors, in San Diego port. They even made jokes about appearing together in that movie. So, if there was friction, it was short lived. As far as her role, she was suppose to be playing it straight to Bob's antics. To me,the funniest scenes involved Hedy, mainly because I was surprised at how well she did handle comedy. Her hitting Bob like a wildcat, after he 'punched' her. Her double take upon seeing "both" Bob's was priceless...and that ending, with her driving the fire truck.

Where is Dorothy Lamour when you need her?...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 24 April 2008]

HEDY LAMARR may have been one of BOB HOPE's most glamorous co-stars, but she lacks the sort of comic timing needed for any female who plays opposite the hyper-active Hope. She never loses her poise no matter how ridiculous the situations are, but she never looks at home in this kind of spy story that even has her doing a nightclub act--singing the kind of sultry song that Dorothy Lamour could always put over. It's in the nightclub scene that she looks most uncomfortable as a performer, obviously dubbed by a real singer.

The story itself is the kind of mistaken identity thing that either Hope or Danny Kaye had done many times before and there's nothing new in the way of original material. It's a pleasant enough spoof of spy stories about a cowardly impostor (Hope) assigned by the government to obtain a top secret microfilm from spies in Tangier. Hope is his usual cowardly self and has to be prodded by the contact man (ARNOLD MOSS) to carry out the assignment, which he is more than willing to do once he meets the alluring Lamarr.

This was part of Hedy's deal with Paramount to give them another film after SAMSON AND DELILAH--and there's even a bit of Victor Young's "Samson and Delilah" theme played by the orchestra in the nightclub scene. Hope, who has all the best lines, plays the impostor with his usual comic finesse and gets away with varying amounts of mugging whenever the script isn't funny enough. Hedy tries valiantly to keep up with him, but she's just a little too restrained to make her efforts seem casual and effortless--as they should.

The screwball slapstick for the finale keeps things rushing along toward the predictable conclusion, but it's the sort of average entertainment that pleased Hope's fans who enjoyed his comic energy in this sort of espionage romp from time to time.

Raucous ending and one-liners make a good comedy

[SimonJack · 7/10 · 21 February 2017]

Most of Bob Hope's movies from the 1940s and 1950s are okay to good. The style of humor is dated, especially that with Bing Crosby in the Road shows. Also, Hope's technique of speaking to the camera just didn't carry much comedy. But, "My Favorite Spy" has none of that. It still has some of his corny one-liners, but it also has some very good zingers.

The final half hour with some very crazy antics helps raise this film considerably. Hope plays Peanuts White and Eric Augustine – two look- alikes. One's a corny comic and the other is a ruthless international espionage free agent. The place of his frequent female opposite, Dorothy Lamour, is taken in this film by Hedy Lamarr as Lily Dalbray.

This is one comedy in which Bob gets the girl. It's nice fun, with lots of action and mayhem. Some of the other cast members who shine are Francis L. Sullivan and Karl Brubaker, Mike Mazurki as Monkara and Marc Lawrence as Ben Ali.

Here are some of my favorite lines from the movie. All are by Hope unless otherwise noted. "Remember you guys. Your salaries are paid by the taxpayers, and I may be one someday."

"I can just see it now – the unknown civilian."

"No, never mind. No memories. Tonight will make memories for tomorrow. Let's hope that tomorrow we can remember them."

"I don't remember what I said. But if you liked it, I meant every word of it."

"Ach du lieber! Augustine!"

Augustine (Hope) is sitting at a table, pulling the petals off a corsage, looking for a message. A woman sitting at his table asks, "What are you doing?" Augustine, "Oh, this? I was just helping the native farmers. I'm looking for Japanese beetles."

My Favorite Spy is Not One of My Favorites **1/2

[edwagreen · 6/10 · 15 April 2006]

Bob Hope in a dual role here. Naturally, as a comedian, he is confused with a spy and is made to serve his country to act like the former to obtain information.

We get the usual Hope shtick here. "I have no friends in Washington. I vote Republican."

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to realize that the real spy escapes and soon is on Hope's trail as well.

Hedy Lamarr tries to be funny but really can't. She is the thrown-over ex-girl friend of the spy Hope who soon realizes that the joker Hope can't really be her true flame.

The ending is funny. We see the two on the lam riding on a fire truck. Some funny lines here, almost as funny as Hope fleeing with Jane Russell and saying to an animal, "Thanks for the ride."

"Thanks for the memories Bob," you did a lot better than this.

"If I saw this on television I'd never believe it!"

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 21 December 2008]

Bob Hope plays a dual role in this comedy spy flick, one as his usual character throwing out humorous one liners, and the other as an international spy who Peanuts White (Hope) is asked to imitate in order to secure a valuable piece of film for the government. Hope actually looked a bit scary as the villain Eric Augustine, and it made me wonder if he could have pulled off a dramatic role in a non comedy vehicle.

This was my first glimpse of Hedy Lamarr, and I wasn't too impressed with her looks when she first appeared on screen. But then, it seemed like she got better looking as the movie progressed. By the time of the film's finale and that wild hook and ladder ride, the zaniness of the scene seemed to bring out a naturalness to her personality that seemed suppressed in the early going. Actually, that scene had elements of Abbott and Costello and the Keystone Kops going for it, and was a lot more physical than any other Hope characterization I've seen.

As usual, some of Hope's best zingers are of the self deprecatory kind; when one of the detectives removes his clown rubber nose in the early going, Hope's character replies - "Hey, that's not all putty"! You have to be quick when he does the gag about Bing Crosby, never mentioning him by name, but remarking how a skull he's looking at resembles a 'singer I know'. Modern audiences and non-Hope fans would never give it a second thought, but it's one of the fun things about watching these era films when you're old enough to be in on the joke.

Hey, I know it's just for laughs, but there was a goof in that scene when the phone started ringing inside the suitcase. When Peanuts/Hope finally gets it out, the receiver is off the hook!

"My Favorite Spy" seems to get mixed reviews, and though I enjoyed it myself, I thought about it being re-done as "Road to Tangier" with Crosby and Lamour along for the ride. Say, did you catch it when Peanuts White's real name was revealed? - it was Cecil Longwood.

Bob Hope in a dual role

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 4 June 2008]

1951's "My Favorite Spy" stars Bob Hope, Hedy Lamarr, Francis L. Sulllivan and Mike Mazurki. Hope plays Peanuts White, a burlesque comedian, who bears a strong resemblance to a spy, Eric Augustine. When Augustine is injured, the government gets Peanuts to go in his place to Tangier with $1 million to collect some microfilm. Peanuts, like Hope's other characters, is a bona fide coward, but he goes after Harry Truman talks with him on the phone. ("Oh, she's out on tour?" Hope asks, referring to Truman's daughter Margaret, who at that time was pursuing a singing career.) When Peanuts arrives in Tangier, he meets the woman with whom Eric was previously involved, the beautiful nightclub singer Lily Dalbray. She's under orders from the other side to get the microfilm, so she acts as if she's ready to resume things with Eric. Unfortunately, the real Eric escapes from the hospital and makes his way to Tangier, causing the situation to become even more confusing as everyone chases everyone else.

Hope is very funny in this and does indeed create a second role in Eric Augustine, who has a much darker persona than Peanuts. There are some great laughs, my favorite scene being Hedy and Peanuts dancing in the hotel while his contact tries to get his attention. The part where Lamarr drives a fire engine while Hope hangs onto the ladder is funny as well.

Hedy Lamarr was 36 or so at the time of the filming and looks glorious, particularly in the form-fitting white sequined gown she wears during her nightclub act. It's so unfortunate that in Hollywood, once a woman turned 30, lead roles became so difficult to get. Lamarr was one of the most beautiful and glamorous women in film - at any age. She's basically straight man to Hope here and holds her own in what is a Dorothy Lamour part, right down to the nightclub act. She contributes to the foreign flavor of the film.

This isn't Hope's best film, but it's still very good with some great bits and laughs.

Funny, quirky movie

[costellorp · 7/10 · 20 June 2023]

Stay with this movie through the first 15-20 minutes because Bob Hope becomes both funnier and more likeable after Hedy LaMarr arrives on the scene. Yes, there is a great deal of nonsense going on throughout, but there are some very funny scenes! Hedy LaMarr was actually more intelligent than she was beautiful, which is saying a lot. Her character in this film is intriguing (in both senses) and strong-minded.

One nice thing about this movie is that Bing is not here to double-cross Bob, as he always does in the Road movies.

Bob made a movie that is similar to this one called "The Lemon Drop Kid" which we like to watch every few years at Christmas time.

Hey, Like Hope's One-Liners, Not All Are Winners

[ccthemovieman-1 · 4/10 · 2 November 2006]

This is a typical Bob Hope movie in which "ole ski nose" delivers a lot of one- liners and plays his usual coward-turned-hero. (In this story, a burlesque comic turned spy.) The leading lady for this one was Hedy Lamarr. By 1951, the famous glamor girl of the Golden Age looked like she was a few years past her prime. She had very little sex appeal left.

Hope plays a dual role: "Peanuts White" and "Eric Augustine." He does a fine job with both, although in one of those roles he said very little. In all, not one of his more memorable movies, or funnier films, but it has enough decent laughs to somewhat entertain....but mainly, if you are a die-hard Bob Hope fan; otherwise, skip it. Bob did a lot of other films that were much better.

One of Bob Hope's best

[w-ball · 8/10 · 1 November 2005]

One of Hope's best efforts. Hedy Lamar plays the perfect foil to Bob as he plays two very different characters.

Contains one of the funniest sight-gag sequences in modern cinema and allows Hedy to show off the depth of her acting ability. It couldn't have been easy playing opposite Bob Hope anyway, but when she's not quite sure who is showing up had to make it even tougher.

This is a film I can watch over and over again. In fact, I've just about worn out my copy, yet I laugh out loud every time.

Great family viewing with the typical Hope silliness tempered by the very seductive Hedy Lamar.

This one is definitely for Bob Hope fans only

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 26 July 2006]

While I enjoyed a few of Bob Hope's films, I must say up front that I am not especially a fan of his work. And, I think that others who are not huge fans of his work will probably not be particularly impressed by this rather limp comedy. That's because, for a comedy, this film has a remarkably small amount of humor. Apart from a slightly amusing situation, most of the "laughs" are the result of Hope's mugging and one-liners. For me, they frankly weren't funny at all. My opinion, and I know this might make me sound harsh, is that for years, Bob Hope cashed in on his early successes and then just kind of walked through many roles playing himself. And, this film isn't particularly different from a long string of very similar films from the 40s and 50s. While his die-hard fans will no doubt enjoy this, others will probably be pretty bored.

The film is a story about Hope and a look-alike who is a master spy. The spy is captured and Hope is to take his place and secure some secret film. Along the way, he meets Hedy Lamarr--who just seems a bit out of her element. She is not a natural comedienne, but this film doesn't even allow her to try--forcing her to play a dramatic role most of the film. And, in the final chase scene, it looks like a limp imitation of a Keystone comedy. As a result, you're left with a slightly less than average time-passer and nothing more. While technically sound, I was frankly amazed how uninvolving this film was. There was just so little energy and few laughs.

Hope's final "My Favorite ______" series entry makes for solid comedy entertainment that deserves a home video release

[s007davis · 8/10 · 13 May 2004]

Review contains SPOILERS:

In 1951, Bob Hope made the 3rd and final entry in his "My Favorite_____" series which reteamed him with director Norman Z. McLeod("Road to Rio", arguably the best of the "Road" pictures). Fresh from her success in Cecil B. DeMille's classic Biblical epic "Samson and Delilah", the beautiful Hedy Lamarr(perhaps Hope's most glamourously exotic leading lady up to that point in his career) was cast to play the comedian's favorite spy. The result was a workmanlike but enjoyable comedy/spy thriller which seemed to satirize not only exotic international intrigue films like "Casablanca" but if it weren't for the fact that it was released 11 years before the first 007 film, a viewer might think it was also a James Bond spoof. The fire truck chase where the hero hangs on a ladder while the heroine drives the vehicle was recycled years later in the Bond film "A View To A Kill."

Essentially, "My Favorite Spy"'s plot follows a typical Hope film formula: our hero is an everyman, in this case a burlesque comic, who is forced into dangerous situation(the reason being in this case, the old Hollywood movie rule that someone can pass for an identical twin of someone to whom he has no biological relation to! Alright, I know it's a cliche but it's a good cliche later reused in another comedy classic called "On The Double" with Danny Kaye). Anyway, because of and often in spite of his attempts to conquer his enemies, he outwits the bad guys and wins the affections of the knockout lead female character. It was a formula that worked for several Hope films of his prime era(1940s-early 1950s). "Spy" is typical of Hope's entries of this time. If there's any flaw to the film it's that it's never anything great. However, it makes no pretense of being a masterpiece. The filmmakers never promise the viewer anything more than an entertaining 93 minutes of fun and they completely succeed in delivering what they promise. If only more films could make that achievement.

Bottom line: "My Favorite Spy" resoundingly earns a respectable *** out of **** and makes for an amusing comedy adventure well worth watching if you're a fan of either Hope or Miss Lamarr. Why it has never been released on home video is a mystery. Favorite line-"Why don't you go? If you hurry, you can catch the nine o'clock broom."

For more fun with Bob in the world of espionage, I also recommend "They Got Me Covered", "My Favorite Blonde", "Call Me Bwana" and "Road To Hong Kong". For more comedy fun with Hedy, check out her underrated "Ninotchka" take-off, "Comrade X". Any of those titles would make for a good double feature with "My Favorite Spy."

Hedy was robbed

[bruno-32 · 19 December 2016]

Judging from some of the reviewers here I feel I have to mention a well known fact back then when this movie was made. Bob is Paramount's top comedy moneymaker. Hedy after her triumph role as Delilah a year or so earlier, had to make this movie cause paramount and Bob wanted her to. It turned out that Hedy's best parts were either cut or slimmered down, cause it made Bob second banana in some scenes. Naturally, the studio could not let that happen to their top money maker, so that is what was released ..a toned down Hedy role. Sneak previewers had caught the original version and most agreed that Hedy stole that movie from Bob, mainly cause no one expected it from her. Towards the end we do see some of her funny scenes, but not enough.

A Case of Mistaken Identity

[Uriah43 · 5/10 · 12 April 2024]

Mistaken for a notorious spy by the name of "Eric Augustine" (Bob Hope) a burlesque comedian named "Peanuts White" (also played by Bob Hope) is arrested by military intelligence and questioned about the location of some microfilm that contains information vital to American interests. To their surprise, while the questioning is being conducted, they soon learn that their actual target has been wounded in a gunfight and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. To that effect, they decide to recruit Peanuts for a top-secret mission to help recover the microfilm before it falls into the wrong hands. But in order to do that, Peanuts has to convince several enemy agents--with one in particular being a former girlfriend of Eric's by the name of "Lily Dabray" (Hedy Lamarr) who has a score to settle with him. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an okay comedy which relied heavily upon one-liners written exclusively for Bob Hope. And although some succeeded, it should also be noted that some did not. That being said, while I don't consider this to be a bad comedy by any means, it also had its drawbacks here and there, and I have rated this movie accordingly. Average.

Intrigue, comedy, and beauty

[lora64 · 10/10 · 28 August 2001]

Typical enjoyable Bob Hope movie, enhanced by the lovely shimmering beauty of Hedy Lamarr that makes it all worthwhile. You might notice at the start of the night club scene before Lily (Hedy) sings, they play music from "Samson and Delilah" which had been a big hit for Hedy two years earlier. I agree that at times the plot seems rather thin but if you're a regular fan and hooked on Hope's films you'll like it and not worry about wondering why. Just enjoy!

Good Hope, Bad Hope

[gridoon2024 · 5/10 · 1 May 2022]

Slick but labored and overlong; pretty much the same film as Hope's earlier "My Favorite Blonde", but without the same urgency (maybe inevitably - the war was over, after all). Shows some brief promise when Bad Hope enters the picture (a rare role for him), but soon after dissolves into a series of tiresome slapstick sequences. Hedy Lamarr is spectacularly shapely. ** out of 4.

Hope Showcase

[dougdoepke · 6 January 2017]

Hope fans should enjoy this showcase. The comedian's in about every scene where the one-liners, throw-aways, and snappy retorts fly faster than a machine-gun on rapid fire. After all, there were seven writers, yes, seven! And I expect each wanted his or her work accommodated. So, it's a loaded script. Bob plays a baggy-pants comedian (Peanuts) pressed into government service in order to catch a dangerous look-alike who's on the run. Along the way he gets "help" from the gorgeous Hedy LaMarr.

Plots are secondary for Hope vehicles, mainly furnishing set-ups for the gag-lines. Here, the setting for international intrigue is Tangier. Thus there's a hint of he Hope-Crosby Road pictures, while La Marr provides the eye candy, in spades. But, I gather from other reviewers that her best scenes ended on the cutting room floor courtesy Hope's desire to dominate. Then too, don't expect much continuity given the generally ragged editing process.

Anyhow, I love that line where a ringing sound comes from Lilly (LaMarr) and Peanuts observes that she always makes him tinkle—snuck by the censors, I guess. And, if you don't like this gag, hold on because more will soon fly by. All in all, it's a Hope showcase during his most productive movie period.

My Favorite Spy

[a_baron · 8/10 · 22 June 2017]

This amiable romp sees a familiar theme, mistaken identity followed by turmoil. It begins with a villain named Augustine being cornered and then shot by intelligence agents; this was in the days when the Yanks were regarded as the good guys. Augustine bears a striking resemblance to actor/clown Peanuts White, which is hardly surprising as they are both played by Bob Hope. In fact at the beginning, White is arrested by mistake, and with Augustine out of the way he is pressured, coerced, flattered and bribed into taking Augustine's place – and a plane to Tangier. What does he do there? Without his straight man Bing Crosby, there are no duets, at least no singing duets, but he does end up playing the rear end of a pantomime camel. That would be bad enough, but the real Augustine returns, although shortly he ends up dead, and the faux Augustine has some explaining to do to his leading lady while he is dodging the bad guys who want to kill him (again).

A Unique Bob Hope Movie

[mhtyler · 30 May 2003]

This movie, while far from Hope's best, has Bob in a duel role as Peanuts White and Eric Augusine, the latter being a notorious spy.

What is unique is that the character of Augustine is shown as a humorlous brutal killer, and for a few brief scenes we see a serious side of Bob Hope that to my knowledge has never been shown since in any effort.

The closest to it in terms of range would be Beau James which he did some years later.

Hope with Lamarr not Lamour

[jarrodmcdonald-1 · 14 November 2022]

I tend to find Bob Hope's solo efforts-- the ones without Bing Crosby-- a bit hit or miss. This early 50s effort misses the mark more than it should. The bosses at Paramount have provided a decent director (Norman Z. McLeod); a sizable budget; a lovely leading lady (Hedy Lamarr); and a roster of dependable costars. But something is off.

I think the main problem is that the gags are mostly uninspired, including one with Mr. Hope's character having to wear a girdle. And much of the dialogue is so inane in spots that all we can do is shrug and roll our eyes at the proceedings. It's not that Hope and company don't try, they certainly do. It's just that much of what ended up on screen isn't funny.

The initial set-up involves Hope as a vaudeville actor performing some contrived shtick at a burlesque house. He is apprehended by police because he shares a physical resemblance with a wanted spy. Why the police are in charge of this investigation and not the FBI is a mystery. The coppers shoot and wound the doppelgänger (also played by Hope). This requires Hope the vaudevillian to masquerade as the villain to foil an international plot that threatens U. S. security.

After he agrees to help, Hope flies to Tangier where he meets Miss Lamarr (in other pictures this would have been Miss Lamour). She's a gorgeous spy working for the other side, headed by criminal mastermind Francis L. Sullivan. We're never told who the other side really is. Only that there's going to be a transfer of microfiche with government secrets on it that Hope must intercept. As MacGuffins go it's a vague one.

Naturally, Hope's character falls for Lamarr though it takes two-thirds of the picture's running time for him to figure out she's in cahoots with the crooks. The last third of the story has her experience a change of heart and decide to save him from Sullivan and the other goons. She now realizes she loves the impostor, not the man she originally thought he was.

Not all of the hackneyed love story works. Lamarr and Hope exhibit no palpable chemistry as a screen couple. It seems obvious that while Hope finds luscious Lamarr an attractive dish, she's not into him the way she seems into most of her leading men. As a result, her performance is rather cool and detached, which goes against the denouement and happy ending the writers have plotted for her character.

The funniest sequence in the film involves a fire that occurs at Sullivan's villa. Lamarr rescues Hope in a stolen car and drives him into town, with henchmen on their tail. In town they duck into a building where a group of firemen are answering a call. Hope and Lamarr don firefighter outfits and hop on the truck with the men. They wind up back at Sullivan's place, to help put out the blaze. It's a bunch of silly nonsense.

MY FAVORITE SPY is the third film that Miss Lamarr made at Paramount when she signed a multi-picture deal after leaving MGM. The first was SAMSON AND DELILAH, her most successful picture, where she starred in a biblical epic directed by Cecil DeMille. The second assignment was COPPER CANYON, a John Farrow western in Technicolor that paired her with Ray Milland. Then finally, she made this farce with Bob Hope.

She had been stuck in a rut at Metro, typecast in vamp roles. While she's still playing an alluring woman in these later films, her assignments at Paramount provided the actress with more variety and the opportunity to try something different.