Professor Popinjay's Compendium of Perspicacity

A Non-Review by Professor Popinjay

Bob Hope can be a gamble. Some of his films didn’t age well. They might have been great at the time but the films are so old some of the jokes fall flat. It’s not his fault. Time and the evolution of language are not often kind to humor.

My Favorite Brunette is one film that has actually stood up to the test of time so far, at least in my opinion. Hope’s many one liners got at least a chuckle out of me and in many cases a full on guffaw.

Adding to the luster of this film was a star studded cast including Dorothy Lamour, Peter Lorre, and Lon Chaney Jr. I’m a huge fan of Lorre of course and Chaney is hilarious in this.

This is part two of a trilogy including My Favorite Blonde and My Favorite Spy in which Hope plays a photographer who dreams of being a private eye and he ends up intercepting a case meant for his private eye acquaintance with whom he shares space in an office building. Naturally this is spurred on by a beautiful woman who has mistaken Hope for the private eye. Hilarity ensues.

I really appreciated the non-token non-exploitative inclusion of the amazing Chinese actress Jean Wong and the little boy playing her son, Roland Soo Hoo. If you’ve not read Jean Wong’s story, I recommend it. She is an inspiring pioneer.

Great movie all around. I really need to get my hands on the prequel and sequel.