Quintessential Hope

Wow, they don't come any funnier than this! "My Favorite Spy" is, without a doubt, one of Bob Hope's finest, and therefore funniest, films. I haven't seen this movie since I was a child in the mid-60's when I remember watching it with my parents and 2 sisters on "NBC Saturday Night at the Movies", and really looked forward to seeing it again. I knew the basic premise of Bob impersonating a famous international playboy and spy but recalled no other details, so it was totally fresh to me. I'm a huge Bob Hope fan and I was delighted with "Spy". In my opinion, this film captures Bob's breezy style and wonderful comic timing to perfection. It's amazing that, despite his comical, though basically "normal", physical appearance he can portray/impersonate a quite suave, dashing, and even handsome international playboy. He's a joy and a riot to watch,especially in his scenes trying to impress/seduce Lily/Heddy. I was especially struck at how truly pleasant his face is to watch, all the amusing things he does with his eyes, and his great wisecracking smile. I think he's the most likeable and appealing comic of all time, although there've been many great ones. There's just something about the way his looks and mannerisms all come together to create a kind of comic perfection. I think this is one of the reasons he was such a big star in movies for so long. Talent aside, and there was tons of that, he was simply a joy to watch and look at. The movie itself is pretty fast moving, maintains high comic and dramatic interest throughout, and holds up very well, especially as a spoof of "Casablanca"-type espionage films, although there are a couple of jokes here and there that present-day audiences may not catch or understand what Bob's referring to, such as the one early on where he, as burlesque comic Peanuts White, gets a phone call from then-President Harry Truman, along with a reference to Truman's famous piano-playing daughter Margaret. Neither Truman's nor his daughter's names are stated, but the implication would've been instantly recognizable to audiences of that day. Although I certainly enjoyed these now-ancient references, I was grateful that the movie wasn't peppered too liberally with them,i.e., from circa 1950/51--usually a potential pitfall in watching the always-topical Hope's films today, so many years after the people and events, political and otherwise, that he sometimes referred to in his movies. In fact, there are maybe only 2 at most such topical references in "Spy", as mentioned. The final chase scene is uproariously funny, the special effects for which are quite convincing. It's fun to imagine how audiences must've laughed at Bob and his antics while watching this film in theaters, now so many decades ago. If you want to see an outstanding example of Bob's talent and irresistable cinematic presence and appeal, don't miss the next airing or chance to rent or purchase a video or DVD copy of "My Favorite Spy"!