My Favorite Brunette (1947)

My Favorite Brunette is a deliciously nimble mash-up of wisecracking comedy and shadowy detective-movie atmosphere, the kind of film that knows exactly how to spoof a genre while still delivering the pleasures of it. Bob Hope is in peak form as a daydreaming nobody who stumbles into a case far bigger than his suit jacket, and the movie frames his misadventure with a death-row flashback device that keeps the pace snappy and the stakes playfully high. Dorothy Lamour brings glamour and warmth, while Peter Lorre adds that unmistakable edge—like a smirk in the dark—that makes every encounter feel just a little dangerous. If you want a hardboiled mystery played straight, look elsewhere, but if you’re in the mood for a clever, romantic, old-Hollywood caper that laughs at noir while basking in its mood, this one’s a charmer.

My Favorite Brunette wants to mash up a screwball mistaken-identity comedy with a breezy mystery-romance, using Bob Hope’s fast-talking coward-hero persona as the engine. When it clicks, you get a few charming verbal jabs, a playful noir spoof vibe, and solid support from Dorothy Lamour and Peter Lorre. The problem is the comedy often feels light and a bit thin, with stretches where the plot does more work than the laughs, so it can come off as a mild “Hope being Hope” outing rather than a truly sharp classic. If you’re after a tightly constructed mystery or a consistently hilarious comedy, you may end up checking your watch—but if you like old Hollywood fluff with low stakes and a gentle pace, it’s an easy enough ride.