The Paleface Reviews

Alright I know I know but you just have to love theses schmooltsy wannabe westerns.....The singing was great and Russell was a seriously gorgeous laydee....

The fact that it was written by cartoon guru Frank Tashlin explains a whole lot. Stupid as hell, but Bob Hope's vaguely racist antics at the end about make the whole thing worthwhile.

Bob Hope was hilarious, and Jane Russell was good at her spot. It was just a bit silly, but still enjoyable.

I have to admit that I found most of Bob Hope's vehicles lame, including all of the "Road" movies; whereas some of his other, earlier Paramount stuff from the late '30s and early '40s (The Cat and the Canary; My Favorite Blonde) are pretty good.

This exceeded my expectations! No-good Calamity Jane (Russell) is told by the government that the only way she can escape jail is to help capture some bad gun carriers who are shooting innocents. Along the way she runs into bumbling dentist Painless Potter (Hope) and they get married, because she thinks it will help her job get done. Little does she know what's coming! When you mix screwball comedy, western, action/adventure, and romance all into one movie, you get "The Paleface". Here we have Bob Hope taking a break from Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour, and instead teams up with the late-great Jane Russell. The tag-line for this delightful comedy was: "She Can Shoot a Gun as Fast as Bob Can Run" and they really did mean it. Her toughie role in this film is out of reach from her other movies, and wow, it was a good change of pace! Though I thought 1947's "My Favorite Brunette" was good, this one is absolutely fantastic, and proves that Bob Hope can do a little more away from cities or exotic places (hint hint). What makes this movie even better is the rich Technicolor! I watched it on TCM and never have a seen a print so bright and whole, and looks so much better than what you see in "The Wizard of Oz"! Anyhow, "The Paleface" is a wonderful movie, and any fan of Bob Hope will consider it one of his best classics.

Paleface is a good ol' classic with Bob Hope, but something just seemed... well, missing. Don't get me wrong, I laughed, but it was hit and miss much of the time. It started and had parts that were mind-bendingly slow, and there was very little plotline outside of Hope's act. I'm not a big fan of westerns, and the movie was also surprisingly racist, although I suppose it's a sign of the times.

I probably wouldn't eccommend this movie to Bob Hope first-timers, but fans are sure to enjoy it, even if they can deal with Jane Russell not changing her evil expression the whole movie.

AND YES, I WILL BE CONTINUING MY TOP 50, DON'T Y'ALL WORRY.

MOST DEFINITELY ONE OF BOB HOPE'S BEST, THIS VERY OFTEN HILARIOUS COMEDY IS A JOY TO WATCH. SOME INCREDIBLE ONE-LINERS. JANE RUSSELL HAS A GOOD TIME IN HER ROLE AND IS WELL CAST. LET'S NOT FORGET TRIGGER, ONE OF THE BEST ANIMAL PERFORMANCES I HAVE EVER SEEN.