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My Favorite Blonde/Star Spangled Rhythm - DVD

SKU: 4496049 | Release Date: 3/5/2002

Rating: NR

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Rating: NR
Format: DVD
Length: 178 minutes
Screen Formats: Black & White
Genre: General Comedies
Studio: Mc A Home Video
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Synopsis

Includes:

My Favorite Blonde (1942)

Star Spangled Rhythm (1942)

My Favorite Martian: Unidentified Flying Uncle Martin (1964)

My Favorite Martian: Miss Jekyll and Hyde (1964)

My Favorite Martian: How're You Gonna Keep Them Down on the Pharmacy? (1964)

My Favorite Martian: Who's Got the Power? (1964)

My Favorite Martian: If You Can't Lick 'Em (1964)

My Favorite Martian: Oh, My Aching Antenna (1964)

My Favorite Martian: Shake Well...and Don't Use (1964)

My Favorite Martian: Uncle Martin's Wisdom Tooth (1964)

My Favorite Martian: A Nose for News (1964)

My Favorite Martian: The Disastro-Nauts (1964)

My Favorite Blonde
Each of Bob Hope's "My Favorite" films (My Favorite Blonde, My Favorite Brunette, My Favorite Spy) was, by accident or design, a parody of a dead-serious movie genre. 1942's My Favorite Blonde, for example, was a takeoff of Alfred Hitchcock in general and Hitchcock's 39 Steps in particular. Two-bit vaudeville entertainer Hope gets mixed up with gorgeous blonde British-spy Madeline Carroll. The "maguffin" (Hitchcock's nickname for "gimmick") which ties the two stars together is a ring which contains the microfilmed plans for a revolutionary new bomber. Hope and Carroll are forced to take it on the lam when Hope is framed for murder by Nazi-agents Gale Sondergaard, George Zucco et. al. Highlights include Hope eluding capture by impersonating a famed psychologist (watch for Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer as Hope's most contentious "patient"). Madeline Carroll also got several opportunities to shine comedically, especially when she lapsed into cloying baby talk while posing as Hope's wife. Bob Hope was hesitant to work with My Favorite Blonde director Sidney Lanfield, having heard of Lanfield's reputation as an on-set dictator. However, the two got along so swimmingly that they would collaborate on such future top-notch Hope farces as Let's Face It (1943) and The Lemon Drop Kid (1951). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Star Spangled Rhythm
Star-Spangled Rhythm is a typical wartime all-star musical-comedy melange, this time from Paramount Pictures. The slender plot involves the efforts by humble studio doorman Pop Webster (Victor Moore) to pass himself off as a big-shot Paramount executive for the benefit of his sailor son Jimmy (Eddie Bracken). The overall level of humor can be summed up by the scene in which Webster is advised that the best way to pretend to be a studio big-shot is to say "It stinks!" to everything -- whereupon Cecil B. DeMille shows up to ask Webster's opinion about his current production. Betty Hutton, cast as studio switchboard operator and co-conspirator Polly Judson, is at her most rambunctiously appealing here. The huge lineup of guest performers includes Bing Crosby (and his 8-year-old son Gary!), Bob Hope, Veronica Lake, Dorothy Lamour, Dick Powell, Mary Martin, Alan Ladd, Fred MacMurray, William Bendix, Paulette Goddard, and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, most (but not all) of them going through their characteristic paces. Highlights include a surrealistic rendition of That Old Black Magic with Johnnie Johnston and Vera Zorina; a frantic staging of the old George S. Kaufman sketch "If Men Played Cards as Women Do" with MacMurray, Ray Milland, Franchot Tone, and Lynn Overman; and The Sweater, the Sarong and the Peekaboo Bang, first performed by Goddard, Lamour and Lake, then lampooned in drag by Arthur Treacher, Sterling Holloway and Walter Catlett! PS: The actor playing Rochester's chauffeur in the Smart as a Tack number is John Ford "regular" Woody Strode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

My Favorite Martian: Unidentified Flying Uncle Martin
Anxious to return to Mars, Martin (Ray Walston) risks exposure by taking his spaceship on a short test ride. Sure enough, he is immediately spotted and classified as a UFO. Worse, Mrs. Brown (Pamela Britton) allows the government use Tim (Bill Bixby) and Martin's apartment as a sighting station just in case the spaceship makes a return appearance. The key to the solution of this mess resides in a handy supply of "plutron", which Martin uses to his advantage to throw the authorities off the track. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

My Favorite Martian: Miss Jekyll and Hyde
A pre-That Girl Marlo Thomas guest stars as Paula, the highly intelligent--and highly insecure--niece of landlady Mrs. Brown (Pamela Britton). To prevent Paula from figuring out his true identity, Martin (Ray Walston) tries to distract her by asking Tim (Bill Bixby) to take the girl out. Unfortunately, Paula is so obsessed with her self-described "plain" appearance that she turns Tim off--whereupon Martin performs a bit of Martian magic to spiritually transform the duckling into a swan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

My Favorite Martian: How're You Gonna Keep Them Down on the Pharmacy?
A vitamin deficiency is causing a lethargic Martin (Ray Walston) to disappear and reappear without warning. And whenever he's visible, Martin's desperate tapping of any energy source available causes people to fall asleep when they look into his eyes. Clearly, what is needed is an emergency dose of special vitamins that, fortunately, can be found at any pharmacy. Too bad that it's Sunday, and all the pharmacies are closed (remember, we're still in the 1960s!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

My Favorite Martian: Who's Got the Power?
Once again, Martin (Ray Walston) is unable to control his ability to disappear and reappear at will. This time, the source of the trouble is a bolt of lighting which struck the Martian as he slept. In his efforts to cure himself, Martin accidentally passes on his levitation powers to Mrs. Brown (Pamela Britton). The trick now is to purge Mrs. Brown of her newfound skills without ever letting her know that she had acquired those skills in the first place! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

My Favorite Martian: If You Can't Lick 'Em
A neighborhood kid named Horace (Dennis Rush) latches onto Uncle Martin (Ray Walston) in peace after seeing antennae sprouting from Martin's head. Thinking that the receiving device is just a toy, Dennis creates his own pair--thus creating a nationwide fad, with the help of toy manufacturer Mr. Barnaby (Hal Smith) As a result, the media descends upon Horace's neighborhood, thereby threatening to expose Martin's true identity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

My Favorite Martian: Oh, My Aching Antenna
The strength of the Earth's gravitational pull threatens to accelerate Uncle Martin's aging process. To counteract this, Martin (Ray Walston) must quickly assemble an antigravitation device. Unfortunately, the machinery results in some rather bizarre and disturbing side effects for the people within Martin's circle of Earthling friends. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

My Favorite Martian: Shake Well...and Don't Use
Angling for a promotion, Tim (Bill Bixby) invites his boss Mr. Burns (J. Pat O'Malley) home for dinner. The chef for the occasion is Uncle Martin (Ray Walston), who whips up a batch of his special "Martian stew." Unfortunately, the meal has a profound cooling effect on Mr. Burns--or more specifically, it transforms the man into a statue! And as if this wasn't enough of a crisis, who should suddenly show up at Tim's doorstep but Burns' obnoxious nephew Freddie Carson (Kip King). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

My Favorite Martian: Uncle Martin's Wisdom Tooth
Suffering from a toothache, Martin (Ray Walston) soon realizes that his malady is more detrimental to his eyes than his jaw. And when he experiments with a cure for the aching tooth, his vision is suddenly reversed! Clearly, a visit to the dentist is in order--but such a visit might result in the public revelation that Martin is "not of this world." This is the final episode of My Favorite Martian's first season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

My Favorite Martian: A Nose for News
Filling in for a tardy Tim (Bill Bixby) at the Los Angeles "Sun", Martin (Ray Walston) manages to score a much-coveted interview with Ambassador Lloyd Thomas (played by Bewitched's future "Larry Tate", David White). As a result, Martin is invited to join the reporting staff on a full-time basis. Unfortunately, this journalistic coup backfires on both Martin and Tim when the irascible Thomas threatens to sue the paper for invasion of privacy! Originally slated to air in the fall of 1963, this episode marks the final appearance of J. Pat O'Malley as Tim's boss Mr. Burns. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

My Favorite Martian: The Disastro-Nauts
A pre-Gilligan's Island Alan Hale Jr. appears in this episode as Omar Keck, an eccentric millionaire who has financed an experimental missile which he intends to send to Mars. Not surprisingly, Uncle Martin (Ray Walston) is the first to volunteer to pilot the vessel into space. In anticipation of his flight, Martin allows Tim (Bill Bixby) to publicly reveal his true Martian identity--but only after he has safely begun his homeward journey. Needless to say, things don't go quite as expected! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Version Details

Sound

Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel/monaural

Languages/Sound

Eng

Screen Formats

Black & White

Subtitle Languages

Eng/Fre/Spa

Additional Features

[None specified]

Series

Bob Hope - The Tribute Collection

Chapters

Side #1 --
0. Scenes
1. Main Titles [1:24]
2. Shooting on Board [3:08]
3. The Scorpion [3:05]
4. Haines and Percy [:51]
5. Leaving Town [8:09]
6. In Albany [:49]
7. Upper Berth [4:42]
8. Larry's Bag [4:39]
9. Wife Beater [1:40]
10. The Teamsters Picnic [:57]
11. Flying to L.A. [5:13]
12. The Watermelon Patch [12:12]
13. Dr. Higby [:07]
14. On a Freight Train [7:24]
15. Bernardino Street [2:39]
16. A Faux Grenade [1:08]
17. Not Quite Dead [2:39]
18. End Titles [5:49]
0. Scenes
1. Main Title [1:31]
2. Shore Leave [8:32]
3. Mr. De Soto [4:53]
4. Hit the Road to Dreamland [4:59]
5. Swing Shift [:59]
6. I'm Doing It for Defense [8:22]
7. Putting on a Show [1:38]
8. Over the Wall [6:44]
9. A Benefit [2:29]
10. A Sweater, a Sarong and a Peek-a-Boo Bang [2:20]
11. A Rubber Shortage [6:27]
12. Alan Ladd [1:10]
13. That Old Black Magic [4:05]
14. A Card Game [5:45]
15. Sharp as a Tack [2:18]
16. Wife, Husband and Wolf [5:01]
17. Old Glory [1:27]
18. Good-bye, Johnny [:56]

My Favorite Blonde/Star Spangled Rhythm: AMG Review
AMG

Includes:

My Favorite Blonde (1942)

Star Spangled Rhythm (1942)

My Favorite Martian: Unidentified Flying Uncle Martin (1964)

My Favorite Martian: Miss Jekyll and Hyde (1964)

My Favorite Martian: How're You Gonna Keep Them Down on the Pharmacy? (1964)

My Favorite Martian: Who's Got the Power? (1964)

My Favorite Martian: If You Can't Lick 'Em (1964)

My Favorite Martian: Oh, My Aching Antenna (1964)

My Favorite Martian: Shake Well...and Don't Use (1964)

My Favorite Martian: Uncle Martin's Wisdom Tooth (1964)

My Favorite Martian: A Nose for News (1964)

My Favorite Martian: The Disastro-Nauts (1964)

My Favorite Blonde
One of Bob Hope's strongest solo efforts, My Favorite Blonde is terribly silly -- but also terribly hard to resist. While it's often referred to as a satire of Hitchcockian spy films, it's more of a spoof than anything else, using spy films mostly for conveniences of plot and as an excuse for some wonderful gags and one-liners. Things don't start out too promisingly, as the exposition is awkward and poorly executed, but once Hope and Madeleine Carroll connect, things pick up considerably. In many of his later vehicles, Hope comes across as hemmed in by his own persona; here, however, he's still developing, and so there's a freshness and element of surprise to him. Few people could match Hope at this point in his career when it came to timing. Carroll has a much harder task, being asked too frequently to play straight "man" and to carry too much of the plot, but she does this well -- and even manages to get in some smart comic licks of her own (especially in the cutesy-pie baby-talk sequence). Gale Sondergaard's faux Judith Anderson routine also deserves note, and director Sidney Lanfield has done a solid job of keeping things moving and not letting the tangled plotlines cause too much concern to anyone. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide

Star Spangled Rhythm
As all-star revues go, Star Spangled Rhythm is one of the better ones. Forget the ridiculous storyline that has been grafted onto the proceedings. While Betty Hutton, Eddie Bracken, and Victor Moore do their best to make it lively, it's superfluous -- although it does give one the unique opportunity to see Preston Sturges in a cameo threatening to move to MGM! The only real reason for watching Rhythm is to catch all the specialty numbers that make up the last part of the film and which feature just about every Paramount star on the lot. That this also features a number of Harold Arlen-Johnny Mercer songs only adds to its appeal, especially when those songs include the magnificent and haunting "That Old Black Magic" and the immensely appealing "Hit the Road to Dreamland." Watching Vera Zorina dance the former and Mary Martin and Dick Powell sing the latter only adds to the entertainment. While the "If Men Played Cards as Women Do" sketch comes across as a bit dated now, it's very well played, and the Bob Hope-William Bendix shower sketch is a genuine riot, as is Hutton wall-climbing routine. Perhaps the most unexpected pleasure is seeing Paulette Goddard, Dorothy Lamour, and Veronica Lake spoofing their sexy trademarks in "A Sweater, a Sarong, and a Peek-a-Boo Bang," followed by the unlikely sight of Arthur Treacher, Walter Catlett, and Sterling Holloway reprising the same. The first half of Star Spangled Rhythm gets a bit dull, but it's worth sitting through it for the remainder. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide

My Favorite Martian: Unidentified Flying Uncle Martin
No reviews available.

My Favorite Martian: Miss Jekyll and Hyde
No reviews available.

My Favorite Martian: How're You Gonna Keep Them Down on the Pharmacy?
No reviews available.

My Favorite Martian: Who's Got the Power?
No reviews available.

My Favorite Martian: If You Can't Lick 'Em
No reviews available.

My Favorite Martian: Oh, My Aching Antenna
No reviews available.

My Favorite Martian: Shake Well...and Don't Use
No reviews available.

My Favorite Martian: Uncle Martin's Wisdom Tooth
No reviews available.

My Favorite Martian: A Nose for News
No reviews available.

My Favorite Martian: The Disastro-Nauts
No reviews available.

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My Favorite Blonde/Star Spangled Rhythm - DVD

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