The Paleface (1948)

Rating: • • ½
Age Recommendation: 5+

This Western comedy was, to say the least, a disappointment. It's not unbearable, but I feel like this is a movie you really have to be in the mood to enjoy, and I was not in that mood. Small children might find it more enjoyable. The slapstick was mediocre, the one-liners painful, and the romance less than believable. Still, there is a sort of charm about the hapless dentist-turned-gunfighter Painless Peter Potter (Bob Hope) that makes you keep watching.

The motivations of his new bride, the ruthless Calamity Jane (Jane Russell) in disguise, seem mercenary, but somehow things work out for the couple. I think the plot only works because the ridiculousness distracts the viewer to the point of forgetting there ever was a point. While no Monty Python, Bob Hope's comic timing is well portrayed for the role he is given; the problem is that the role is beneath his ability. The repeated gag of being dragged through the dust by a team of horses that Bob conveniently keeps forgetting he unhitched from the wagon (usually only moments before) is sadly one of the better jokes.

Hope is funniest as Painless the dentist--who literally reads the dentistry instruction book as he practices his medicine--a role which he unfortunately only plays in the first half hour. The childish jokes keep the action going, but the actual laughs are few and far between. Also, the blatant stereotyping of American Indians made me wince, so be prepared to take those segments with a grain of salt. Watch for his song "Buttons and Bows," which, apparently won the Oscar for best original song.

Summary: Juvenile humor detracts from this bob Hope comedy. Although the movie has most of the Western elements, it tries too hard to be funny, which detracts from the surprisingly logical plot while falling flat on its face in the comedy department. If you come in expecting Blazing Saddles you will be sorely disappointed, but if you keep a positive attitude you might find this whimsical traipse through the old West to be enjoyable. Adults will have to be slap happy to truly appreciate the humor, but I imagine children will enjoy it much more.

The Good: song "Buttons and Bows," dentist sequence
The Bad: demeaning portrayal of American Indians, visual gags
The Even Worse: jokes