The Paleface (1948)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Norman Z. McLeod

Writers:

Edmund L. Hartmann (original screenplay) and
Frank Tashlin (original screenplay) ...

Release Date:

24 December 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Western

Tagline:

She can shoot a gun almost as fast as BOB can run !

Plot:

Calamity Jane is despatched to find out who's smuggling rifles to the Indians, and winds up married to a hapless correspondence school dentist as part of her cover.

Plot Keywords:

Dentist | Calamity Jane | Wagon Train | Secret Agent | Undercover

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Bob Hope	...	'Painless' Peter Potter
Jane Russell	...	Calamity Jane
Robert Armstrong	...	Terris
Iris Adrian	...	Pepper
Bobby Watson	...	Toby Preston (as Robert Watson)
Jackie Searl	...	Jasper Martin (as Jack Searl)
Joseph Vitale	...	Indian Scout
Charles Trowbridge	...	Gov. Johnson
Clem Bevans	...	Hank Billings
Jeff York	...	Big Joe
Stanley Andrews	...	Commissioner Emerson
Wade Crosby	...	Jeb
Chief Yowlachie	...	Chief Yellow Feather
Iron Eyes Cody	...	Chief Iron Eyes
John Maxwell	...	Village gossip

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:S | Sweden:15 | UK:U | Canada:G (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Paramount Ranch - 2813 Cornell Road, Agoura, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Annette Warren, who sang for Ava Gardner in Show Boat (1951) and Lucille Ball in Fancy Pants (1950) was also the singing voice for Iris Adrian in The Paleface (1948).

Quotes:

Potter: Ladies and gentlemen, at this time, I'd like to say a few words.
Pioneer: Oh, let's get out of here before them redskins come back.
Potter: Those are the words!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Raquel! (1970) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Buttons and Bows

A Pretty Good Showcase For Bob Hope

This works pretty well as a showcase for Bob Hope's comedic and other talents. While it's hardly anything to take seriously, it allows the ever-likable Hope to be himself and to make use of the opportunities for one-liners, sight gags, and a song or two, including his "Buttons and Bows". The story is exaggerated enough to render moot most questions of believability or character motivation.

Hope is in good form, delivering his lines well and in a style that keeps things light-hearted while not pushing it too far. His role as 'Painless' Potter suits him well, and he is able to carry much of the movie by himself. That is fortunate, since most of the rest of the movie is rather slight. Jane Russell starts off well enough, but it's not long before she has little new to offer, and her character is left with some unfulfilled potential. The other characters are mostly one-dimensional to begin with.

Then again, this kind of feature is not really meant to be analyzed. It gives Hope a chance to deliver his easygoing style of comedy, and should just be taken as such. It also worked well enough to provide the basis for a pretty good sequel.