Bedtime for Bonzo

"Bedtime for Bonzo" is a light comedy that's fit for the whole family. One doesn't have to be a child to enjoy the antics of the co-star chimpanzee, Bonzo. The plot, acting and technical aspects of this film are all good. This is a nice look at Diana Lynn who played the female lead, Jane Linden. She was a child protégé pianist at age 10. She was a very capable and promising actress whose career was cut short. After being in several movies and a number of TV films and programs, she took a short respite from acting in 1964 while raising a family with her second husband in New York. She had just returned to Hollywood in 1971 with a part in a new film, but she suffered a stroke and died before filming began. She was 45.

The adults will enjoy some of the witty dialog as well. Here are some lines that made me laugh. Professor Neumann (Walter Slezak) to Peter Boyd (Ronald Reagan): "Who expects a psychologist to think? Especially when you're so busy thinking what you think other people are thinking?" Prof. Neumann to Jane (Diana Lynn): "And now they've come to take Bonzo." Jane: "To jail?" Professor: "No, to Yale." Again, Prof. Neumann to Jane: "You're no dope, Jane. You couldn't be. You don't have a university degree, and you don't teach logic."

Watching this move again after many years, I was reminded of recent television shows about home videos. So many of those were of pets, zoo animals and animals on the farm and in the backyard. It may still be on the air – but I watch very little TV. Interest in animals in the movies and on TV seems to ebb and flow.

The decades of the 1950s and 1960s saw a number of movies and TV series made with animal co-stars. The highly successful Francis the Talking Mule made five successful movies from 1951 – 1955. Donald O'Connor was the male lead in those films, each of which had different female stars. "Mr. Ed," was a talking horse that starred in a six-year TV comedy series by the same name. Alan Young was the male lead for the series that had 144 episodes plus an unaired pilot. Many people have grown up watching Lassie or Rin Tin Tin films. Other films have had a variety of animal co-stars: horses, deer, bears, lions, wolves, and more. Of course, animation has resulted in some huge blockbuster films for kids of all ages. Judging from the comedy lines in some of those, I wonder if they aren't targeted more for older audiences.

Anyway, "Bedtime for Bonzo" should be a fun movie for folks of all ages.

I found this to be a rather cute comedy, which has gotten a bit of a strange reputation owing to the fact that the "Gipper" plays an unusual role. But Reagan does play comedy well (it's unfortunate that he didn't make more comedies in his day), and Walter Slezak is amusing in a nice, if a bit stereotypical kind of part as his German professor/mentor.

Having never seen Ronald Reagan's acting chops, I didn't know what to expect when strapping in for Frederick De Cordova's 1951 feature, Bedtime for Bonzo. Starring the strapping future president of the United States, along with Diana Lynn, Bedtime for Bonzo tells the story of a young psychology professor trying to overcome the stigma his father's life casts over his own. Only films from the 1950's can deal with such complex issues, turn them into comedies, and still teach and reach an outcome that no textbook could duplicate. There's more than meets the eye in this film, and in its star, who I had only ever known from history books.

Life is going well for young Professor Peter Boyd (Ronald Reagan). He is enjoying a fulfilling career at the university, he is engaged to the dean's daughter, Dr. Valerie Tillinghast (Lucille Barkley) and has a great friendship with Professor Hans Neumann (Walter Slezak). All is right until the rug is pulled out from under his life by a former associate, well, a cellmate of Peter's father. Revealing to the dean that Peter's father was imprisoned, he instantly believes that Peter is destined to descend into criminal behavior. Believing the common theory of the time that criminal behavior is genetic rather than a learned trait, Dean Tillinghast (Herbert Heyes) instantly calls off the engagement between Peter and his daughter. Disgusted by the actions of the dean, and eager to prove himself worthy of his daughter, all the while seeking to prove that environment dictates criminal behavior rather than genetics, Peter vows to conduct an experiment in which even a monkey will learn right from wrong, as long as his environment is fulfilling. A monkey is exactly what he gets too, as Professor Neumann has a chimpanzee in his care to conduct experiments with at the college. Quickly realizing that he needs help, and a mother figure to make the experiment work, Peter puts out an add for a caretaker for Bonzo. When a young Jane Linden (Diana Lynn) answers the add and is undaunted by the task of caring for a monkey instead of a child, she is instantly hired and the experiment begins. As the experiment progresses, so do feelings between Peter and Jane, as Peter becomes more distraught that he has to prove himself to his prospective father-in-law. Valerie also reveals what her environment and genetics have resulted in her as she becomes more engrossed with status and what people are thinking about Peter and his work. Environment proves to be a more important factor for the people in Bonzo's life than it ever was for Bonzo, and the experiment yields wonderful results beyond expectations.

What an intro to Ronald Reagan! A looker to rival contemporaries such as Cary Grant, one quickly wonders what would have become, had Reagan not veered into politics. Something I very much enjoy about movies from the 1950's is the depth of plot they implore. It's not as common today to deal with something as complex as genetics theory or learned traits such as in this film. Sprinkling in some comedy, movies from this decade towed the line with their ability to bring such topics to full attention while still creating an enjoyable film. What is better than classic film scores? Bedtime for Bonzo was filled with the harmonic sounds so seminal to films from this era, which are always a joy to revisit. A wholesome film with a potent message, Bedtime for Bonzo is a film that can be enjoyed with the whole family, even 65 years after its initial release.

Are we a product of our surroundings or are we born the way we are going to be? This issue is the driving force behind this intelligent and thought-provoking film that delves into what other films only think about doing.

Okay, now really. If you want a pleasant, family-oriented fun little film, then this is for you. Been made fun of as one of Reagan's bombs, it's not nearly as bad as it might sound.

When a university professor is judged for his father's criminal tendencies, he is insulted and proceeds to conduct an experiment with Bonzo, the college lab "mascot" to see if a chimp can be taught right and wrong. Diana Lynn (from Martin & Lewis' "My Friend Irma" and "You're Never Too Young") is perfect as the "nanny" hired to help out with Bonzo. Reagan is engaged to the dean's daughter, but well, you can guess the rest. So, sit back and let Bonzo swing from tree to tree and forget your troubles.

Am I going to say this is a fantastic movie or high art? Of course not. However, over the years a sort of lore has emerged that is WAY OUT OF PROPORTION to the quality of the movie. Mostly because of Johhny Carson's repeated jokes at the expense of the movie during the Reagan years, people have incorrectly assumed it is a bad flick and that is far from true! It is, in fact, a cute family movie that's amazingly good for what it is. The story is very simple and engaging despite it being a chimp movie. A professor (Reagan) wants to show that people are a product of their upbringing not genetics. This is because the professor's father was a criminal and he desperately wants to prove that goodness is a learned choice, not pre-determined. He gets the idea to bring a chimp into his home and try to teach him right from wrong BUT because he is just a single man, he hires a woman (Diana Lynn) to pose as the mommy and he becomes Bonzo's surrogate dad. It's actually quite well-made fluff, and the President had no reason to be ashamed of this movie (though there were several films that I would argue might have brought him SOME shame).