Double Exposure

This was one interesting comedy short that TCM happened to be broadcasting this afternoon. It's Bob Hope, but a Bob Hope not seen before.

At the time this was made Hope was still a Broadway star and I'm sure did this one at Warner Brothers New York studio. It looked like old ski nose was trying to find his particular comedy style. He's in a team with John Berkes, but Hope comes across a lot like Moe Howard vis a vis Berkes and Berkes is like a bargain basement version of Stan Laurel.

Away from Berkes, fans of Rapid Robert will recognize their guy as a paparazzi photographer trying to snap a particular female's photograph. Her husband is absolutely maniacal on the subject of paparazzi which is a serious topic when you think about it.

Double Exposure is a good insight into the coming comedy style of America's leading comedy voice.

Please don't watch this film. It's like a concentrate of what was bad in 1930s comedy. This absolutely ridiculous shorty can of course generate some interest as it is one of the very first pictures Bob Hope was in, but otherwise - and even to the absolute Hope fans - it's much better left undisturbed. Really makes you a bit uncomfortable and ashamed and you feel for Mr Hope - the road to stardom was obviously paved with bitter pills like this one that one had to swallow to get a real part in a real film. And to think this was done at the time, when there were comedies by Lubitch and Capra, elegant and witty films that were shot well. This mishmash is barely out of cheap burlesque, and not worth a look for any realistic reason. I think it took the "scriptwriters" less time to concoct this turkey than it takes us to watch it.

"Double Exposure" is an early short starring Bob Hope. And, not surprisingly, since it's so early, its style is little like later Hope pictures. And, in hindsight, it's good Hope didn't make too many films like this one.

When the story begins, Ben Ali Oop* is arguing with his American wife. Apparently, the country where this potentate lives has strong feelings about having their women photographed...and a couple guys want a picture of Mrs. Ali Oop for their magazine. So, they contract Hope and is annoyingly stupid partner (John Berkes) to sneak a photo of the woman without her violent husband hurting them....as he's promised to do.

The story has a few problems with it. The biggest one is that Hope seems more like Moe Howard from The Three Stooges...slapping his assistant again and again. It really would have worked better had the Stooges made this one. As for the assistant, he's just too stupid to be funny...and makes Curly Howard seem like an Oxford grad! The other problem is that the plot is very contrived and doesn't make a lot of sense. Add to this that the short isn't all that funny and you have a film that only devoted Hope fans will want to see.

*By the way, 'Alley Oop' was a famous comic strip of the day...and naming the guy 'Ali Oop' was apparently supposed to be funny. Whatever.

Could this be the first film depiction of paparazzi? Sure, it initially might appear to be a strip of tripe. But don't we all have to admit, that's a very good foreshadowing of Marty Feldman smoking the hookah pipe at the hotel register? And Hope's drag acting was also to be seen again in "Some Like It Hot" etc. Let's also take note of the cultural difference between eastern and western treatment of wives. Other than that, yes, I suppose one could label it as terribly flawed and cliché-ridden. But don't forget, there was the Great Depression going on, and the country needed every laugh it could get. I applaud this film for the reason that is was, indeed, an additional boost for not only the US, but for the whole world.

Bob Hope and assistant John Berkes are street photographers. They're hired to get a picture of actress Loretta Sayers; her husband, Jules Epailly does not want pictures taken.

This is not a particularly funny short comedy. It's one of half a dozen Hope made while he was appearing on Broadway. He does show a facility with saving a shot, as when he finds that he can't snap his fingers on his left hand; doubtless, this was one of the reasons he was a success on stage, and his offhand delivery of these lines served him well in the movies.

But this is very early, and there was no established screen character for him, director Lloyd French tries fit hm n a slot. He wouldn't establish that character for another few years.