Les Aventures de Bonzo

There has been a lot of negative stuff over the years about this film... It really is much funnier than you might expect...And a lot of it is done with an ironic tongue in cheek...If you decide to see it...Do so with an open mind! Ronald Reagan is more than competent in his leading role...A rather interesting accomplishment when you consider he had to play opposite a Chimp! At times the production values do leave a bit to be desired, but then, you could make the same comment about a LOT of films that are over 60 years old! It's not the most original film in the history of the cinema...But it certainly is much better than most!

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).

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.

Sure, it's a bit corny and "preachy" by today's standards, but when I watched it for the first time, I was somewhat impressed. When taken in the context of it's time (the early fifties), it stands up fairly well. Ronald Reagan was a better actor than he is given credit for by many people.