My Favorite Brunette (1947)
“A baby photographer plays detective — and the only thing he develops is trouble.”
Streamed free from the Internet Archive · no signup, no cost — this film is in the public domain.
Synopsis
Told in flashback from death row at San Quentin, the film follows Ronnie Jackson, a meek baby photographer who dreams of being a hard-boiled private eye like his office neighbor. When the alluring Baroness Carlotta Montay mistakes him for the real detective, he is swept into a tangled case involving a kidnapped relative, a sinister gang, and a map hiding a dangerous secret. What begins as a flirtation spirals into a murder rap, sending Ronnie dodging villains across San Francisco and Washington — a loving spoof of the film noir detective genre.
Cast
About the Director
Elliott Nugent — Elliott Nugent, a former actor and playwright, directed several Bob Hope vehicles and was adept at blending Hope's rapid-fire comedy with genre parody. Here he steers a deliberate send-up of the noir style then dominating Hollywood, leaning on knowing casting — Lorre and Chaney Jr. spoofing the very screen personas they were famous for.
Why It’s Free: The Public-Domain Story
'My Favorite Brunette' is in the public domain because the copyright claimants did not renew the registration in its 28th year, as US law then required; it entered the public domain in 1975 and has circulated freely ever since.
Behind the Scenes
Produced by Hope Enterprises and distributed by Paramount, the film was released on April 4, 1947, with a screenplay by Edmund Beloin and Jack Rose. Sequences were shot on location in San Francisco and Pebble Beach, California, and it became a strong commercial performer, earning roughly $3.1 million in US rentals.
Did You Know?
- Alan Ladd appears in a cameo as the real detective, and Bing Crosby turns up uncredited as a disappointed would-be executioner in the finale.
- Lon Chaney Jr.'s character Willie is a direct comic riff on his role as Lennie in 'Of Mice and Men' (1939).
- Peter Lorre's menacing henchman parodies the noir heavies Lorre had built his career on.
- The McGuffin map turns out to depict deposits tied to uranium — a topical nod to the atomic age.
Reception & Legacy
The film was warmly received on release, with The New York Times calling it "a commendably funny film" showcasing the reliable magic of Hope and a leading lady. It remains one of the better-regarded entries in Hope's run of genre spoofs and, thanks to its public-domain status, one of his most widely seen.
Beat the Devil
Disorder in the Court
The Flying Deuces
Malice in the Palace