My Favorite Spy (1951)

Peanuts White, a burlesque comic, is recruited by U.S. agents to impersonate international spy Eric Augustine (whom White resembles) in a mission to purchase a million-dollar microfilm in ... See full summary »

Director:

Norman Z. McLeod

Writers:

Edmund Beloin (story), Lou Breslow (story),

Stars:

Bob Hope, Hedy Lamarr, Francis L. Sullivan

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bob Hope	...	Peanuts White / Eric Augustine
Hedy Lamarr	...	Lily Dalbray
Francis L. Sullivan	...	Karl Brubaker
Arnold Moss	...	Tasso
John Archer	...	Henderson
Luis Van Rooten	...	Rudolf Hoenig
Stephen Chase	...	Donald Bailey
Morris Ankrum	...	Gen. Frazer
Angela Clarke	...	Gypsy Fortune Teller
Iris Adrian	...	Lola
Frank Faylen	...	Newton
Mike Mazurki	...	Monkara
Marc Lawrence	...	Ben Ali
Tonio Selwart	...	Harry Crock
Ralph Smiley	...	El Sarif

Storyline

Peanuts White, a burlesque comic, is recruited by U.S. agents to impersonate international spy Eric Augustine (whom White resembles) in a mission to purchase a million-dollar microfilm in mysterious, exotic Tangier. There, he encounters the irresistable Lily Dalbray, an "old friend" of Augustine who is now dealing with his arch-enemy, Brubaker. But where is the real Eric? Comedy thriller with slapstick climax.

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Plot Keywords:

spy | substitution | impersonation | mistaken identity

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Music | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

Passage to Cairo

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the original script, Peanuts is a schoolteacher who is caught impersonating a deceased gangster and is sent on a mission to Cairo.

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Goofs

At the very end of Hope's song and dance number "Taking a Fall," his stunt stand-in can be clearly seen taking the final fall. His hair is much darker, and his hairline is different.

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Quotes

Peanuts White: I ain't got no friends in Washington; I voted Republican.

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Connections

Follows My Favorite Blonde (1942)

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Soundtracks

"Light Cavalry Overture"
(uncredited)
Music by Franz von Suppé

User Reviews

Funny Hope-Hedy comedy

I read somewhere here in this forum a readers take on the Bob-Hedy friction. Let me settle this once and for all. Hedy was always Bob favorite...look at some of the old war newsreels with the stars getting involved in the war, in their own way. There's a clip where Bob is surprisingly sharing a bed with his crony, Bing Crosby and in his dreams, he keeps calling out for Hedy. Hedy was an MGM player, so odds were against them making a movie together, each under contract to different studios. It turned out that some of Hedy's best funny scenes were cut, because the studio head at Paramount, didn't want anyone to be more funnier than their bread and butter comedian. She resented it, after all she was in the midst of making a comeback, as they called it in those days, after her terrific success in Samson and Delilah for that same studio a year before. Its odd that in 1951, Bob and Hedy made a comedy radio stint on top of a U.S.Navy flattop, in front of the sailors, in San Diego port. They even made jokes about appearing together in that movie. So, if there was friction, it was short lived. As far as her role, she was suppose to be playing it straight to Bob's antics. To me,the funniest scenes involved Hedy, mainly because I was surprised at how well she did handle comedy. Her hitting Bob like a wildcat, after he 'punched' her. Her double take upon seeing "both" Bob's was priceless...and that ending, with her driving the fire truck.