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

Tangier is in Morocco, but instead of speaking French or Arabic, the natives are speaking Spanish. This is most evident during the scene where the house is on fire with the firemen yelling in Spanish to spray the water on the house.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

Referenced in Hogan's Heroes: My Favorite Prisoner (1969)

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Soundtracks

"William Tell Overture"
(uncredited)
Music by Gioachino Rossini

User Reviews

One of Bob Hope's best

One of Hope's best efforts. Hedy Lamar plays the perfect foil to Bob as he plays two very different characters.

Contains one of the funniest sight-gag sequences in modern cinema and allows Hedy to show off the depth of her acting ability. It couldn't have been easy playing opposite Bob Hope anyway, but when she's not quite sure who is showing up had to make it even tougher.

This is a film I can watch over and over again. In fact, I've just about worn out my copy, yet I laugh out loud every time.

Great family viewing with the typical Hope silliness tempered by the very seductive Hedy Lamar.