Bob Hope
Ronnie Jackson
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Synopsis
A baby photographer dreams of the adventures enjoyed by the private detective next door. When a distressed woman mistakes him for that detective, he accepts a case well beyond his abilities. Bob Hope's account of the resulting trouble turns the conventions of noir into a comedy of misplaced confidence and increasingly unhelpful evidence.
Cast
DirectorsElliott Nugent
Historical context
Bob Hope's would-be detective turns the atmosphere of film noir into comedy. Menace, mistaken identity and the conventions of the private-eye story remain recognisable, but the central figure lacks the composure expected of a hard-boiled investigator.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.
The reference concerns the original work. Restorations, colorization, translations and other territories may have different conditions. This site uses the player enabled by the channel.
Availability checked on September 10, 2026.
Photograph credit
Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.
- Bob Hope — NBC Television · Public domain
- Dorothy Lamour — Studio Publicity · Public domain
- Peter Lorre — Unknown author Unknown author · Public domain
- Lon Chaney Jr. — Unknown photographer · Public domain
