The Paleface (1948)

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Jane Russell appears in her third picture as the gunslinging Calamity Jane, and she takes her chance well to show her quality as an actress, singer, and comedienne. She is recruited by the US government to help track down a gang who are selling guns to the Indians. She goes undercover, posing as an emigrant on a wagon train, and pretends to fall in love with and marries Painless Peter Potter, an incompetent and cowardly dentist played to the hilt by Bob Hope. As Painless, he has a wonderful time, playing his stock 'cowardly lecher' character and wisecracking his way through every situation. " Help, help, there's a million Indians out here against one coward!"

Much of the humor in 'The Paleface' is along predictable lines with Indians inhaling the dentist's laughing gas and Hope performing all manner of unheroics, leading to his being mistaken for a courageous Indian fighter thanks to Jane's sharpshooting. Hope is of course madly attracted to the curvaceous Russell - "You've got just the kind of mouth I like to work on." There's a running joke about the endlessly postponed consummation of the marriage as Russell gets on with the job of defeating the bad guys.

Painless and Calamity are captured and taken to an Indian camp, where Indians are played both by Chief Yowlachie, (a genuine Native American) and by Iron Eyes Cody (an Italian-American who passed as a Native American). The comedy at their expense, though hardly politically correct, is too silly to give serious offense.

Hope gives a pleasing rendition of the song 'Buttons and Bows', written by Victor Young, which won an Oscar. Four years later 'Buttons and Bows' was repeated in a sharp and equally funny sequel, titled 'Son of Paleface', (directed by the writer of 'The Paleface', Frank Tashlin). Hope and Russell are reunited, although as different characters, and are this time supported by Roy Rogers, and his horse Trigger, who gets a song of his own, 'A Four Legged Friend'.

'The Paleface' is undoubtedly one of Hope's best films, and the chemistry with his delightful foil, Jane Russell, helps make this a classic comedy movie.