I grew up hearing about Bob Hope and Lucille Ball. It was more about his television credits and hosting accomplishment. I’d say hosting the Academy Awards 19 times, which to my understanding is a record that still holds up to this day, is something to be proud of. Hell, his next closest competitor is Billy Crystal, who is still ten behind him. Then there is Lucille Ball, who is obviously most notable for her popular television series, I Love Lucy. I hear about these comedic icons all my life and now through Fancy Pants, the second of four films that these two collaborated on. I got to see them in action. And while there is much about the film’s brand of comedy that went over my head, it was easy to see the appeal of these two, as individuals and as a comedic pairing. Based on a musical by the name of Ruggles of Red Gap, Hope stars as Humphrey, real name Arthur Humphry, a struggling American actor masquerading as British to be part of a British acting troupe. When another British actor enlists the cast to pose as an aristocratic family in order to impress visiting Americans, Effie and Agatha Floud (Ball), Humphrey, pretending to be the family butler, finds himself in the employ of the visiting family, as he is tasked with refining both Effie’s husband and the tomboyish Agatha. While attempting to provide the two with a measure of culture, sparks begin to fly between Humphrey and Agatha, but their budding relationship may be threatened by his false identity. Meanwhile, a misunderstanding of Humphrey being a “gentleman’s gentleman,” leads the rural townsfolk to mistakenly believe him to be an aristocrat. Humphrey finds himself forced to maintain multiple deceptions: he has to pretend to be a British butler for the Floud family while also pretending to be a politically savvy Englishman for the townsfolk. All of which becomes further complicated by a visit from President Theodore Roosevelt.

The plot was a bit busy for me at times. However, I did enjoy watching Hope as he juggled what amounted to be three characters in one role. To his credit, I do believe he was convincing in each performance. As they were meant to be humorous and he was expected to struggle to maintain the lie, this worked to his benefit. Ball had it a bit easier, but even so her quick-wittedness carried the dialog for me. She is surly and sarcastic, which are traits that I hold in high esteem. My knowledge of Ball is limited only to the few I Love Lucy episodes that I’ve seen, but this role seemed to play right in her wheelhouse. The film is a bit campy at times, such as when Humphrey samples the punch which is so spiked that his breath made a portrait of the Leaning Tower of Pisa stand upright. This is a bit cheesy and over-the-top. Even so, it is in keeping with the film’s slapstick nature.

“In the 1940’s, a new genre – film noir – emerged from the world of hard-boiled pulp magazines, paperback thrillers, and sensational crime movies. These films, tough and unsentimental, depicted a black and white universe at once brutal, erotic, and morally ambiguous.”

Film Noir officially started in the 40’s, but the movement was well underway by the early 30’s. You can trace its roots to the Great Depression and the arrival of the dime pulp magazines. These were highly stylized, mostly mystery stories that provided cheap escapism for the masses who were not having a good time of it. Writers like Raymond Chandler crafted the mold that was easily transferred to the silver screen. These were low-budget films that were intended to be second billing with the more mainstream releases. They were shot quickly. Many have a very flat look, created intentionally. The lighting was often minimal, crafting odd shadows and unusual textures. The dialog wasn’t intended to be natural or realistic. These characters usually spoke in clichés and had names like Mac, Griff, or Dollface. There was often a shade of gray to these characters. Good and evil were not always so clear-cut. Gangsters became common themes of the genre. And while the dialog might have been cheesy, the cinematography was often gritty and almost ultra-realistic. At times the films played out like documentaries, often including narration. The narrator would always be a voice of authority; often film-reel stars were used. The films were heavily influenced by German Expressionism, perfected by the likes of Fritz Lang in the silent era and carried over to more modern themes. The films always contained a steady supply of stock characters and actors. It was smoky rooms and neon lights. It was a reflection on the times. It was Film Noir.