THE PALEFACE, a big hit Bob Hope comedy from 1948, won’t draw much mirth from today’s non-jokey wokesters, with its carbon dated stereotyping of Native Americans, but aside from pleasing mass audiences during the Truman Era and further adding to Hope’s string of winners, it served to boost a couple of careers. Co-star Jane Russell, previously dismissed as a punchline from Howard Hughes breast effort The Outlaw proved herself more than part of her ‘soms’ (read it and weep) by displaying an easy charm for comedy and at 27 tapped a streak of popularity good for more than a decade. Co-writer Frank Tashlin, irked by how the movie differed from what he put into it, soon took on directing the projects he wrote. Another claim to fame is its Oscar-winning song “Buttons and Bows”; Hope mugs the bouncy Jay Livingston- Ray Evans tune. Dinah Shore scored a #1 smash with it, the most popular record of 1949. *

“Me, a hero: I couldn’t save a clam from a bowl of chowder.”

Frontier wildcat Calamity Jane (Russell) is sprung from the slammer with the deal that she pose as a gun runner to find out who’s selling rifles to “the Indians” (generic). She enlists (tricks, kidnaps, enchants) chicken-livered dentist “Painless” Peter Potter’ (Hope) and they deal with the curs behind the weapon dealing, the riled tribe and assorted befuddled civilians. People die, in a ‘fun’ sort of fashion. Jokes abound, some, especially the sight gags, are pretty good. Better if you can transport yourself back to another time in American history: not the West, but 1948 when this rolled ’em in the aisles. If you’re old enough to recall that once upon a time Bob Hope was funny (and beloved), you’ll better appreciate the quaintness of the piece and Bob’s skill at physical comedy and one-liners. If you’re a relative whippersnapper (or have to look up the word), under, say fifty, you may either draw a blank or possibly be offended. Then just be sure to make older people feel bad if they nostalgically snicker at gags gone by.

Potter, on drawing his guns: “I hope they’re loaded. I wish I was, too.”

Co-writing with Tashlin was Edmund Hartmann (seven Hope flicks). Comedy vet Norman Z. McLeod directed. Made for $2,000,000, slaphappy returns of $9,200,000 placed it #11 in ’48. Cutting up in support: Robert Armstrong, Iris Adrian, Clem Bevans, Chief Yowlachie, Jeff York, Iron Eyes Cody, Stanley Andrews, Nestor Paiva, Tom Kennedy, George Chandler, Henry Brandon and Trevor Bardette. 91 minutes.  “Reach, you varmints, or I’ll tattoo you the hard way!”

* Co-writer Tashlin directed the 1952 sequel Son Of Paleface, Bob and Jane reprising and  likewise a big hit, #12 for its year. On down the road Don Knotts headlined a meh 1968 remake, The Shakiest Gun In The West.

There was a famous real-life dentist known as “Painless Parker”—extract his amusing story here https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31704287