Hold That Blonde!

Hold That Blonde stars Eddie Bracken and Veronica Lake when both were at Paramount and both had done work for Preston Sturges in the past. But Sturges left Paramount the year this film was done. Sturges definitely would have gotten a few more laughs from this. I think this also was a property Bob Hope might have passed on.

Bracken plays one of his patented schnook roles only this schnook is both rich and a kleptomaniac. The family butler Willie Best returns the stuff as fast as he can, but sometimes the police just get involved, I don't know, I guess it's their job.

Anyway one chance encounter with Veronica Lake where he steals her compact which had a safe combination. Lake is part of a gang doing a most inside job. But this involves Bracken with all his issues and as we know in these films some women cannot resist a schnook.

In fact this involvement is healthy for Bracken's soul says psychiatrist George Zucco. If he had a rgular sex life he might not steal. I don't know is Sigmund Freud would approve, but it does work in Bracken's case.

A little Harold Lloyd like skyscraper work is in Hold That Blonde. Bracken is no Lloyd but he handles the physical comedy well.

Hold That Blonde isn't the greatest of screen comedies, but it serves both the stars well.