This amiable romp sees a familiar theme, mistaken identity followed by turmoil. It begins with a villain named Augustine being cornered and then shot by intelligence agents; this was in the days when the Yanks were regarded as the good guys. Augustine bears a striking resemblance to actor/clown Peanuts White, which is hardly surprising as they are both played by Bob Hope. In fact at the beginning, White is arrested by mistake, and with Augustine out of the way he is pressured, coerced, flattered and bribed into taking Augustine's place – and a plane to Tangier. What does he do there? Without his straight man Bing Crosby, there are no duets, at least no singing duets, but he does end up playing the rear end of a pantomime camel. That would be bad enough, but the real Augustine returns, although shortly he ends up dead, and the faux Augustine has some explaining to do to his leading lady while he is dodging the bad guys who want to kill him (again).

Haven't movie fans wondered how Bob Hope has managed to have so many glamorous leading ladies fall for the schnooky characters he played in his career? It's a source of amazement and amusement too. But I've always thought that was part of the secret of Hope's appeal, that if he could get the glamor girl, anyone could.They don't get much more glamorous than Hedy Lamarr who was in the midst of a mini-comeback because of Samson and Delilah. Unfortunately the roles she got post DeMille didn't sustain her career.When one works on a Bob Hope film as a leading lady you will definitely be second banana. Hedy Lamarr was not second banana material and that was a source of some friction between her and Hope. But being second banana was something she should have known walking in.In My Favorite Spy, Hope was spoofing all those espionage/adventure films set in various exotic places like Casablanca. He gets to play a dual role here. First as Eric Augustine, Bogart like adventurer, and secondly as Peanuts White burlesque comic who is a dead ringer the U.S. government drafts into getting some secret microfilm before Sidney Greenstreet stand-in Francis L. Sullivan does. Of course Hope has a Peter Lorre type factotum in Arnold Moss.Though uneven in spots, mainly because Hope doesn't have the chemistry between him and Lamarr the way he did with Jane Russell or Madeleine Carroll, or Dorothy Lamour, My Favorite Spy does have some good moments. My favorite moment is when the truth serum is administered to Peanuts White and he starts doing his burlesque shtick for Sullivan.It's not the best of Hope's Paramount films, but it does have some good moments.And besides only Bing Crosby could ever really expect to not be a second banana.

Bob Hope in a dual role here. Naturally, as a comedian, he is confused with a spy and is made to serve his country to act like the former to obtain information.We get the usual Hope shtick here. "I have no friends in Washington. I vote Republican."You don't have to be a rocket scientist to realize that the real spy escapes and soon is on Hope's trail as well.Hedy Lamarr tries to be funny but really can't. She is the thrown-over ex-girl friend of the spy Hope who soon realizes that the joker Hope can't really be her true flame.The ending is funny. We see the two on the lam riding on a fire truck. Some funny lines here, almost as funny as Hope fleeing with Jane Russell and saying to an animal, "Thanks for the ride.""Thanks for the memories Bob," you did a lot better than this.

Typical enjoyable Bob Hope movie, enhanced by the lovely shimmering beauty of Hedy Lamarr that makes it all worthwhile. You might notice at the start of the night club scene before Lily (Hedy) sings, they play music from "Samson and Delilah" which had been a big hit for Hedy two years earlier. I agree that at times the plot seems rather thin but if you're a regular fan and hooked on Hope's films you'll like it and not worry about wondering why. Just enjoy!