The Paleface

Released Dec 24, 1948

1h 31m

Western

Comedy

List

100%

Tomatometer

10 Reviews

64%

Audience Score

2,500+ Ratings

Calamity Jane (Jane Russell) is working undercover for the U.S. government, trying to capture a gunrunner named Terris (Robert Armstrong) in exchange for a pardon for her previous misdoings. But when Jane's partner is killed, she takes up with bumbling dentist "Painless" Peter Potter (Bob Hope) and passes him off as a gifted gunslinger. When Jane is captured by a tribe of Native Americans, however, Potter finds that he actually has to play the hero that Jane has painted him to be.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered Jan 03

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Rent The Paleface on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

Bob Thomas

Associated Press

Cheerful nonsense.

Jun 20, 2019

Full Review

Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Rated: 4/5

Apr 24, 2004

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Hope milks his coward routine for maximum impact; Russell is also terrific.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 20, 2020

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

The plot is slender and silly, but Bob Hope and Jane Russell have some good moments in a comedy that was very popualar and led to an equally popular sequel.

Rated: B-

Feb 14, 2011

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Jul 30, 2005

Full Review

Steve Crum

Kansas City Kansan

Funny Hope western farce, but inferior to its sequel "Son of Paleface."

Rated: 4/5

Oct 16, 2004

Full Review

Read all reviews

William L

Politically rather poorly aged, The Paleface leans too heavily on Hope's shoulders to really remain solid in the modern day. He's plenty energetic and goofy as dentist-turned-wannabe-hero 'Painless' Potter who gets into a number of predictably unfortunate situations, often benefiting from lucky timing or the benevolently violent Calamity Jane (Russell), but as a spoof Western even Hope in his prime finds it difficult to drag an entire 90 minute feature film that provides little else to support him. The plot is appropriately silly but occasionally lacks engagement, dragging out some scenes well past their welcome (like Potter's slow walk down the street to a showdown), and the film wears its technical age on its sleeve. For its time (given the content of Westerns of the period), you can easily see The Paleface earning its status as a popular hit, but its better qualities can't really bring it to the status of a classic in the modern day. (2.5/5)

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

04/21/21

Full Review

s r

1001 movies to see before you die. I enjoyed the sequel much better, but I suppose this is also better than most Bob Hope shows.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The best movie song ever sung: Buttons and Bows!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

kevin w

The comic idea is simply to subvert the familiar Western formula expected by audiences. Thus, Russell plays the tough one, the one good with guns, while Hope is the nervous Easterner out-of-his-depth out West, who couldn't hit the side of a barn if he was inside of it. There's a plot perhaps, but let's not get technical, this is a personality vehicle, riding on the stars' charisma. It's one of those where you imagine the cast had a good time making it, and that that might even be a better movie. Unfortunately ... the racism towards Native Americans is often more than distracting. Still, a good Hope movie, and Russell seems happy not to have the focus on her chest for a change. Look for Chief Iron Eyes Cody!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

jane Russell digs in as calamity jane and bob hope blunders along as "Painless" the out of depth dentist in this maybe good for its time but now dated screwball comedy

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Bob Hope. Bob Hope? Bob Hope! That was going to be the entire review - but it's probably misleading. Instead, this pairing of Hope and Jane Russell in a spoof of Westerns is only middling at best with a few funny lines. Apart from the racist nature of the plot (par for the course at the time), the film really is so family friendly as to not really be comedy at all. Indeed, I think you could substitute Daffy Duck for Hope and the film would play the same (except perhaps Daffy is more subversive at times). Writer Frank Tashlin apparently so disliked what Norman Z. McLeod did with his script, that he opted to make the sequel (Son of Paleface) himself, before moving on to work with Jerry Lewis. I haven't seen the sequel and I haven't built up my courage for Lewis yet.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Norman Z. McLeod

Director

Bob Hope

"Painless" Peter Potter

Jane Russell

Calamity Jane

Robert Armstrong

Terris

Iris Adrian

Pepper

Bobby Watson

Toby Preston

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

69%

49%

Goin' South

67%

64%

Rachel and the Stranger

78%

69%

My Favorite Brunette

93%

64%

My Little Chickadee

91%

81%

Son of Paleface

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Calamity Jane (Jane Russell) is working undercover for the U.S. government, trying to capture a gunrunner named Terris (Robert Armstrong) in exchange for a pardon for her previous misdoings. But when Jane's partner is killed, she takes up with bumbling dentist "Painless" Peter Potter (Bob Hope) and passes him off as a gifted gunslinger. When Jane is captured by a tribe of Native Americans, however, Potter finds that he actually has to play the hero that Jane has painted him to be.

Director: Norman Z. McLeod
Screenwriter: Edmund L. Hartmann, Frank Tashlin
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Western, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 24, 1948, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 10, 2017
Runtime: 1h 31m

Most Popular at Home Now