Ronald Reagan’s “B” movie career was riding high in the 1940’s, and pretty much ran out of gas by the end of that decade. The comedy “Bedtime for Bonzo” changed that in 1951, giving him a box office hit and a boost to his professional fortunes. The silly storyline has Reagan playing a college psychology professor who sets out to prove that he can raise a chimpanzee as a human child to be a good citizen.
While this picture is not the most hilarious comedy ever made, director Fred de Cordova (“The Tonight Show” 1970-1992) and screenwriters Lou Breslow and Val Burton give the project enough good production values that provides innocuous family entertainment.
Co-stars with Ronald Reagan include Diana Lynn, Walter Slezak, Ann Tyrrell, Brad Johnson, Lucille Barkley, Ed Clark, Ed Gargan, Herbert Hayes, and Jesse White, who went on to fame as television’s lonely Maytag repairman, from 1967 to 1988. Peggy the chimp starred as Bonzo.
The watchable “Bedtime for Bonzo” proved to be a success in theatrical release for Universal-International, with a sequel called “Bonzo Goes to College” in 1952, sans Ronnie.
Bedtime for Bonzo (1951)
cinema
My Review
Ronald Reagan’s “B” movie career was riding high in the 1940’s, and pretty much ran out of gas by the end of that decade. The comedy “Bedtime for Bonzo” changed that in 1951, giving him a box office hit and a boost to his professional fortunes. The silly storyline has Reagan playing a college psychology professor who sets out to prove that he can raise a chimpanzee as a human child to be a good citizen.
While this picture is not the most hilarious comedy ever made, director Fred de Cordova (“The Tonight Show” 1970-1992) and screenwriters Lou Breslow and Val Burton give the project enough good production values that provides innocuous family entertainment.
Co-stars with Ronald Reagan include Diana Lynn, Walter Slezak, Ann Tyrrell, Brad Johnson, Lucille Barkley, Ed Clark, Ed Gargan, Herbert Hayes, and Jesse White, who went on to fame as television’s lonely Maytag repairman, from 1967 to 1988. Peggy the chimp starred as Bonzo.
The watchable “Bedtime for Bonzo” proved to be a success in theatrical release for Universal-International, with a sequel called “Bonzo Goes to College” in 1952, sans Ronnie.