Bedtime for Bonzo

source: Bedtime for Bonzo

Amazing practical effects, it's a wonder that ol' Ronnie Reagan could fit in a chimpanzee costume so small! And so realistic! I have to say, the costume department outdid themselves here. The script is also brilliant, Bonzo is a wise, tragic character who helps those around in him, despite the fact that he himself is the one who needs help the most, as 1/3 into the movie he finds out that he has a brain tumor. What happens afterwards will warm your heart, make you cry, and even get you a little hot and bothered in places I dare not say.

Having never seen Ronald Reagan's acting chops, I didn't know what to expect when strapping in for Frederick De Cordova's 1951 feature, Bedtime for Bonzo. Starring the strapping future president of the United States, along with Diana Lynn, Bedtime for Bonzo tells the story of a young psychology professor trying to overcome the stigma his father's life casts over his own. Only films from the 1950's can deal with such complex issues, turn them into comedies, and still teach and reach an outcome that no textbook could duplicate. There's more than meets the eye in this film, and in its star, who I had only ever known from history books. Life is going well for young Professor Peter Boyd (Ronald Reagan). He is enjoying a fulfilling career at the university, he is engaged to the dean's daughter, Dr. Valerie Tillinghast (Lucille Barkley) and has a great friendship with Professor Hans Neumann (Walter Slezak). All is right until the rug is pulled out from under his life by a former associate, well, a cellmate of Peter's father. Revealing to the dean that Peter's father was imprisoned, he instantly believes that Peter is destined to descend into criminal behavior. Believing the common theory of the time that criminal behavior is genetic rather than a learned trait, Dean Tillinghast (Herbert Heyes) instantly calls off the engagement between Peter and his daughter. Disgusted by the actions of the dean, and eager to prove himself worthy of his daughter, all the while seeking to prove that environment dictates criminal behavior rather than genetics, Peter vows to conduct an experiment in which even a monkey will learn right from wrong, as long as his environment is fulfilling. A monkey is exactly what he gets too, as Professor Neumann has a chimpanzee in his care to conduct experiments with at the college. Quickly realizing that he needs help, and a mother figure to make the experiment work, Peter puts out an add for a caretaker for Bonzo. When a young Jane Linden (Diana Lynn) answers the add and is undaunted by the task of caring for a monkey instead of a child, she is instantly hired and the experiment begins. As the experiment progresses, so do feelings between Peter and Jane, as Peter becomes more distraught that he has to prove himself to his prospective father-in-law. Valerie also reveals what her environment and genetics have resulted in her as she becomes more engrossed with status and what people are thinking about Peter and his work. Environment proves to be a more important factor for the people in Bonzo's life than it ever was for Bonzo, and the experiment yields wonderful results beyond expectations. What an intro to Ronald Reagan! A looker to rival contemporaries such as Cary Grant, one quickly wonders what would have become, had Reagan not veered into politics. Something I very much enjoy about movies from the 1950's is the depth of plot they implore. It's not as common today to deal with something as complex as genetics theory or learned traits such as in this film. Sprinkling in some comedy, movies from this decade towed the line with their ability to bring such topics to full attention while still creating an enjoyable film. What is better than classic film scores? Bedtime for Bonzo was filled with the harmonic sounds so seminal to films from this era, which are always a joy to revisit. A wholesome film with a potent message, Bedtime for Bonzo is a film that can be enjoyed with the whole family, even 65 years after its initial release.

(Some Spoilers) Trying to prove that environment and parenting is the key to what we become in life Sheridan Collage psychology professor Peter Boyd, Ronald Reagan, takes on a Herculean task in showing that the cute but somewhat neurotic chimp Bonzo can be straightened out in a good and loving home. Not having any male or female chimps around to adopt Bonzo Prof. Boyd decides to act as Bonzo's dad and hires 23 year-old baby-sitter Jane Linden, Diana Lynn, as the chimps surrogate mom. Prof. Boyd has himself beaten the odds by becoming an upstanding citizen and collage professor despite his dad being the legendary con artist "Silky" Boyd who spent the last twenty years of his life behind bars. To Prof. Boyd Bonzo getting over his anxieties with his and Jane's guidance would be a lead pipe cinch but it just didn't turn out the way that he expected. Together with his friend at the collage Prof. Neumann, Walter Slezak, Boyd secretly gets Bonzo to stay with him at his home but his animal instincts are far more stronger then both professors ever expected. Tearing the place apart Bonzo just does what he wants until Jane's understanding and nurturing of the wild and uncontrollable primate gets him to act about as human and responsible as most of us. While all this is happening Boyd's engagement to the head of Sheridan Collage Dean Tillinghast, Herbert Hayes, daughter Valerie, Lucille Barkley, goes downhill with her suspecting that he's involved with another woman. Boyd's spends so much time with Bonzo that he neglects Valerie to the point where she comes over to his home and finds Bonzo's governess a 23 year old blond not an elderly farm girl, or woman, who raised five children that her soon to be fiancée Boyd told her. As you would expect Bonzo saves the day and Peter Boyd from serving a stretch in the pen for jewel robbery by both taking a diamond necklace and then returning it showing the police that Boyd, who had the jewels on him, wasn't the culprit. Bonzo of course had no idea that he committed a crime by breaking into the Dewitt Jewelry Store and taking the necklace thinking that it was as innocent an act as picking a stack of bananas off a banana tree. It was in fact Jane who taught Bonzo not to take what's not his and she, after running out of Boyd, came back to get Bonzo to prove Boyds innocence by returning the necklace to it's proper owner. Everything turns out all right at the end of the movie with Bonzo not only getting Peter Boyd off the hook but also being saved from ending up as an animal experiment at Yale University where Dean Tillinghast had him slated to be shipped. Peter Boyd also was saved from marrying the very stuck up Valerie, who saw that she wasn't right for him, and ending up heading to the altar with his new and true love Jane Linen. Ronald Reagan took a lot of flack about his acting in the movie were he played a second banana to the lovable and mischievous chimp Bonzo. Reagan was in fact as good as any actor could have been under the circumstances and came across both funny and dramatic in all the scenes that he was in. Chimps like Bonzo are notorious scene stealer's and have a reputation of making their human co-stars look second rate which is why so many top actors and actresses avoid doing movies with them. You'll never see an actor of the caliber of a Laurence Olivier John Barrymore or Marlon Brando in a film with a chimp knowing that they'll, more then the chimp, not only end up looking like a monkeys uncle but be made to look more like a monkey by the monkey that their co-staring with.

"Bedtime for Bonzo" is a light comedy that's fit for the whole family. One doesn't have to be a child to enjoy the antics of the co-star chimpanzee, Bonzo. The plot, acting and technical aspects of this film are all good. This is a nice look at Diana Lynn who played the female lead, Jane Linden. She was a child protégé pianist at age 10. She was a very capable and promising actress whose career was cut short. After being in several movies and a number of TV films and programs, she took a short respite from acting in 1964 while raising a family with her second husband in New York. She had just returned to Hollywood in 1971 with a part in a new film, but she suffered a stroke and died before filming began. She was 45. The adults will enjoy some of the witty dialog as well. Here are some lines that made me laugh. Professor Neumann (Walter Slezak) to Peter Boyd (Ronald Reagan): "Who expects a psychologist to think? Especially when you're so busy thinking what you think other people are thinking?" Prof. Neumann to Jane (Diana Lynn): "And now they've come to take Bonzo." Jane: "To jail?" Professor: "No, to Yale." Again, Prof. Neumann to Jane: "You're no dope, Jane. You couldn't be. You don't have a university degree, and you don't teach logic." Watching this move again after many years, I was reminded of recent television shows about home videos. So many of those were of pets, zoo animals and animals on the farm and in the backyard. It may still be on the air – but I watch very little TV. Interest in animals in the movies and on TV seems to ebb and flow. The decades of the 1950s and 1960s saw a number of movies and TV series made with animal co-stars. The highly successful Francis the Talking Mule made five successful movies from 1951 – 1955. Donald O'Connor was the male lead in those films, each of which had different female stars. "Mr. Ed," was a talking horse that starred in a six-year TV comedy series by the same name. Alan Young was the male lead for the series that had 144 episodes plus an unaired pilot. Many people have grown up watching Lassie or Rin Tin Tin films. Other films have had a variety of animal co-stars: horses, deer, bears, lions, wolves, and more. Of course, animation has resulted in some huge blockbuster films for kids of all ages. Judging from the comedy lines in some of those, I wonder if they aren't targeted more for older audiences. Anyway, "Bedtime for Bonzo" should be a fun movie for folks of all ages.

There has been a lot of negative stuff over the years about this film... It really is much funnier than you might expect...And a lot of it is done with an ironic tongue in cheek...If you decide to see it...Do so with an open mind! Ronald Reagan is more than competent in his leading role...A rather interesting accomplishment when you consider he had to play opposite a Chimp! At times the production values do leave a bit to be desired, but then, you could make the same comment about a LOT of films that are over 60 years old! It's not the most original film in the history of the cinema...But it certainly is much better than most!

When Ronald Reagan, B picture actor became the 40th president of the United States on the way there he took a lot of criticism about his former profession as thespian. He always preferred his identification with the motion picture industry to be symbolized by playing George Gipp in Knute Rockne, All American. His supporters always referred to him as the Gipper. But his detractors always used Bedtime For Bonzo as the quintessential Reagan film. It's both the title and the fact that Reagan is playing second fiddle to a young chimpanzee in the film that seem to resonate. Professors Reagan and Walter Slezak are conducting experiments as to just how close are the chimpanzees to man on the evolutionary scale. Reagan takes Bonzo home to live with him and treats him like a child and not a pet. For said experiment Bonzo needs a mother and Diana Lynn answers an advertisement for a chimp's mom. It works out well on the scientific end, but plays havoc with Reagan's love life as he's slightly engaged to Lucille Barkley, daughter of college dean, Herbert Hayes. And Hayes just got an offer from Yale for Bonzo, but neither Reagan or Lynn want to part with him. As a pet owner I can understand that, but the film does try to sell the point of view that Bonzo is more than a pet. That's a bit much for me to swallow. Still Bedtime For Bonzo is an innocuous and pleasant comedy and could probably be remade today. Can you see Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie being Bonzo's parents?

I put on this movie expecting to mock it for how ridiculous it is and laugh out loud at it stupidity. Surprisingly I actually found myself caring for the characters and what will happen to them. Yes, this movie is quite dumb and yes, it is entirely predictable but it has a certain charming quality to it that makes it entertaining. I don't recommend it to bad movie lovers as it's not terrible, I recommend it to those looking for a harmless, lighthearted movie that will make you smile a few times.

The filmmaker is quite visionary and prophetic even in casting a future president and the ancestor of a future president in this movie. The stark contrast of Ronald Reagan who would lead the nation to greatness only to have it all thrown away by the progeny of his costar is a cinematic achievement. The film is a dire warning of the folly of the modern welfare state. No matter what we do chimps will still not be able to function in society without a guiding human hand. That little guy sure is cute though or so it would seem to the untrained eye. Chimps can actually be quite savage. Far to many humans have been mauled and killed by these creatures. In the end they have a homeland to which they are better suited and should have remained.

In this film, only remembered because it stars a president, Ronald Regan as a teacher must disprove the theory of his girlfriends father that people are either born bad or born good. so in order to disprove this theory Ronnie takes a chimp under his wing to teach it right and wrong "To Do Good Without Hope Of Reward! To Avoid Wrong Without Fear Of Punishment! A CHANCE MY FATHER NEVER HAD" this film taken under the context of the modern political system is quite funny with the evolution debate still going on and the symbol for the republican party trying to teach a monkey human feeling. This film is not great! but it is entertaining for its historical relevance(?), well the Ramones did get the title Bonzo Goes To Bitberg from this movie so thats one good thing.