Bedtime for Bonzo

One of the great animal-oriented family comedies of the early 50s, Bedtime for Bonzo concerns a professor who lives with a monkey and it stars actor-turned-politician Ronald Reagan. So who plays the professor? Ironically, the thought that kept going through my mind while watching this movie was "Bonzo for president," not "Reagan for president." Whether riding a bike, robbing a jewellery store (in a cowboy outfit) or doing unmotivated Tom Cruise-ian flips in the street -- fans of The Outsiders and The Firm know what I'm talking about -- this monkey is utterly charming and hilarious. Clearly, whoever urged Reagan to get into politics encouraged the wrong Bedtime for Bonzo co-star.

The story is a little elaborate but it goes something like this. University professor Peter Boyd (Reagan) proposes to the Dean's daughter and the Dean puts up some serious opposition. You see, Boyd's father was a criminal and the Dean is concerned that heredity might cause his grandchildren to follow suit. But not to worry, Boyd is a scientific mind with a scientific solution. He decides to welcome a troubled monkey (Bonzo) into his home, in order to show the Dean that behavior is influenced by parenting, not genetics.

That's where it gets a little weird (or weirder). Rather than raise the monkey with his fiance, Bonzo decides to hire another woman to be the "mother." And rather than clean up his act, Bonzo turns to the dark side. There's tree-climbing, pillow-shredding, bike-riding, vacuum hijinks, hitchhiking (kind of), and the aforementioned jewell heist. But Boyd doesn't panic or pander to the Dean's expectations. As the plan unravels, a more mischievous, monkey-friendly philosophy kicks in and Boyd's future takes an abrupt, unexpected turn: he becomes a politician and runs for president. Just kidding...but, if there weren't already a Reagan-free sequel (Bonzo Goes to College), that might have been a good idea.

Bedtime for Bonzo is presented in its original full frame ratio and the transfer is quite clean. The only feature is the theatrical trailer and, while I would have appreciated more biographical details on Bonzo, the trailer is an entertaining condensation of the film that should provide ideal viewing for your impatient, monkey-phobic friends. As for the lack of features, well, this is almost understandable. If you're a fan of monkeys, the film itself is one elaborate special feature after another. Now where's the Bonzo Goes to College DVD? -- Jonathan Doyle