The film “Bedtime for Bonzo” from 1951 became a joke after actor turned politician Ronald Reagan was elected President of the United States. After all, how many U.S. presidents can say that they starred in a movie opposite a chimpanzee? However, this comedy is a very entertaining picture with a valuable message.
Despite all the jokes surrounding this comically titled film, it’s a high-quality film which deserves to be appreciated for its artistic merit. I invite you to rediscover this movie along with me. It offers not just an hour and a half of fun but a relevant message for today.
Monkey Business
Professor Peter Boyd (Reagan) teaches psychology at a small-town college. He is in love with the dean’s daughter, Valerie Tillinghast (Lucille Barkley), but their engagement hits a major roadblock. Dean Tillinghast (Herbert Heyes) is a strong believer in bloodlines and heredity, so he is concerned when he learns that Peter’s father was a criminal. Determined to convince the dean that his character has nothing to do with his father’s wayward tendencies, the young scientist decides to conduct an experiment to prove his point.The school’s science department has a trained chimpanzee named Bonzo, which is cared for by Professor Hans Neumann (Walter Slezak). Peter decides to borrow Bonzo for his experiment to prove that environment, not heredity, determines character and moral values. He takes Bonzo to his home, where he plans to treat him like a human child and try to teach him the difference between right and wrong. To create a normal family life, he must give the playful ape a mother. He hires babysitter Jane (Lynn) for the part, and the young woman eagerly puts her years of experience caring for her younger siblings to practice.
Peter and Jane quickly create a happy homelife for the adorable chimp. Although Peter is very scientific about the whole thing, Jane begins growing very fond of him. Little does she know that his goal in the whole endeavor is just to get a girl. In the meantime, the experiment is proving successful, since Bonzo is in fact learning what is right and what is wrong.
Nature vs. Nurture
The basic premise of this film sounds like the perfect basis for a Darwinian message. After all, wouldn’t training a chimpanzee to learn right from wrong by raising him in a family like a human child be an excellent way to prove the theory of evolution? Nevertheless, there is no such message in “Bedtime for Bonzo.” The interactions with Bonzo are just cute interactions with an animal that has many shared traits with humans, and it could be the same with an intelligent cat or dog. The fact that this highly intelligent chimpanzee learns to be part of a household just shows how much an animal can become part of a family.This film does, however, contain another message, which is real and very important. Peter tries to prove that he isn’t automatically a bad seed because of his father’s criminal record. To do so, he takes a dumb animal, which obviously has no moral compass, and trains him to behave according to basic principles of civilized behavior. Although animals are amoral creatures which have no moral sense, this chimpanzee is taught to choose good behavior over bad, through good examples, positive reinforcement, constructive discipline, and love. Bonzo first proves that he is learning to do the right thing when he gives Jane back the necklace he took from her when she pretends to be upset.
This movie is clearly fictional, but it’s based on true principles of training animals to do remarkable things through a mixture of careful discipline and affection. Bonzo’s story teaches an important lesson, which can be applied to real life. The news is full of tragic stories of young people committing terrible crimes, murders, and suicides. On the less extreme side of the same coin, the younger generation seems on average to be totally devoid of what was once called common sense and common decency. So many children and young adults today were raised with fewer moral guidelines than this chimpanzee. They didn’t have a loving mother and father who taught them the difference between right and wrong, so it’s no wonder that they end up running wild like animals in the jungle. With no moral compass, people are bound to get lost.
Truth via Comedy
Johnny Carson called this movie “a favorite of old movie buffs and Democrats.” However, I for one think that Ronald Reagan’s political supporters should be able to enjoy this movie, since he is very charming in it. “Bedtime for Bonzo” isn’t Academy Award material, nor was it intended to be. It’s a fun movie with an unusual premise, a talented cast, and an adorable title character. Everything about it blended nicely to make a movie that tickles your ribs and warms your heart at the same time.I love how classic films like this can make you forget your troubles and contemplate relevant truths about life at the same time. If you want to escape to a simpler time, watch “Bedtime for Bonzo.” If you want to study a thought-provoking concept about environmental impact, you should still watch “Bedtime for Bonzo.” If you just want to have a good laugh, “Bedtime for Bonzo” is a good choice yet again.
If a chimpanzee can be taught to behave properly when raised in a caring, loving home with a traditional family, what could a child be taught in the same circumstances?
