Tonight's Movie: A Global Affair (1964) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

Bob Hope plays a United Nations employee who improbably ends up with temporary custody of an abandoned baby girl in A GLOBAL AFFAIR (1964), released this summer by the Warner Archive.

When little Nonnie (Baby Monroe) is found at the United Nations, UN higher-ups fear an international incident if the child is turned over to the New York police and placed in a foundling home. Instead they ask Frank Larrimore (Hope), who works on children's issues at the UN, to care for the child and make the decision about her future home.

Countries from all over the globe lobby for custody of Nonnie, while Frank rather predictably finds himself falling for the little girl. He also develops feelings for Lisette (Michele Mercier), the Belgian U.N. employee who helps him care for Nonnie when the baby gets the measles.

This is a rather quiet Hope film, starting with a very '60s sounding syrupy opening credits song about children. Occasionally the humor rises to a manic level, including the baby being lost at a dog show and a small elephant invading Frank's apartment, but for the most part it hums pleasantly along for 84 minutes. The movie is no great shakes -- and I wanted to take a comb to the baby's hair! -- but it's entertaining enough to hold the attention. Bob Hope fans will doubtless enjoy the chance to see this film in an attractive print.

Two strong pluses are location filming at the United Nations and Yvonne DeCarlo. DeCarlo has a small role as a representative of Spain, but she wakes the movie up and then some with a steamy flamenco late in the film.

There are also nice turns by Robert Sterling as Frank's neighbor, a fellow bachelor, and John McGiver as Frank's strange, dog-obsessed apartment manager. The cast also includes Elga Andersen, Nehemiah Persoff, Miiko Taka, Jacques Bergerac, Mickey Shaughnessy, and Reta Shaw. Look for Hugh Downs and Rafer Johnson in small roles.

A GLOBAL AFFAIR was directed by Jack Arnold. It was filmed by Joseph Ruttenberg.

The Warner Archive DVD is a nice widescreen black and white. There are no extras.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this DVD. Warner Archive releases are MOD (manufactured on demand) and may be ordered from the Warner Archive Collection Store at Amazon and from other online retailers.