I feel a special word should be added here in honor of Dorothy Lamour. Ms.
Lamour, whom
ROAD TO SINGAPORE (Paramount,
1940)
The script for Road To Singapore was originally
written with Burns and Allen in mind and then offered to Jack Oakey and Fred
MacMurray. Both pairs turned it downed so Paramount decided to let Crosby and
Hope give it a go. This was the most successful film of 1940 and paved the way
for the 6 "Road" pics to follow.
SONGS: "Too Romantic" , "Sweet Potato Piper"
, "Kaigoon" , "Moon and the Willow Tree" , "Captain Custard"
ROAD TO ZANZIBAR (Paramount, 1941)
This second film is characterized by the large
amount of ad-libbing by Crosby and Hope. It also developed the model for the
rest of the series
SONGS: "You Lucky People You" , "It's Always You" , "You're Dangerous" ,
"Birds of a Feather" , "On the Road to Zanzibar"
ROAD TO MOROCCO (Paramount,
1942)
This pic finds are heroes in the sun-burned
deserts of Africa. Legendary actor, Anthony Quinn, who makes an appearance in
the first movie, has a substantial part in Road to Morocco as the villian. Also,
believe it or not, Road to Morocco was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best
Screenplay and Best Sound Recording.
SONGS: "Road to Morocco" , "Ain't Got a Dime to My Name" , "Constantly" ,
"Moonlight Becomes You"
ROAD TO UTOPIA (Paramount, 1946)
After their victorious romp through the desert,
Bing and Bob decide to cool off in frozen Alaska. A hidden mine and, of course,
Dorothy Lamour are the main focus of this one of the funniest films in the
series.
SONGS: "Goodtime Charley" , "Welcome to My Dream" , "Would You?" , "It's
Anybody's Spring" , "Personality" , "Put It There, Pal"
ROAD TO RIO (Paramount, 1948)
This film, the fourth of the "Road" flicks,
finds Bing and Bob in exotic South America. Road to Rio is somewhat different
from the other films in that it relies less on sight gags and more on the actual
plot of the story. The result is a more subdued comedy and probably the best of
the entire series. Bing's number with the Andrews Sisters is a definite
highlight.
SONGS: "But Beautiful" , "You Don't Have to Know the Language" ,
"Apalachicola, Fla." , "For What?" , "Experience"
ROAD TO BALI (Paramount, 1953)
Road to Bali is the first and only "Road"
picture to be shown in color.
SONGS: "Merry Go Runaround" , "Chicago Style" , "Hoot-Mon" , "To See You"
"Moonflowers"
ROAD TO HONG
KONG (United Artists, 1962)
The last film of the series does not quite live
up to the comedic standards set by the earlier pictures, yet it is still
enjoyable. This is the first not to be made by Paramount and also the first to
be filmed outside the United States (in England). Also, we find that Dorothy
Lamour has been replaced by a more youthful Joan Collins. Lamour's role in the
film is reduced down to a cameo.
SONGS: "Let's Not Be Sensible" , "Teamwork" , "It's the Only Way to
Travel" , "We're On the Road to Hong Kong" , "Warmer Than a Whisper"
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