Tag: dorothy lamour

What’s Old Is A New Release Again (2022) Roundup Featuring… Bob Hope And Dorothy Lamour

Welcome back to my new “Whats Old Is A New Release Again Roundup” series! This time around, I’m focusing on titles released in 2022 featuring either Bob Hope or Dorothy Lamour (or both), whether they be on DVD, Blu-ray or 4K UHD. Due to the slower pace of releases, I will be starting out with two films, and updating this post as I see more (with the updates showing up on the 2022 Releases page). This post will be completed when I have seen all of the titles released in 2022, or at the tail end of March 2023 (whichever happens first). So, let’s dig into some of Bob and Dorothy’s films that have seen a new release in 2022, which so far includes Monsieur Beaucaire (1946) and Where There’s Life (1947)!

Remember, as an Amazon Affiliate, this site gets a small percentage for every purchase made upon using one of the Amazon links, even if it’s not the movie I linked to (and it’s at no extra cost to you). If you like what I’m doing with the blog, please consider using them so that I can continue to do more!

Update: On 2/12/2023, comments were added on the recent Blu-ray releases of The Last Train From Madrid (1937) and Fancy Pants (1950), along with remarks on two more shorts for the “Coming Up Shorts” series, all of which completes this post for the year.

Table Of Contents

Coming Up Shorts! with… Wild Poses (1933)

(available on Blu-ray as part of The Little Rascals: The ClassicFlix Restorations, Volume 4 (1933-1935) from ClassicFlix)

(Length: 18 minutes, 31 seconds)

Spanky’s (George McFarland) parents decide to have his picture taken. However, after listening to the other kids from the Gang who tag along, Spanky refuses to sit for a picture! This was yet another hilarious short, particularly with Franklin Pangborn playing the photographer (who frequently gets a punch in the nose from Spanky). Of course, as an audience member seeing the other kids messing with the photographer’s equipment, I can’t blame Spanky for not wanting his picture taken. There’s some humor to be found with Emerson Treacy and Gay Seabrook returning to play Spanky’s parents, although Gay Seabrook wears out her welcome a bit with her attempts at humor. Still, this was a fun one, and one that I wouldn’t mind revisiting with some frequency!

Coming Up Shorts! with… Hi’-Neighbor! (1934)

(available on Blu-ray as part of The Little Rascals: The ClassicFlix Restorations, Volume 4 (1933-1935) from ClassicFlix)

(Length: 17 minutes, 54 seconds)

Jerry (Jerry Tucker), the new kid in the neighborhood, has his own small fire engine (and the envy of the Gang). However, he doesn’t want to share it with them, leading them to put together their own fire engine. Hi’-Neighbor proved to be a fun one! Jerry Tucker shows himself to be a good foil to the rest of the Gang, as he inadvertently pushes them to use their ingenuity to make their own fire engine! Of course, watching Spanky (George McFarland) try to help Stymie by “passing him a wheel” is one of the most amusing moments, as are the instances of Jerry getting his comeuppance. The only problem is the use of rear-screen projection during their final race, which takes away from the sense of speed and danger needed. Other than that, this one was fun, and worth seeing!

Coming Up Shorts! with… Reunion In Rhythm (1937)

(available on Blu-ray as part of The Little Rascals: The ClassicFlix Restorations, Volume 6 (1936-1938) from ClassicFlix)

(Length: 10 minutes, 47 seconds)

The Adams school is hosting a banquet for their current students and some of their alumni. Spanky (George McFarland) and the Gang put on a show for everybody. This one was fairly entertaining. There are several musical numbers, including “Baby Face” (sung by Darla Hood to Eugene “Porky” Lee), “Broadway Rhythm” (sung by Spanky), “Going Hollywood” (sung by Georgia Jean LaRue) and “I’m Through With Love” (sung by Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer). The main recurring joke (and done rather well) is Buckwheat (Billie Thomas) attempting to get involved by reciting “Little Jack Horner” instead of just holding the placards like Spanky keeps ordering him to do. There are some brief appearances by former Our Gang members Mickey Daniels, Mary Kornman, Joe Cobb and Matthew “Stymie” Beard, although only Mickey gets to actually speak. Overall, a fun short that I would love to revisit!

Coming Up Shorts! with… Glove Taps (1937)

(available on Blu-ray as part of The Little Rascals: The ClassicFlix Restorations, Volume 6 (1936-1938) from ClassicFlix)

(Length: 10 minutes, 53 seconds)

Butch (Tommy Bond) has arrived, and declared himself the big shot of the group, willing to take on the toughest kid. Alfalfa (Carl Switzer) is accidentally volunteered, so Spanky (George McFarland) takes it upon himself to train Alfalfa for the fight.  This one was quite funny, with Alfalfa’s training being the main source of humor.  Spanky and Alfalfa are assisted by Buckwheat (Billie Thomas) and Porky (Eugene Lee), who spend most of their time shaking their heads as if they know that Alfalfa’s “training” won’t work.  The showdown between Alfalfa and Butch was also quite entertaining, and I would say that the overall short is worth seeing again and again!

The Last Train From Madrid (1937)

  • Plot Synopses: The city of Madrid has been devastated by the Spanish Civil War. The military is offering one last train for civilians to escape the city, but they can only get on with special passes. The story follows seven people throughout the day as the train departure approaches. Some are newly in love, some are on the run from the military. All hope to escape to a new life, but will they be able to get on the train?
  • Film Length: 1 hour, 18 minutes
  • Extras: Audio Commentary by Entertainment Journalist/Author Bryan Reesman; Trailers for The Last Train From Madrid (1937), Road To Singapore (1940), Donovan’s Brain (1953), Thunder Bay (1953), The Ride Back (1957), The Song Of Songs (1933) and The Accused (1949)
  • Format: Blu-ray
  • Label: Kino Lorber Studio Classics
  • My Rating: 8/10
  • Quick Comments
    • On The Movie Itself: Check overall impressions.
    • On The Transfer: According to the Blu-ray case, this transfer comes from a new 2K master. I would say that this film looks quite good! The picture is nice and clean, with the vast majority of the dust and dirt removed. Some scratches still exist, but they are few and far between, and really don’t subtract from the film’s image. It’s certainly the best way to see this movie!

Monsieur Beaucaire (1946)

  • Plot Synopses: There are some forces pushing for war between France and Spain (led by Spanish General Don Francisco, as played by Joseph Schildkraut, who seeks to usurp the Spanish throne during wartime). However, the kings of the respective countries are trying to avoid war, and agree to an alliance via royal marriage of Princess Maria of Spain (Marjorie Reynolds) to the French Duke de Chandre (Patric Knowles). In leaving France, de Chandre lets the ex-royal barber Monsieur Beaucaire (Bob Hope) pose as the duke in order to escape being executed. Under this charade, the real duke meets the princess and falls for her (without knowing who she is), while Beaucaire has to deal with the Spanish general’s attempts to assassinate him and prevent the alliance. Can Beaucaire maintain this masquerade and convince his ex-girlfriend Mimi (Joan Caulfield) to come back to him, or will war break out between the two countries?
  • Film Length: 1 hour, 33 minutes
  • Extras: KLSC Bob Hope Promo, Trailers for The Cat And The Canary (1939), Road To Singapore (1940), The Ghost Breakers (1940), Road To Zanzibar (1941), Caught In The Draft (1941), Nothing But The Truth (1941), My Favorite Blonde (1942), Road To Morocco (1942), Road To Utopia (1946), Where There’s Life (1947), The Paleface (1948), Alias Jesse James (1959) and Murder, He Says (1945)
  • Format: Blu-ray
  • Label: Kino Lorber Studio Classics
  • My Rating: 9/10
  • Quick Comments
    • On The Movie Itself: Check overall impressions.
    • On The Transfer: According to the Blu-ray case, this transfer comes from a new 2K master. Apparently, there must not have been great elements to work with, as this has been one of the more disappointing transfers of a Universal-owned Bob Hope film to come from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. There’s still a fair amount of scratches, dust and dirt still present (although it’s only really egregious during the opening credits, and improves somewhat afterward). The image is also a bit darker in a lot of places than it seems like it should be. In spite of these issues, it’s not completely unwatchable, and likely to be as good as we can expect for now.

Where There’s Life (1947)

  • Plot Synopses: With the recent end of World War II, the small country of Barovia is looking forward to its first democratic election to replace the monarchy, but a secret society called the Mordia (who hopes to gain power) has attempted to kill Barovian King Hubertus II (William Edmunds). With him dying, the country’s only hope of preventing the Mordia from rising to power before the election is to find the son he had years earlier when he married an American woman (a marriage he was later forced to have annulled). Now, his son is radio announcer Michael Valentine (Bob Hope), who is about to marry Hazel O’Brien (Vera Marshe). A group of Barovian delegates, led by General Katrina Grimovitch (Signe Hasso), attempt to keep Michael alive and bring him to Barovia. But with the Mordia constantly trying to kill Michael, and Hazel’s cop family chasing after him when he misses the wedding, will he be able to survive and help Barovia in their time of need?
  • Film Length: 1 hour, 15 minutes
  • Extras: KLSC Bob Hope Promo, Trailers for Where There’s Life (1947), The Cat And The Canary (1939), Road To Singapore (1940), The Ghost Breakers (1940), Road To Zanzibar (1941), Caught In The Draft (1941), Nothing But The Truth (1941), My Favorite Blonde (1942), Road To Morocco (1942), Road To Utopia (1946), The Paleface (1948) and Alias Jesse James (1959)
  • Format: Blu-ray
  • Label: Kino Lorber Studio Classics
  • My Rating: 9/10
  • Quick Comments
    • On The Movie Itself: Check overall impressions.
    • On The Transfer: When Kino Lorber Studio Classics originally announced that they had licensed this film (before they had a street date), it was said that this transfer was going to be from a 4K scan of the best available elements done by Universal. While that comment was later dropped for the official press release (and the back of the Blu-ray case), I can confirm that this film looks quite good! The picture is highly detailed, and most of the scratches, dirt and debris have been cleaned up (and what remains really isn’t that distracting). So, this release is indeed the best way to see this movie!

Fancy Pants (1950)

  • Plot Synopses: Hoping to impress nouveau riche Agatha Floud (Lucille Ball) and her mother Effie (Lea Penman), an Englishman hires a group of actors to portray his family and servants. It doesn’t go well, but Effie decides to bring the “butler” Humphrey (Bob Hope) back to their home in Big Squaw, New Mexico, in order to help reform her down-to-earth husband. Trouble arises when her husband misinterprets her message about Humphrey, and tells everybody in town that Humphrey is an earl that was pursuing Agatha (which especially infuriates Agatha’s self-appointed beau, Cart Belknap, as played by Bruce Cabot). Word about the “earl” even reaches President Theodore Roosevelt (John Alexander), who decides to come meet him. With all the townspeople hoping that the president’s visit will help them to achieve statehood, can Humphrey and the Flouds successfully pull off this deception?
  • Film Length: 1 hour, 32 minutes
  • Extras: Trailers for Fancy Pants (1950), Never Say Die (1939), The Cat And The Canary (1939), Road To Singapore (1940), The Ghost Breakers (1940), Road To Zanzibar (1941), Caught In The Draft (1941), Nothing But The Truth (1941), My Favorite Blonde (1942), Road To Morocco (1942), Road To Utopia (1946), Where There’s Life (1947), The Paleface (1948), Sorrowful Jones (1949) and Alias Jesse James (1959); KLSC Bob Hope Promo
  • Format: Blu-ray
  • Label: Kino Lorber Studio Classics
  • My Rating: 9/10
  • Quick Comments
    • On The Movie Itself: Check overall impressions.
    • On The Transfer: According to the Blu-ray case, this film was “Remastered in HD by Paramount Pictures — From 4K Scans of the 35mm YCM Three-Strip Technicolor Elements.” Having seen this release, I would guess that either Kino was given the wrong transfer, or that it was done poorly. Compared to Warner Archive Collection’s releases of three-strip Technicolor films, this one is at times out of focus and the color doesn’t seem quite as vivid as one would like. Also, there is periodically some dust and dirt (nothing major, but it is there). It does look decent at times, but that really is all that can be said about this release. It’s still recommended, if only because the movie itself is such a hoot.

My Overall Impressions

Like my post in this series for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, I have eschewed individual comments on these films to reflect on Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour’s presence in these films. Now that I’ve seen all four films, I can express my thoughts about all of them with regard to Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour. Monsieur Beaucaire, Where There’s Life and Fancy Pants all feature Bob Hope with his usual screen persona, that of a coward who keeps dishing out quips but manages to be a hero when the chips are down. While none of these films have any “Bing-Crosby-cameo-in-a-Bob-Hope-film” appearances, Bing is referenced in both Monsieur Beaucaire and Where There’s Life (okay, it might be pushing it a bit to say that he’s referenced in Monsieur Beaucaire, but who says “bing” instead of “bang” when talking about someone being shot, especially in a Bob Hope film?). For Monsieur Beaucaire, Bob’s big comedic moments (apart from his quips) are his obsession with his girlfriend Mimi due to his worries about the other lotharios in the French court (which actually leads to them gaining an interest) and the final swordfight between him and Joseph Schildkraut’s General Don Francisco. As to Where There’s Life, some of his best moments come when dealing with William Bendix’s Victor O’Brien, the cop brother of Vera Marshe’s Hazel, especially when Bob’s Michael Valentine tries to explain the ridiculous situation that he finds himself in. Fancy Pants finds Bob working with Lucille Ball for the second time (following the previous year’s Sorrowful Jones). Obviously, the two of them working together is the film’s main highlight. Apart from that, Bob’s other highlights include all his run-ins with her character’s self-appointed boyfriend Cart Belknap (as played by Bruce Cabot), particularly their final brawl. Also, the film’s “fox hunt” for President Roosevelt is quite hilarious! In The Last Train To Madrid, Dorothy Lamour finds her character torn between two old friends, one of whom has been incarcerated for a few years, and the other is a captain who just helped his friend escape from certain death. She only has a few appearances, but she manages to convey her feelings quite well, as we see her try to figure out which of the two friends she really loves (all while planning to escape from the city). There are certainly other memorable moments in these films, but the ones I mentioned are among the standouts.

Well, now that I’ve commented on all four of these films, I’ll give you my rankings on these releases, from highly recommended (1.) to least recommended (4.):

  1. Where There’s Life (1947)
  2. Fancy Pants (1950)
  3. The Last Train From Madrid (1937)
  4. Monsieur Beaucaire (1946)

When it comes to which of these releases are recommended, this is a slightly tougher decision. For me, all three Bob Hope films (Monsieur Beaucaire, Where There’s Life and Fancy Pants) are extremely enjoyable movies that keep me laughing and eager to return to them (and I’d give a slight edge to Fancy Pants from that group), and, while not *quite* as good, The Last Train From Madrid was also up there. However, other factors are also at play here. Where There’s Life and The Last Train From Madrid both have the superior transfers, with very little damage present. Fancy Pants almost feels like it used the earlier DVD transfer (in spite of what the case states), but, whether that is true or not, it’s not up to snuff for a three-strip Technicolor film. Monsieur Beaucaire also came out looking less-than-stellar (whether it’s because of the state of the film elements used or who did the restoration work, I don’t know). Coming back around to The Last Train From Madrid, my main knock against the film is that Dorothy Lamour, despite being top-billed in the credits, has very little screen time (and, considering this post is on the films of Bob and Dorothy, that does affect my opinion here at least slightly). Obviously, these films didn’t all come out equally here, but I would still say that every one of them has at least something to recommend about it.

Other 2022 Release Roundups

Blu-ray Roundup #1

Blu-ray Roundup #2

4K UHD Roundup

Fred Astaire And Ginger Rogers Roundup

W. C. Fields Roundup

Bing Crosby Roundup

“Screen Team (Bob Hope And Dorothy Lamour) Of The Month (May 2022)” Featuring Dorothy Lamour in… Lulu Belle (1948)

Since we started off the month of May a few weeks ago with a movie featuring our Screen Team Of The Month (Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour), it’s time to dig into their solo films! So, going with the principle of “ladies first,” we’ll start with one of Dorothy Lamour’s films, the 1948 Lulu Belle (based on the 1926 play of the same name by Charles MacArthur and Edward Sheldon), co-starring George Montgomery!

Coming Up Shorts! with… Woody The Giant Killer (1947)

(available on Blu-ray as part of The Woody Woodpecker Screwball Collection from Universal Studios)

(Length: 6 minutes, 47 seconds)

With a housing shortage, Woody Woodpecker can’t find a place to stay. Buck Beaver gives him some magic beans, and a beanstalk takes him up to the giant’s castle in the clouds. This one was fun, although, at the same time, it wasn’t enough. It’s fun seeing Woody’s version of “Jack And The Beanstalk,” as the gags themselves are quite fun. The problem is there is too much exposition and not enough interplay with Woody and the Giant (who spends a good chunk of his appearance sleeping through Woody’s antics). Still, I had a few good laughs with this one, and certainly look forward to revisiting it in the future!

And Now For The Main Feature…

In Natchez, Mississippi, young up-and-coming lawyer George Davis (George Montgomery) visits the Blue Catfish bar and café on behalf of one of his clients. While he is wrapping up his business, one of the performers, Lulu Belle (Dorothy Lamour), is getting abused by her former lover, and George steps in to fend him off. Lulu is instantly interested in him, but George (an engaged man) manages to turn her down. However, she wants what she wants, and she later visits him at his office, where she causes trouble between him and his fiancée. He later comes back to Lulu after his engagement is ended, and the two get married. He gets rid of his law practice, and they move to New Orleans, where they live lavishly in a hotel. George struggles to find work, while Lulu takes up a new relationship with boxer Butch Cooper (Greg McClure). At one of Butch’s boxing matches, she meets successful gambler Mark Brady (Albert Dekker), whom she convinces to give George work as a boxer (out of town, of course). Mark, meanwhile, offers Lulu a job as a singer at his club, where he can keep an eye on her. George sees all this going on, and begins drinking heavily. Lulu begins yet another relationship with married millionaire Harry Randolph (Otto Kruger) when he visits the club (since he has connections on Broadway). Between this and Butch’s continued teasing, George has had enough and picks a fight with Butch, with the fight ending when George stabs Butch in the eye with a fork. George runs from the scene, but is caught and sent to prison for a few years. During that time, Harry takes Lulu to Broadway, where she becomes a big sensation. However, even though she had divorced him, she slowly comes to the realization that she loves George and not her career. However, all the men that she has had a relationship with have come to town, and she and Harry end up being shot. Police Commissioner John Dixon (Addison Richards) is in charge of trying to find out who did it, but can he find out the truth from everybody?

Like all of Dorothy Lamour’s solo films (those outside of the Road series and her films with Bob Hope), this one was new to me. I will readily admit that I liked Dottie in this film! In general, I found myself comparing her character here to her character in Road To Zanzibar (1941). In that film, she is a manipulator in that she tries to get what she wants out of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope’s characters (as she attempts to make her way to a richer suitor), and she takes things even further here, without any trace of conscience whatsoever (at least, not for most of the early part of the film). Apart from her performance, though, I find myself with mixed feelings towards this movie. Dottie is very much the femme fatale here, but, at the same time, this movie never really quite hits the film noir aspects very well. In general, that’s not helped by her more musical moments (mostly, they just consist of her singing on stage or in nightclubs). The movie also tries to veer into murder mystery territory, but it’s not that effective there, either. The whole tale is essentially told in flashbacks by George Montgomery’s George Davis and Lulu’s friend Molly Benson (as played by Glenda Farrell), and really doesn’t leave too much room for some of the others involved, all of whom are “suspects” at the end when the police commissioner tries to finally figure out who did it. In general, it just feels like the writing is where it all fails, which ruins some of the characterizations for me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still an enjoyable movie, especially as a chance to see more of Dorothy Lamour as an actress. It’s just one that I would come closer to recommending as a rental instead of a purchase (outside of a really good sale price).

This movie is available on Blu-ray and DVD from Olive Films.

Film Length: 1 hour, 27 minutes

My Rating: 6/10

List Of Actor/Actress Filmographies/Collections

Road To Rio (1947) – Dorothy Lamour – Here Comes The Groom (1951)

As an Amazon Affiliate, this site gets a small percentage for every purchase made upon using one of the Amazon links, even if it’s not the movie I linked to (and it’s at no extra cost to you). If you like what I’m doing with the blog, please consider using them so that I can continue to do more!

Film Legends Of Yesteryear: Screen Team & “Screen Team Of The Month (May 2022)” Featuring Bob Hope And Dorothy Lamour in… My Favorite Brunette (1947)

Well, since I’m not doing as many films this month, I’m going to start off with a movie featuring this month’s Screen Team, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour! That film would be the 1947 comedy My Favorite Brunette, which also features Peter Lorre and Lon Chaney, Jr.

Coming Up Shorts! with… Fair Weather Fiends (1946)

(available on Blu-ray as part of The Woody Woodpecker Screwball Collection from Universal Studios)

(Length: 6 minutes, 46 seconds)

Everything is just fine for Woody Woodpecker and his friend, Wolfie Wolf, as they sail around on their boat, eating all day long. Then a storm leaves them stranded without food on an island, and hunger sets in. This one was quite humorous, with the two attempting to eat each other. I’ll admit, the story was fairly predictable, pitting the two “friends” against each other when they get hungry, but they did have another bird to compete over briefly, which added to the hilarity. Not the most original cartoon, but it was funny, and I certainly would gladly watch it again!

And Now For The Main Feature…

Ronnie Jackson (Bob Hope) is a baby photographer, but he dreams of being a private eye, just like Sam McCloud (Alan Ladd), whose office is right across from Ronnie’s studio. While Sam is away on a trip, Ronnie messes around in Sam’s office (since Sam asked him to man the phones while he is away) when Baroness Carlotta Montay (Dorothy Lamour) comes in. Mistaking him for Sam, she asks for his help in finding her missing wheelchair-bound husband. She leaves a map with him to keep hidden, and gives him an address to meet her at. Ronnie decides to take her case, especially when he sees her being followed by someone else, and drives out to the address. It turns out to be the mansion home of a friend of her family’s, Major Simon Montague (Charles Dingle). While she is out answering a call, the major tells Ronnie that her “husband” (actually, her uncle, as she thought that making him out to be her husband would make the case more attractive to “Sam”) is alright, and that she is currently mentally disturbed (which is why the baron is hiding in another room). At first, Ronnie believes the major based on her behavior when she returns, but, upon exiting the mansion, he looks in a window and sees the “baron” up and walking around (which he takes a picture of), leaving him to believe Carlotta’s story. He is discovered and makes a run for it, but one of Montague’s henchman, Kismet (Peter Lorre), follows him and attempts to burn the photo and its negative. Ronnie later tries to bring the police up to the mansion, but they don’t find anybody there (except for Kismet, who is posing as a gardener). Still suspicious, Ronnie tries to sneak in and look for clues. He does indeed find one (which was planted in an obvious spot for him to see by Kismet). Ronnie follows the clue to a sanitarium, where he is captured and held prisoner, alongside Carlotta and the real baron. While Montague explains to Ronnie what is really going on (he wants the baron’s mineral rights to a uranium mine), the baron secretly gives Carlotta a message to go see an engineer who had helped him put together the map (the one Carlotta had asked Ronnie to keep hidden). When they get the chance, Ronnie and Carlotta escape, and make their way to see the engineer, James Collins (Reginald Denny). However, before they can bring any of this to the police, Kismet kills James and makes it look like Ronnie did it. Ronnie gets away from the police, and escapes to Washington, D.C. with Carlotta. There, they attempt to stop Montague from getting the mineral rights, but will they ultimately be successful?

During the latter part of World War II, Bob Hope had some issues with the studio heads at Paramount Pictures, as he had wanted to hold onto more of his salary. It had been suggested to him by a big show business lawyer that he should form his own production company, and make his movies in partnership with Paramount. While he liked the idea, the heads at Paramount did not, and he was suspended for a few years. Of course, he had all his work with the USO to keep him busy, and enough popularity with audiences that the studio finally relented, and Hope Enterprises, Inc. was born. For their first production, they went with My Favorite Brunette, a sequel (in name only) to his earlier hit, My Favorite Blonde. Of course, with his own money being put in the picture, Bob Hope (known for goofing off on the set of his movies) took things a bit more seriously this time around. Given that they were spoofing film noir this time around, they were able to get genre regular Peter Lorre, as well as Lon Chaney, Jr. (in his first film upon leaving Universal Pictures). It worked well enough at the box office, though, as Hope Enterprises continued to produce Bob’s movies, and the My Favorite series would be revisited one more time in the early 1950s with My Favorite Spy.

Personally, I’ve seen My Favorite Brunette a number of times over the years, and enjoyed it. But when watching it for this review (the first time I’ve seen it in most of a decade), the film overall made a lot more sense to me. The biggest reason, of course, is that I am now a lot more familiar with the film noir genre (having mainly seen a bunch of movies from the genre after I made the jump to HD in 2014). So, that makes the presence of Alan Ladd (in a brief cameo as Sam McCloud) and Peter Lorre much better, as well as Lon Chaney, Jr., in a role reminiscent of the type that Mike Mazurki would normally be playing. Of course, the movie itself is fun because of Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour! While the film has many wonderful comedic moments, one of the most memorable is the scene where Bob’s Ronnie has just been told that Dottie’s Carlotta is crazy (while she was out of the room), and, when she comes in, she more or less does act a bit crazy, especially in the way that she handles the letter opener she is carrying (I know I certainly would be questioning her sanity while she is doing that)! And this film has what I consider to be one of the best “Bing Crosby cameo in a Bob Hope movie” moments (I can’t really say anything more without spoiling things, it’s one of those things that just HAS to be seen)! Quite simply stated, this is a fantastic comedy, with a great cast! I personally consider it the best of the My Favorite series with Bob Hope, and I have no trouble whatsoever in recommending it!

This movie is available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Film Length: 1 hour, 28 minutes

My Rating: 9/10

List Of Actor/Actress Filmographies/Collections

Road To Utopia (1946) – Bob Hope – Road To Rio (1947)

Road To Utopia (1946) – Dorothy Lamour – Road To Rio (1947)

The Maltese Falcon (1941) – Peter Lorre – Silk Stockings (1957)

Road To Utopia (1946) – Bob Hope/Dorothy Lamour (screen team) – Road To Rio (1947)

As an Amazon Affiliate, this site gets a small percentage for every purchase made upon using one of the Amazon links, even if it’s not the movie I linked to (and it’s at no extra cost to you). If you like what I’m doing with the blog, please consider using them so that I can continue to do more!

TFTMM’s Screen Team Edition Presents “Screen Team Of The Month (May 2022)” Featuring Bob Hope And Dorothy Lamour

Well, May has arrived, which means that it’s time to “announce” my Screen Team for the month: Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour! (What’s that? You figured that out from reading this post’s title? Well, that’s just cheating!) 😉 As I’d mentioned before, I am no longer doing these series of screen teams/stars of the month as a blogathon, but I’m certainly open to anybody else interested in joining in if they so choose!

Table Of Contents

Quick Film Career Bio

Bob Hope

Birth: May 29, 1903

Death: July 27, 2003

Leslie Townes Hope was born on May 29, 1903 to William Henry Hope and Avis Townes in Eltham, London in the U.K. A few years later, the Hope family emigrated to the United States, where they took up residence in Cleveland, Ohio. As a kid, Bob did a number of odd jobs to help bring in some extra money, but he really found his niche as a performer, famously winning a talent contest with his impersonation of Charlie Chaplin in 1915. He briefly toyed around with the idea of being a boxer, but instead went into vaudeville as part of a dance team with his girlfriend at the time. He worked with different partners and different acts, until he was given the opportunity to emcee a show, where he realized he was funnier on his own. He enjoyed some success on Broadway, particularly with the show Roberta.

He did some shorts for both Educational Pictures and Warner Brothers, but none of them really made much of a mark. With his success on Broadway, though, he found himself with a new audience via radio. Hollywood came a-calling, mainly through Paramount Pictures, who cast him in The Big Broadcast Of 1938 (1938) (which also included Dorothy Lamour in the cast). While the film itself wasn’t that memorable, his duet with Shirley Ross, “Thanks For The Memories,” became a hit and essentially became Bob’s theme song, not only for his radio show but for many of his future endeavors. Paramount kept putting Bob to work in different movies, while he tried to work on his screen persona (which really started to take shape with the following year’s The Cat And The Canary). However, it would take being re-teamed with Dorothy Lamour and being cast opposite Paramount’s big star, Bing Crosby in Road To Singapore (not to mention all the ad-libbing that was involved) to turn Bob into one of the studio’s biggest stars. Throughout the remainder of the 1940s (and beyond), Bob continued to enjoy success with more Road films, the My Favorite series that started with My Favorite Blonde (1942), and the Paleface films. The fifties found him continuing to do comedies, but he also attempted to prove his acting abilities with a few dramatic parts. However, with his increasing focus on TV and changing audience tastes, his film career started to peter off in the 1960s, with his last starring role being in the 1972 film Cancel My Reservation.

In the early part of World War II, Bob Hope did a special performance for some troops at California’s March Field. Having always preferred the genuine laughs from a live audience, he now found himself with a lifelong mission of performing for American troops through the USO (United Service Organizations). He recorded some of his radio shows in front of servicemen, and when he made the switch to television in the fifties, he continued the practice (especially during wartime). It had its ups and downs (especially during the Vietnam War), but he continued to appear in television specials up through the 1990s (along with a few guest appearances on various TV programs). He finally retired in the latter part of the 90s, with his health starting to fail him. He celebrated his 100th birthday in May 2003, before he passed away from a bout with pneumonia on July 27, 2003.

Dorothy Lamour

Birth: December 10, 1914

Death: September 22, 1996

On December 10, 1914, Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton was born to Carmen Louise and John Watson Slaton in New Orleans, Louisiana. As a teenager of about 14 or 15, she left high school with the intention of working as a secretary to help support her mother and herself. She started entering beauty pageants, and was crowned Miss New Orleans in 1931. She and her mother relocated to Chicago, IL where she briefly worked as an elevator operator. After an audition, she was hired to sing with Herbie Kaye’s orchestra. This led to her working both onstage and on the radio for a few years. At one point, she was making an appearance at the Clover Club in Los Angeles, California, when a representative of Paramount Pictures saw her there. She was given the opportunity to do a screen test, and so Paramount Pictures hired her, with her making an uncredited appearance in College Holiday (1936).

Her next film at Paramount was The Jungle Princess (1936), which was her first starring role (and the one that established her as the “Sarong Girl”). Over the next few years, she had a variety of both starring roles and supporting ones opposite some of the big stars of Hollywood (including, as I mentioned before, starring in Bob Hope’s first film, The Big Broadcast Of 1938). Like Bob, she found greater fame through the Road series (especially since she was able to spoof her image as the “Sarong Girl”), holding her own against the constant ad-libbing from her two co-stars. With the U.S. getting involved in World War II, she became a popular pinup girl for American servicemen, and volunteered to help sell war bonds (doing so well she earned the nickname “The Bond Bombshell”). She continued to do a variety of different roles at Paramount (musical, comedy and drama), through the end of the war and into 1947, before she left Paramount.

She made a few films for independent producers, but none of them were that popular with audiences. After doing the film noir Manhandled (1949), she took some time off from Hollywood to be with her second husband William Ross Howard III and their two sons. She started to make a comeback through The Greatest Show On Earth (1952) and Road To Bali (1952), but, big as those roles were, they weren’t resulting in better film offers. So, she concentrated on performing in nightclubs and on stage (with some television appearances thrown in). She came back for a cameo appearance for The Road To Hong Kong (1962) (at Bob Hope’s insistence, since Bing Crosby had wanted somebody younger for the female lead) and made a few other film appearances alongside her guest star gigs on various TV shows. From the 1970s onward, she mainly focused on TV and the stage, with her autobiography, My Side Of The Road, getting published in 1980. She continued to work into the 1990s before finally passing away after she suffered a heart attack on September 22, 1996.

My Own Feelings On Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour

Bob Hope was one of the first classic movie stars that I took a liking to. The Princess And The Pirate (1944) was the first film of his that I can remember seeing, although I didn’t really start to focus in on him until I started seeing the Road series with his co-stars Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour. After watching all the films from that series in short order, I started trying out more of Bob’s solo comedies, and found them just as enjoyable. For me, he came into his own once he did The Cat And The Canary, with most of his films faring quite well up through Alias Jesse James. While I’ve enjoyed some of his films after that (during the 1960s), they were nowhere near as good as his earlier fare. I may not be quite as much of a fan as I was initially, but he was essentially my gateway drug to classic films.

Dorothy Lamour took me a bit longer to come around to. Certainly, I enjoyed seeing her in the Road films with Bing and Bob (and when she was reduced to a cameo appearance for The Road To Hong Kong, it became quite obvious to me just how necessary she was to the rest of the series). Apart from the Road series, my main exposure to her was through the films she did with Bob Hope (plus her cameo appearance in Here Comes The Groom). That’s been starting to change the last couple of years, with a few of her solo efforts starting to get released on Blu-ray (though none of her famous “sarong” films have made it to the format as of this writing). While I don’t favor her as much as I do Bing and Bob, I can’t deny that she has been interesting to see in the handful of movies that I’ve managed to find so far.

As a team, they’ve been a lot of fun together. Since they essentially started working together on Bob’s first film (Big Broadcast Of 1938), they were able to develop some chemistry early on (although it really started to kick in with Road To Singapore, their second film together). Frankly, I think they are best together in their films apart from the Road series, where they are able to show off their chemistry a lot more (as opposed to the Road series, where she’s generally caught in the middle of Bing and Bob, with a greater preference for Bing’s characters, a running joke in the series). While they apparently had some issues getting along offscreen from some of what I’ve read, it’s nice to know that at least Bob knew she was more necessary to the Road series when it came time to making The Road To Hong Kong and fought for her inclusion in the film. I do like them together (and I can say that, having essentially seen all of the movies that they did together that I know of), which is certainly one of the reasons I decided to pick them as one of my featured Screen Teams!

Bob Hope Filmography

This is a list of all the films that I personally have reviewed from his filmography so far. Obviously, I will be adding to it throughout the month of May, and it is my plan to add to it as I review more and more of his films even beyond this month’s celebration.

College Swing (1938)

The Cat And The Canary (1939)

Road To Singapore (1940)

The Ghost Breakers (1940)

Road To Zanzibar (1941)

Caught In The Draft (1941)

Road To Morocco (1942)

Road To Utopia (1946)

My Favorite Brunette (1947)

Road To Rio (1947)

The Paleface (1948) (Original) (Update)

The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)

My Favorite Spy (1951)

Son Of Paleface (1952)

Road To Bali (1952)

Alias Jesse James (1959)

The Road To Hong Kong (1962)

Dorothy Lamour Filmography

This is a list of all the films that I personally have reviewed from her filmography so far. Obviously, I will be adding to it throughout the month of May, and it is my plan to add to it as I review more and more of her films even beyond this month’s celebration.

Spawn Of The North (1938)

Road To Singapore (1940)

Road To Zanzibar (1941)

Caught In The Draft (1941)

Road To Morocco (1942)

Road To Utopia (1946)

My Favorite Brunette (1947)

Road To Rio (1947)

Lulu Belle (1948)

Here Comes The Groom (1951) (cameo)

Road To Bali (1952)

The Road To Hong Kong (1962)

Entries For This Month

Thoughts From The Music(al) Man –

My Favorite Brunette (1947)

Lulu Belle (1948)

My Favorite Spy (1951)

Bob Hope And Dorothy Lamour Roundup

What’s Old Is A New Release Again (2021) with… Caught In The Draft (1941)

Today, we’ve got some fun with another service comedy from 1941! This time, it’s Caught In The Draft starring Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour. Of course, as always, we’ll start things off with a theatrical short, then move on to the main event.

Coming Up Shorts! with… Out-Foxed (1949)

(Available on Blu-ray and DVD as part of Tex Avery Screwball Classics Volume 2 from Warner Archive Collection)

(Length: 8 minutes, 18 seconds)

A group of hunting dogs (including Droopy) are promised a steak if they can bring in a fox. It’s the old type of “hunter vs. prey” cartoon, but, hey, it’s Tex Avery. Most of the fun is watching the way the British fox outsmarts all the hunting dogs (even using some of their own tricks against them). Only complaint here is that, for a Droopy cartoon, he’s more like a minor character. Still, as I said before, it’s Tex Avery, it’s Droopy, and therefore, always worth a few good laughs!

And Now For The Main Feature…

32-year-old movie actor Don Bolton (Bob Hope) has a problem with loud noises (particularly gunshots), which scare him to the point of fainting. This is a big problem for him, as the U.S. Senate is currently working on a bill to institute the draft for men in the age group of 21 to 40. While on the set for his latest film, he meets the visiting Colonel Peter Fairbanks (Clarence Kolb) and his daughter, Antoinette “Tony” (Dorothy Lamour). Don decides to try going out with Tony and get married, in the hope that he will be able to avoid the draft. She is open to his interest in her (although she doesn’t know his real motives), and he does propose. Almost immediately after his proposal, they hear on the radio that the age limit for the draft will be up to 31 years of age. Don starts trying to worm his way out of his proposal, and Tony, realizing why he wanted to marry her, breaks things off with him. With it becoming more official that the age range for the draft is up to 35 years of age, he tries to make up with her. In order to do so, he tries to fake enlisting in the army, but at the recruitment center, he is stuck dealing with a real recruitment officer (not the fake he had tried to hire). So, now he is in the army, and Don is joined by his agent Steve Riggs (Lynne Overman) and his assistant Bert Sparks (Eddie Bracken). They are assigned to the camp that Colonel Fairbanks is in charge of, and Don (who has fallen for Tony for real) tries to restart their relationship. However, Tony also wants her father’s blessing, and he won’t give it until Don can attain the rank of corporal. Will Don he able to achieve that rank (and marry Tony), or will he and his buddies be failures as soldiers?

Caught In The Draft is the fourth film that Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour made together, following their earlier films The Big Broadcast Of 1938, Road To Singapore and Road To Zanzibar. Of course, this film marks a slight departure from those earlier films. For one thing, it is just them. There’s no love triangle/rectangle with others involved, just these two (well, unless you count Bob Hope’s characters’ usual love affair with himself). And, with that, their relationship is far different, as she sees him with his issues that he has to actually try to overcome. Thus, there is a bit more give-and-take between them than there was previously.

Overall, I enjoy this movie. Sure, it has some things that haven’t aged well (I’d certainly argue that Bob Hope’s character’s “fear” of loud noises might be treated differently if the movie were made nowadays). I’m not overly fond of the section of the movie pre-enlistment, as Bob Hope’s character is hard to root for (again, I can understand the fear of loud noises, but I don’t like how he is willing to marry somebody long enough to avoid the draft and then just drop them). Once everybody is enlisted (and I will admit, that enlistment scene is probably funnier because we want to see the character drafted because of what he had already done), the movie (and the comedy) improve. Obviously, we’ve got them doing the “inept new soldier” thing, with drills, tank driving, and (almost) parachuting. I’ve only had the chance to see the movie twice now (over a long period of time), but it was fun seeing this movie both times, not only for Bob and Dottie, but also for Eddie Bracken and Lynne Overman’s characters, who also add to the comedy. It’s a fun wartime comedy, and certainly one I would recommend!

This movie is available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics from a new 4K master. This release looks pretty good, with a nice, crisp picture. It’s been mostly cleaned up (with a few places here and there that have minor dirt). Overall, this Blu-ray would certainly be the way that I’d recommend seeing this movie!

Film Length: 1 hour, 22 minutes

My Rating: 8/10

List Of Actor/Actress Filmographies/Collections

Road To Zanzibar (1941) – Bob Hope – Nothing But The Truth (1941)

Road To Zanzibar (1941) – Dorothy Lamour – Road To Morocco (1942)

Road To Zanzibar (1941) – Bob Hope/Dorothy Lamour (screen team) – Road To Morocco (1942)

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What’s Old Is A New Release Again (2020) with… Spawn Of The North (1938)

For today’s movie, we have that 1938 film Spawn Of The North, starring George Raft, Henry Fonda and Dorothy Lamour! Of course, to precede that, we have an Ant And The Aardvark theatrical short, which is available on Blu-ray and DVD as part of The Ant And The Aardvark from Kino Lorber. Once past that, we then have today’s main feature!

Coming Up Shorts! with… I’ve Got Ants In My Plans (1969)

(Length: 6 minutes, 17 seconds)

The aardvark has to contend with a green aardvark chasing after the same ant. At first, this one starts out looking like it’s going to be the usual formula, with the aardvark trying to catch and eat the ant. Then the green aardvark shows up, and everything changes. With the ant captured, we now have the two aardvarks trying to take each other out. The gags may not be the most original, but they’re still worth quite a few laughs, making this cartoon fun to watch every now and then!

And Now For The Main Feature…

Alaskan fisherman Jim Kimmerlee (Henry Fonda), who is now the owner of a salmon cannery, is reunited with his friend Tyler Dawson (George Raft), who had been off hunting seal. However, Jim is having trouble with Russian fisherman Red Skain (Akim Tamiroff), who is trying to steal fish from one of his traps. Tyler comes between them, and prevents them from fighting. Afterwards, Tyler returns to town, where he is living in a hotel owned by his girlfriend, Nicky Duval (Dorothy Lamour). While Jim and Tyler are hanging out together, Dian Turlon (Louise Platt), who is the daughter of local newspaper editor Windy Turlon (John Barrymore) and also an old friend of theirs, returns to Alaska. They both try to ask her to the local dance for the night, although she turns them down. However, at the dance, she starts warming up to Jim. Tyler wants to go in on a partnership with Jim, but Jim’s business with the cannery leaves him unable to do so. Not long after, when a bunch of fisherman (including Jim and Tyler) are getting some ice from an iceberg, they have to save somebody else when too much ice falls and destroys another ship. While they are helping the other fisherman, Jim realizes that some of the fish in Tyler’s boat must have been stolen, and he tries to warn Tyler that anybody caught stealing fish from someone else’s nets will be killed, but Tyler shrugs it off. Not much later, Jim and some of the other fishermen catch some of Red’s men stealing their fish, and they deliver their dead bodies to Red’s place (where Jim also sees Tyler hanging out). When Jim celebrates his birthday, Tyler is noticeably absent. Jim is warned by the other fishermen that Red is trying to steal more fish, and has Dian try to get Nicky to warn Tyler not to go anywhere. Unfortunately, Tyler doesn’t listen to Nicky, and her attempt to sabotage his boat doesn’t stop him, as he joins Red with another boat. Jim and the other fishermen arrive at the nets while some of Red’s crew and Tyler are taking some of the fish. Tyler starts shooting harpoons at them while his compatriots try to get away. Jim reluctantly has to shoot Tyler to get him to stop. The badly injured Tyler somehow ends up back with Red and his gang, but they leave him to die. Jim finds him, and brings him back to the hotel, where Tyler is able to receive some medical care. Red, however, soon comes to town, and tells Jim there is only room for one of them in town. Tyler overhears, and wants to find a way to help his old friend Jim.

Spawn Of The North was based on a novel of the same name by Florence Barrett Willoughsby. For this movie, Paramount Studios put together a steel and concrete tank which could hold 375,000 gallons of water, in order to do close range shots of fishing boats and power cruisers. There were also some scenes shot on location at Lake Arrowhead, Lake Tahoe, Balboa Island and on the coast of Southern California. The movie proved to be popular with audiences at the time, and Paramount Studios would make use of the property again when they remade it in 1954 as Alaska Seas.

Now, I am coming off my first time seeing Spawn Of The North, and I will readily admit that it’s a movie I saw mainly for one reason: actress Dorothy Lamour. Admittedly, I mainly know her from the seven Road films with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, the handful of movies she made with Bob Hope alone, and her cameo in Here Comes The Groom. So, this being more of a non-comedic role for her was different than I’m used to, and yet still satisfying! She was wonderful here as a woman with a bit of a past, and yet, as mentioned in the story, she has reformed somewhat. She certainly has a history with George Raft’s character, which allows for some humor there in the way they interact. Yet, when all is said and done, she cares for him, and tries to do what she can to save him, even when he doesn’t want her to.

And, of course, Dorothy Lamour is hardly the only reason for the movie, either! There’s some fun to be found in the idea of this being an Alaskan western (you know, with fish pirates instead of cattle rustlers, and fisherman instead of cowboys, etc.). I wouldn’t say that this is one of Henry Fonda’s better films, but he does well enough here as something of a heroic character. But, one of the better and more fun characters is the college educated newspaper editor, as played by John Barrymore, who is prone to showing off his knowledge of words, usually simplified for everyone else by his assistant Jackson, as played by Lynne Overman. Only complaint there is that we don’t get to enjoy enough of the character’s eloquent speaking here! This was a fun movie, and one I felt was worth seeing!

This movie is available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber. The movie is using at best an HD scan of the film, and the lack of a restoration shows. I certainly wish this movie could have been treated better, but, at the same time, I’d be surprised if it was popular enough to warrant the cost of restoring it in the first place. As I said, it’s far from perfect, but, all things considered, it’s good enough for me to still enjoy the film.

Film Length: 1 hour, 50 minutes

My Rating: 8/10

List Of Actor/Actress Filmographies/Collections

George Raft – Each Dawn I Die (1939)

Jezebel (1938) – Henry Fonda – Jesse James (1939)

Dorothy Lamour – Road To Singapore (1940)

Akim Tamiroff – The Great McGinty (1940)

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The Long And The Short (Series) Of It on… The “Road To…” Series (1940-1962)

Just for fun, now I would like to talk about the seven film Road series with Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and their frequent co-star Dorothy Lamour. I do admit, I could easily do a post on them as a screen team (whether it be all three of them together, Bing & Bob or Bob & Dottie), but most of their other appearances together are minor (mostly cameos that might spoil some movies), so I’ll just stick to this series. Of course, with that many movies in the series, I’ll link to the individual reviews for each of them.

The first film in the series, Road To Singapore, was almost a different beast entirely. Originally, the script went by the title The Road To Mandalay, and it was planned for different stars, including George Burns and Gracie Allen, and possibly a few others, all of whom turned it down. How it came to Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, who knows, as there have been many different stories of how that came to be. However, what is known is that Bing and Bob had worked together previously, on stage and at a racetrack opening, so they had established some kind of relationship, that eventually resulted in them being paired together for Road To Singapore, where they mostly “ad-libbed” their way through (much to the dismay of the film’s writers but the enjoyment of the film’s director, Victor Schertzinger).

Road To Singapore (1940)

My Rating: 9/10

Few at Paramount had any idea how big Road To Singapore would turn out to be. The movie’s success prompted them to look at another property for them to do. What would become Road To Zanzibar came from a script called “Find Colonel Fawcett” that they had turned down before due to its similarity to another movie. Reworked, it became the next film in the Road series. With Victor Schertzinger returning as director, the boys were given the same freedom they had enjoyed before, with “ad-libs” thrown around, and an increase in breaking the fourth wall, with many winks to the audience. Of course, their characters and their relationship onscreen became more defined, and less dramatic than the movie before.

Road To Zanzibar (1941)

My Rating: 8/10

Coming off the success of the first two movies, they were finally given a script written specifically for them. Victor Schertzinger was slated to be the film’s director, but his sudden passing left the film’s reins being passed to David Butler. With a script written for them, even more hilarity was allowed, whether it be talking camels (with animated lips and eyes but otherwise realistic bodies) or songs that fit their style of comedy, like the title song. And then there’s the start of a trend for the remaining films, in which stuff happens that, in other films, would be considered goofs or plot holes in other movies, but are done on purpose. For example, in Morocco, the boys are tied up and left behind stuck in nets in the desert, trying to hop their way after the villains in one shot, and in the next are completely free, and they openly state they won’t tell the audience how they got out).

Road To Morocco (1942)

My Rating: 8/10

With Road To Morocco proving to be a big success, the fact that another movie would come was inevitable. However, Road To Utopia went through a number of delays. The writers had a hard time coming up with a script that all three of the leads would agree to. Consequently, it is the odd duck in the series, with us being introduced to Dorothy Lamour’s character as soon as the boys (the only time in the series that she was introduced that soon instead of making her first appearance nearly twenty minutes into the movie like in the other five she starred in). Once finished, the movie would still be delayed, partly due to the success of Road To Morocco (since movies stayed in theatres longer then), as well as giving Bing room for success with his Academy Award winning role in Going My Way.

Road To Utopia (1945)

My Rating: 7/10

Road To Rio (1947)

My Rating: 9/10

With Road To Rio, the series began bringing in celebrities for various cameo appearances. The Andrews Sisters joined Bing for the song “You Don’t Have To Know The Language,” and Jerry Colonna was the leader of the cavalry trying to come to the rescue at the end of the movie. Road To Bali brought in a few more celebrities (borrowing footage from The African Queen for Humphrey Bogart’s appearance). Another change for Bali was the change to color, as the previous entries had all been filmed in black-and-white. However, this would also be the last movie in the series done at Paramount Studios.

Road To Bali (1952)

My Rating: 7/10

After a decade (and the ends of their contracts with Paramount), Bing and Bob came back for The Road To Hong Kong. This time, the movie was back to being black-and-white, but now was in widescreen for the first time. At Bing’s insistence, they brought in a new, younger female co-star. Dorothy Lamour wanted in, and Bob Hope tried to make a push for her to be, so as a compromise, she was given a cameo and a song of her own. However, the series and its stars was showing its age, even if they did try to make it more modern by parodying spy movies and the space race, and it ended up being the final movie in the series (although there were plans for another that were squashed partly by Bing’s death).

The Road To Hong Kong (1962)

My Rating: 4/10

I would have to say, these are the movies that helped start my fondness for classic movies. Prior to watching these, I mainly had seen the animated Disney movies and maybe one or two of the really big classics, but I really wasn’t interested, otherwise. When my family first upgraded to a DVD player and subscribed to Netflix, these were some of the movies my parents tried to rent. We didn’t see them in the order they were made, but they ended up being an enjoyable treat, and one I have enjoyed ever since. If possible, I know I would recommend seeing the series in the right order, as some jokes about the series work better if the series is viewed from the start. My own opinion is that the first six films are the ones most worth seeing, and The Road To Hong Kong can more or less be ignored. While I have grown older and started to see how politically incorrect some of these movies can be, they are still always worth a good laugh for me, and I have no trouble whatsoever recommending this wonderful series!

And click on any of the following images to go to Amazon and buy any of these movies (or anything, for that matter), and help support this blog!

Road To Singapore
Road To Zanzibar
Road To Morocco

Road To Utopia
Road To Rio
Road To Bali

The Road To Hong Kong

Thoughts From The Music(al) Man (2019) on… Road To Bali (1952)

We’re hitting the Road again, this time with the sixth film Road To Bali, once again starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour!

While in Australia, vaudevillians George Cochran (Bing Crosby) and Harold Gridley (Bob Hope) find themselves on the run to avoid a pair of shotgun weddings. They hire out to Prince Ken Arok (Murvyn Vye) of Batou as deep sea divers to go after sunken treasure. When they get to the island of Batou, they meet Princess Lalah (it’s Dorothy Lamour, so you know the boys will fall for her). Lalah is against them going diving for the treasure, because she knows about the killer squid living down there, and she tells George about it. So of course he cons Harold into going after it. Harold manages to survive the squid and get the treasure up, and so George, Harold and Lalah try to flee to Bali. While there’s a lot more that happens after that, it’s as good a place as any for me to stop.

I do have to say, with this movie, the series (and its stars) was starting to show its age. There is a slight “been there, done that” quality to the movie, with stuff like them avoiding a shotgun wedding (for the third time), them trying to swear off women (for however long that lasts), etc. Of course, as with most of the series, they do struggle with stereotypes of the various native people. Where some modern audiences might also object is the “wedding of the two grooms and no bride” (which was supposed to be Dottie’s Lalah marrying the two guys until the native chief decided to take her as his own wife), since their “volcano god” objects to it.

Don’t let my complaints fool you. I do like this movie, and think it does have many wonderful moments! The movie has a great many celebrity cameos, including Humphrey Bogart (although technically it’s borrowed footage from The African Queen), Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Bob’s Son Of Paleface co-star Jane Russell (wearing one of her costumes from that movie) and a couple others. There are also a few fun tunes, including “The Merry-Go-Run-Around,” which, to me, perfectly exemplifies the rivalry that Bing and Bob’s characters had shared for Dorothy Lamour’s characters throughout the series. And while it kind of veers into recognizing that “been there, done that” quality, Bob’s aside to the audience when the music begins for Bing’s big romantic song is certainly worth a good laugh. There are a few other wonderful moments in the movie, but, suffice to say, I enjoy this movie and would definitely suggest giving it a try!

The movie has fallen into the public domain, but for the best quality transfer, I would suggest either the Blu-ray or DVD from Kino Lorber.

Film Length: 1 hour, 31 minutes

My Rating: 7/10

List Of Actor/Actress Filmographies/Collections

Son Of Paleface (1952) – Bing Crosby – White Christmas (1954)

Son Of Paleface (1952) – Bob Hope – Alias Jesse James (1959)

Here Comes The Groom (1951) – Dorothy Lamour – The Road To Hong Kong (1962)

The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (1948) – Humphrey Bogart – The Caine Mutiny (1954)

Dean Martin – Some Came Running (1958)

Road To Rio (1947) – Bob Hope/Dorothy Lamour (screen team) – The Road To Hong Kong (1962)

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What’s Old Is A New Release Again (2019) with… Road To Utopia (1946)

We’re back for the fourth road trip with Road To Utopia with Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour!

In flashback, we are told of how Sal’s (Dorothy Lamour) lawyer is murdered by two criminals, Sperry and McGurk, who steal a map to an Alaskan gold mine, and Sal gets on the first ship to Alaska to try to head them off. Meanwhile, a pair of song-and-dance con men, Duke Johnson (Bing Crosby) and Chester Hooton (Bob Hope), end up on a later ship to Alaska (after Duke cons Chester into going along). However, Chester shoves their money out a porthole (mistaking it for a safe), and they have to work their way over.  While cleaning the room occupied by Sperry and McGurk, they find the map.  Subduing the two criminals, they assume their identities to get off the boat. Sal, having already made it to the town of Skagway, has turned to her father’s friend Ace Larson (Douglas Dumbrille) for help (although he secretly wants the mine for himself). Duke and Chester also come to Skagway, where, as Sperry and McGurk, they are big men in town and gain Sal’s attention as she tries to get the map from them. However, Duke and Chester quickly find themselves on the run when the real Sperry and McGurk come gunning for them (not to mention some of Ace Larson’s goons, too).

While this may be the fourth movie in the series, the laughs are still coming hard and fast!  We get a second go-round of “talking” animals (achieved by mainly animating the lips).  Then we have the guys defining their relationship even further, with Bing’s Duke now even more willing to con Bob’s Chester (as exemplified by Chester feeling the need to count his fingers after shaking hands with Duke, or watching them pickpocket the same wallet from each other).  Then, of course, there are their quips, lampooning each other and a lot of other things, including the censors!  And who could forget Bob literally getting steamed up when Dottie is singing to him? Of course, these are just a handful of wonderful moments in a movie full of them.

A lot of what I’ve read seems to indicate that most feel that this movie is right up there with Road To Morocco as one of the best, if not the best, movies in the Road series. Personally, I disagree with that. I do like this movie, that I will admit. But at the same time, I do miss them doing their “patty-cake” routine (since this is the ONLY film in the series that they don’t do it at least once), and their reliance on the old “literally pull the rug out from under the bad guys” schtick instead of it just doesn’t work for me. That, and, to a degree, some of the movie’s suspense is removed just by the fact that the movie starts with the three leads (in old age makeup) as they tell the story of how they came to be separated for many years.  To be fair, these are minor quibbles, as I do still enjoy this movie.  This is the one in the series that modern viewers might have the easiest time with as it has the fewest issues with being politically correct (since it only takes place in Noth America, starting in San Francisco and moving to Alaska). So, yes, I would recommend this one for a good laugh!

The movie is available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber (and has been available on DVD from Universal for a number of years). As to the Blu-ray, I think it looks very good, possibly the best-looking transfer of the first four movies with few, if any, defects. Certainly the method of viewing I would recommend!

Film Length: 1 hour, 30 minutes

My Rating: 7/10

List Of Actor/Actress Filmographies/Collections

The Bells Of St. Mary’s (1944) (original review of The Bells Of St. Mary’s) (update) – Bing Crosby – Blue Skies (1946)

Road To Morocco (1942) – Bob Hope – My Favorite Brunette (1947)

Road To Morocco (1942) – Dorothy Lamour – My Favorite Brunette (1947)

The Sky’s The Limit (1943) – Robert Benchley – The Bride Wore Boots (1946)

Road To Singapore (1940) – Jerry Colonna – Make Mine Music (1946)

Road To Morocco (1942) – Bob Hope/Dorothy Lamour (screen team) – My Favorite Brunette (1947)

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What’s Old Is A New Release Again (2019) with… Road To Morocco (1942)

We’re back for the third film in the Road series, Road To Morocco, again with Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour!

When the ship that Jeff Peters (Bing Crosby) and Orville “Turkey” Jackson (Bob Hope) are stowed away on explodes, they manage to get to the shores of North Africa on a raft. Once there, they make their way on camel to Morocco. In the first town they come to, Jeff sells Orville as a slave to help pay for some food. However, after Orville is taken away, Jeff can’t find him to rescue him, until the ghostly form of Orville’s Aunt Lucy (also Bob Hope) appears to him in a dream and points him in the right direction. Jeff is able to locate him, and discovers that, instead of being a slave, Orville is engaged to Princess Shalmar (Dorothy Lamour)! When Jeff bursts in on them, Shalmar takes a liking to him, but still insists on marrying Orville (for reasons I refuse to spoil). Meanwhile, they also have to deal with the desert sheik Mullay Kassim (Anthony Quinn), who is determined to marry Shalmar himself.

Some consider this movie to be the best of the Road series. Personally, I like a couple of the others better, but I won’t deny that this movie probably has the best music of the series, provided by composers James Van Heusen and Johnny Burke. The title song definitely feels like it was written for Bing and Bob, allowing them to break the fourth wall with knowing winks to the audience. “Moonlight Becomes You,” Bing’s big romantic song in this movie, was the biggest hit in the series. “Ain’t Got A Dime To My Name” is also kind of fun and catchy (made a little more amusing by the presence of Bob Hope’s Aunt Lucy).

You sure can say one thing about this movie: it’s not short on comedy! While the boys continued to “ad-lib” most of their lines (as provided by their gag writers), one genuine ad-lib made it in, when, in one of the early scenes in the movie, the camel they were working with spit on Bob Hope, and the director kept the camera going long enough to get Bing’s reaction. Then, of course, there is the film’s reprise of “Moonlight Becomes You” later in the movie, with Bing and Bob joined by a mirage of Dorothy, and their voices all switching around. Dottie plays it straight, with Bing reacting a little to the voice switching and Bob just having fun with it. Now that I’ve had a chance to see the movie Here Comes Mr. Jordan, I do think that the references to that movie play a little better (but, since there is no real “world-building” here, you can get away with not watching that movie). There are certainly a lot of other wonderful bits of comedy (including a pair of “talking” camels), but I should mention that at least one moment early on might sour modern audiences, a moment where they observe a mentally challenged man able to get free food from the market vendors because they consider them sacred, and so Bob’s Orville tries to act mentally challenged to get some food (and fails). Otherwise, though, I do consider this to be a fun movie, and would easily recommend it (of course, I do suggest seeing the earlier movies in the series first).

This movie has been made available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber (and has been available on DVD for years from Universal Studios). The transfer on the new Blu-ray looks about as good as I’ve ever seen the movie, with maybe a few scratches here and there. It’s certainly the way I would recommend seeing the movie.

Film Length: 1 hour, 22 minutes

My Rating: 8/10

List Of Actor/Actress Filmographies/Collections

Holiday Inn (1942) – Bing Crosby – Going My Way (1944)

My Favorite Blonde (1942) – Bob Hope – Road To Utopia (1946)

Caught In The Draft (1941) – Dorothy Lamour – Road To Utopia (1946)

Caught In The Draft (1941) – Bob Hope/Dorothy Lamour (screen team) – Road To Utopia (1946)

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