Bob Hope Tribute Collection - The Road Show Series (The Road to Morocco / The Road to Singapore / The Road to Utopia / The Road to Zanzibar)

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Road to Singapore
Here's the first trip in what would become one of Paramount Pictures' most profitable film series of the '40s. When this comedy was released in 1940, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope had separately achieved stardom, though Crosby was an established power and Hope still a hot comedian new to movies. In fact, Hope is billed third in Road to Singapore, below Der Bingle and Dorothy Lamour. The script establishes what would be a constant in the Road series: a ramshackle plot, a handful of songs, and plenty of irreverent banter between the two boys. Crosby plays Josh Mallon, scion of a wealthy family, who prefers the vagabond life to his stuffy family; his pal Ace Lannigan (Hope) is only too happy to escape. They end up sharing a waterfront shack in Singapore and vying for the affections of a sarong-clad local (Lamour), amidst stabs at conning the natives with a dubious elixir variously known as "Spot-O" (stain remover) and "Scram-O" (cockroach killer). Singapore isn't as loose as some of the wacky subsequent entries in the series, but it already shows Crosby and Hope grooving to each other's perfectly timed burlesque rhythms in scenes that clearly depart from the script. They specialized in muttered asides, show-biz in-jokes, and gratuitous insults--and this one's got a song and dance number with an ocarina. No wonder it became a franchise. --Robert Horton

Road to Zanzibar
The second Road movie from Paramount Pictures finds barnstorming con artists Chuck Reardon (Bing Crosby) and Hubert "Fearless" Frazier (Bob Hope) at liberty after their act goes haywire. (In these movies, Crosby generally lures the suckers into the tent, while Hope is always stuck getting shot out of the cannon.) A phony map to a diamond mine brings our boys into the middle of Africa, which means there's a good chance they'll end up sitting in a cauldron while natives perform a cannibal dance around them. These stereotypes would be offensive if the movie wasn't actively parodying the kind of jungle movie popular in 1941 (just as Road to Morocco would satirize the Arabian nights picture). Dorothy Lamour is along for the ride, of course, and her scene in a tight clinch with Hope established a tradition of steamy comic exchanges through the series (as she croons a love song to him, he checks to see if his wallet is still in his pocket). This is the first Road movie to actively wink at the audience; in one scene, Lamour mocks the way movies always have characters break out into song in the middle of nowhere with a full orchestra backing--which is exactly what happens next. The chatter between Crosby and Hope already feels improvised, and it should be noted that the secret of their chemistry is not a sentimental friendship but a cheerfully hostile rivalry between the two characters, a cheeky approach that must've delighted audiences used to the Andy Hardy niceness of most Hollywood movies of that era. Oh, and they do their patty-cake routine, too. --Robert Horton

Road to Morocco
Road to Morocco, number three in the series of breezy comedies teaming Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, may be the funniest of the bunch. Bing and Bob find themselves Morocco-bound ("like Webster's dictionary"), caught in an elaborately faked-up world of harems, palm trees, and other Arabian Nights bric-a-brac. Naturally, Dorothy Lamour is also there, as she was the customary target of male rivalry in the Road scenarios. There is something so loose and ingratiating about the patter between Hope and Crosby that it doesn't ultimately matter if half the jokes don't land; these guys had their own comfortable rhythm, fueled by cheerful one-upmanship. Their sense of spontaneity broke the fourth wall between movie and audience in a way only the Marx Brothers had really accomplished before, and audiences--feeling in on the joke--ate it up. Songs (including "Moonlight Becomes You"), topical references, and ancient vaudeville routines fill out the program. --Robert Horton

Road to Utopia
I feel sorry for people who can't appreciate Hope and Crosby Road pictures. This is the fourth in the series, and has the boys masquerading as the killers Sperry and McGurk, from whom they've stolen the map to a gold mine, but which really belongs to Dorothy Lamour, but which... and you know it really doesn't matter anyway. The point is they've got this thin plot on which to hang a series of hit-and-miss jokes, coming fast enough to make it just all right and a certain amount of time to see who gets Dorothy Lamour, while maintaining their fierce and friendly and wisecracking rivalry. They're in the Klondike this time around, which doesn't stop the film from working in a glimpse of Dorothy in her sarong. Along the way, animals talk, including the humorist Robert Benchley, whose thoroughly dispensable introduction and running commentary I wouldn't dispense with for anything. This is arguably the goofiest of the road pictures. My favorite joke is when Bob is bested in fishing with Bing. Bob remarks, "My worm must have B.O." Bing comes back with "Couldn't B.U." You may not care where you're going, just as long as you're with them. Put it there, pal, put it there. --Jim Gay

Customer Reviews:

Fine Family Vewing.......2005-08-05

Where has the Golden Age of Hollywood gone? It's available in one box. Bing Crosby and Bob Hope keep you laughing in this collection of endearing films. Bing Crosby woos the ladies with his Crooning, Bob Hope keeps them entertained with his sly wit. As the series progress they make refrences to their previous adventures, and they even take time to include you the veiwer in on the joke.
The On The Road series of films revolve around the premise that Bob and Bing are broke knock around guys, that fall for the same woman (Dorthy Lamour) and the antics that suround them as they both try to win the girl and save the day.
These movies set the tone for all "Buddy" flicks that have followed. A great set of movies for the family to sit around and watch on a Friday night. Don't forget the pop corn. I highly recommend this Box set.

OUTSTANDING - Bing is as always memorable - 5 STARS.......2003-12-21

What to say. As a younger viewer, 18, of the road to series, mostly Bing Crosby, I can only tell you that this is not only funny and sweet. It's a movie for all ages, without the needed worrying of partial nudity or inappropriate language for younger viewers, or mature viewers. Bing and Bob, Hope and Crosby : ), have excellent chemistry, they ad-lib mostly because of the fact that they work so well together. This has great picture quality, and humor for all times. I recommend this set and all others that follow. The only drawback of the pack, is that it only contains the first four, (Road to Singapore, Zanzibar, Morocco, and Utopia), it is missing the hilarious other 3, (Road to Rio, Bali, and Hong Kong), and the title being attributed to Bob Hope. I love them both, but Bing steals the scenes. For Hope and Crosby fans alike. GREEAAAAAAAAAAT!!!

Good quality- priceless entertainment.......2003-11-17

Bing Crosby and Bob Hope are hilarious together in these films. The quality of the dvds is excellent in both picture sharpness and sound. And the bonus features, of which there are several (photos from the sets put to music, sing-alongs, tribute to Bob Hope etc), are delightful. It is wonderful collection of the Road films and you would not go wrong purchasing this particular collection.

Ah yes....Thank you, so much...........2003-10-19

Pre-"Call Me Bwana" Bob Hope!! Is there anything better? NO ONE was better with a one-liner or an ad lib than old Ski-Nose! And Bing playing against him, never ceasing to amaze with his OWN ability to toss off a few!

Of the movies in this collection, "Utopia" is the best, with the slyest one liners, some fourth-wall breaking and lots of "in" jokes. And ALL the movies, at least on the VHS version, were crisp as could be!

The one thing you'll notice about the "Road" movies, is that the humor in them seems WAAAYY ahead of its time....like something you'd see in the fifties or sixties rather than the forties. Hope and Crosby were to comedy films what "Citizen Kane" and "The Wizard of Oz" were to late thirties drama.... trendsetting and exceptional! You couldn't possibly go wrong getting this set...if only it had "Hong Kong" and "Bali" in it....! (Not to mention "Rio"...)

Who is ever going to replace these two guys? George Clooney and Brad Pitt? Mike Meyers and Dana Carvey? I don't think so.

We'll miss you...Bob, Bing, Orson, Audrey, Cary, Frank, Sammy, Lucy, Desi, Kubrick, Federico, Henson, etc., etc.,.....

Somewhere up in heaven, someone is being entertained royally....

"Patty Cake..Patty Cake...Baker's Man........".......2003-10-13

"Bake A Cake as Fast As You Can...."...because you will not want to miss one second of the first four entries in The Road Series flicks with Bob,Bing and Dorothy!

This attractively boxed "Tribute Collection" is a must have for fans of these guys. The films, all from the early fourties,all Black and White, are beautifully restored and transfered on Dual layer discs. Although each has the special feature "Bob Hope and the Road to Success", the rest of the bonus material is different on each one. There are fun "Sing-Alongs","Entertaining the Troops", "Command Performances", photo galleries, DVD ROM and more.

The films themselves, are classic laugh out loud stuff, as in each story we follow our guys on their misadventures around the world. They never get old, each "road" brings new laughs and new plots.Always on the run from the bad guys, always some new money making scheme, and of course there's always the girl..the beautiful Dorothy Lamour. Will their "patty-cake" routine help them get away, will they become rich..will Bob EVER get the girl??? It's a pleasure watching on these DVDs.

Adding to all the laughs, are the wonderful song and dance routines, the exquiste costume design and the fabulous scenery. There are also always some terrific guest stars. Keep a look-out for these famous faces..Jerry Colonna, Una Merkel, Charles Coburn, Yvonne DeCarlo and the great Anthony Quinn.

So travel The Roads to Singapore,Zanzibar,Morocco and Utopia,with this famous trio. You'll be glad you did!

One note on "The Road to Utopia"..for some reason my DVD player was sensitive to this one, and would not load it, but I tried it on another player and it played perfectly...go figure!

Go for it while the price is right!(It has already gone up a little since my purchase) Enjoy!...And...Thanks Universal for bringing us this classic piece of Hollywood in this great set!.........Laurie

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