IT CAME FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF!

On March 26th, Kino Lorber Studio Classics will release the first four films in the popular Bing Crosby and Bob Hope Road picture series individually on Blu-ray.  As a classic comedy fanboy since grade school, the new releases provide a good excuse for me to revisit the series chronologically, beginning with Road to Singapore (1940).

The Road pictures have long been favorites among classic comedy fans, and even movie lovers with a cursory knowledge of the films of Bob Hope have usually seen one of the seven “Road to” movies.  At the very least, they are usually aware of the Road formula — Bing Crosby and Bob Hope play globe-trotting vagabonds, who joke, sing, dance, and double-cross each other to save their own skins or to win the heart of sarong-clad Dorothy Lamour, who they inevitably meet along the way.  The comedies are also well known for Hope and Crosby’s tendency to ad-lib, break the fourth wall, and to include surreal or self-referential gags that draw attention to the fact that it’s all just a movie.  However, this formula wasn’t in place from the very beginning, so when people think of the Road pictures, they are usually recalling the third film in the series, Road to Morocco (1942), or the films that followed.  With that in mind, let’s take a look at how it all started.

In the beginning, there was a script, entitled Road to Mandalay, which was offered to actors Fred McMurray and Jack Oakie.  When the pair passed, the project was reworked as Beach of Dreams for the husband and wife comedy team of Burns & Allen, but upon reading the finished product, they also declined.  Looking over the list of Paramount’s contracted players, the producers decided to try teaming established star Bing Crosby with up-and-comer Bob Hope (who had just scored the year before with the scare comedy The Cat and the Canary).  The duo, while not a true comedy team, had interacted briefly in live appearances and on radio, and their natural banter had impressed audiences.  To help ensure the success of this untried team, the producers added popular actress/singer Dorothy Lamour (known for starring in South Seas romances) to the mix.  You’ll note that Bob Hope receives third billing, behind Bing and Dottie, for this initial outing, as both Crosby and Lamour were bigger box office stars at the time.  In all future entries, Hope will move to second position, after Bing.

The story centers around Josh Mallon (Crosby), the rich son of a shipping magnate, and his penniless pal Ace Lannigan (Hope).  When both buddies are threatened with marriage, they flee to the island of Kaigoon around Singapore.  While they have both sworn off women, they come to the aid of Mima (Lamour), a cabaret dancer who is anxious to get away from her whip-lashing dance partner, Caesar (Anthony Quinn).  Both boys become smitten with the native girl, while they sing, dance, and sell fake spot cleaner to make ends meet.  Soon, Josh’s daddy (Charles Coburn) and fiancee (Judith Barrett) join Caesar in trying to track down the trio, while Mima must decide between her two suitors.

There is nothing about Road to Singapore that would lead one to believe that it would spawn one of the most successful film series of all time.  There is little of the wackiness and none of the “fourth wall” breaking that would typify the later Road movies; and the comedy is more smile-inducing than laugh-out-loud funny.  That said, I find it a delightful, if somewhat more relaxed, Road picture.  The chemistry between the three leads is immediately evident, even if the material isn’t quite as sharp as in later offerings.  And the team really shines during their song and dance numbers, especially the memorable ocarina specialty, “The Sweet Potato Piper.”  The tunes are bouncy, and Bing, Dottie, and even Bob vocalize pleasantly.  Plus, Hope gets to show off some of his Vaudeville dancing moves.  All in all, the film is a light, breezy entertainment that connected with audiences of the time and continues to please.

Fans of the later Road pictures will find the relationship between Bing and Bob much more chummy in this initial series entry.  They are more supportive and less likely to undercut each other, even when fighting over Lamour’s affections.  Also, while the duo do employ some hucksterism to earn money, selling fake spot cleaner in this case, their characters are not the type of conniving con men that they portray in later series entries.  However, fans will recognize the “patty cake” routine that was repeated in various fashion throughout the series.

One word of warning for more politically correct viewers — The boys do dress up in “brown face” at one point in the story, in order to partake in a native feast.  Of course, one must always judge a film based upon the time in which it was made.  For a film from 1940, the “brown face” clowning and the depiction of the native peoples is less cringe-worthy than one would expect.

Road to Singapore was never meant to be the start of a seven-film series.  It was a light. breezy entertainment that was meant to be enjoyed and then forgotten by audiences.  However, the box office was bigger than producers anticipated, so when there was an opportunity to re-team Bing, Bob, and Dottie, Paramount didn’t hesitate, as we’ll see when we head down the Road to Zanzibar.

USA/B&W-85m./Dir: Victor Scherzinger/Wr: Don Hartman and Frank Butler (from a story by Harry Hervey)/Cast: Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, Bob Hope, Charles Coburn, Judith Barrett, Anthony Quinn, Jerry Colonna, Bobby Barber

For Fans of: If you love classic comedy teams (Abbott & Costello, Laurel & Hardy, The Marx Brothers, Martin & Lewis, etc.) but you haven’t seen the Road pictures, you should give Bing & Bob a try.  However, you may want to sample the best of the Road pictures (Morocco or Utopia) before circling back to Singapore.

Video: Kino Lorber’s Blu-ray release of Road to Singapore is everything that a fan could wish for.  The movie looks and sounds better than it has since its original release. The Black & White image is sharp and free of debris, and the grain structure of the 35mm film is intact.  The original mono audio is clear, and the musical sequences sound terrific.  In addition, the special features from prior DVD releases have been ported over onto the Blu-ray.

Special Features:

• Bob Hope and the Road to Success: A 14-minute vintage featurette covering how the Road picture series originated
• Entertaining the Troops: A 8-minute vintage featurette about Hope’s USO tours
• “Sweet Potato Piper” Sing-A-Long: The song sequence from the film with highlighted subtitles
• Theatrical Trailers for the first four Road pictures
• Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature

Streaming: The Road to Singapore can be rented or purchased in digital streaming format on Amazon, but it isn’t currently streaming on any of the major subscription services, such as NetFlix or Hulu.

More to Explore: By the end of this month, all the Road pictures will be out on Blu-ray— Road to Singapore, Road to Zanzibar, Road to Morocco, Road to Utopia, Road to Rio, and Road to Bali from Kino Lorber Studio Classics and Road to Hong Kong from Olive Films.  They are all worth a watch.  However, the middle three are generally considered the best.

Trivia: In addition to Bing, Bob, and Dottie, supporting player Anthony Quinn would return as a heavy in Road to Morocco (1942).  Also, Bob Hope’s favorite stooge, Jerry Colonna, who appears in Road to Singapore as Spotto-victim Achilles Bombanassa, would return in Road to Utopia (1945), Road to Rio (1947), and Road to Hong Kong (1962).

Bobby Barber Sighting: Lou Costello’s personal stooge, Bobby Barber, shows up as a suds-covered spectator when Bing & Bob sell their miracle spot-remover “Spotto.”

For More Info: There have been many film references and individual biographies written about Bing, Bob, and Dottie, but for coverage of the Road series specifically, let me suggest the book Road to Box Office: The Seven Film Comedies of Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour, 1940-1962 by Randall G. Mielke.