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John Wayne's last film with mentor and long-time collaborator John Ford (The Searchers) is a 1963 comedy about a group of war veterans settled on a South Pacific island. When the daughter of one of them (Jack Warden) comes for a visit, the freewheeling status quo between the boys is disrupted. This is Ford in his chummy, amiable, roughhousing mode--think of Victor McLaglen's drunken fight scene in Ford's She Wore a Yellow Ribbon--and it is entirely pleasurable. Wayne is comfortable in his man's-man role, and Lee Marvin (who played Wayne's nemesis in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance) is effectively roguish. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (25)

You say it's your birthday
Yes it is a John Wayne movie and has many of his standard cast. This is a Christmas movie and a birthday movie. And, And, And. John Wayne gets to say, "Swing your legs...limbs over" in his John Wane manner.

Cesar Romero (Marquis Andre de Lage) is always scheming to go to Hollywood and is the first to bring up the fact that the offspring of Jack Warden (Dr. William Dedham) are half-cast and may not meet Boston standards. This leads to situations that just keep snowballing. "Oh, what tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive."

Everyone gets an appropriate present for Christmas. But I think the best one is the one that Lee Marvin (Thomas Aloysius 'Boats' Gilhooley) receives. And he gets to play King of America at the pageant.

There is not a slow moment in this film and you have to keep up with all the subplots. And the scenery is breathtaking.

Watch this one for the performances!
"Donovan's Reef" is a strange hybrid of a movie. On the one hand, it's a vehicle for John Wayne to show off with the rest of the very talented cast. On the other, it's also a morality play about racism, set on a lush, (and distant) South Pacific island, but very relevant to the United States of the early 1960s. In these days of multiracial awareness, the latter aspect seems a bit dated, and talk about "half caste [non-white] children" is quaint. Cliches and cultural stereotypes abound, but in its time "Donovan's Reef" was a progressive and even (as another reviewer has called it) "subversive" movie. The beautiful exotic setting no doubt made the message of racial equality more palatable to the mainstream American audience of the day.

Today, however, the movie endures primarily because of the strength of the cast and the characters they create. A young Lee Marvin plays the brawling Gilhooley and Cesar Romero the pleasantly oily French governor. The Asian actor who plays the governor's aide is truly splendid. His name should be up in the main credits along with the stars. Although there is not a weak performance among the lot, my favorite moments are the exchanges between Wayne and Elizabeth Allen, his foil and romantic interest. She plays the supposedly straitlaced Bostonian and he the salty ex-pat bar owner. Both are strong characters, and they give each other as good as they get.

On the negative side, the narrative is sometimes disjointed, as if the movie tries to be too much in too little time. It's as if too much film ended up on the cutting room floor. A pity, because if what was edited out is of the same caliber as what was left in, some rare moments have been lost. Too bad John Ford isn't around to do a "director's cut."

"Donovan's Reef" may not be a great movie, but it sure is fun to watch.

GETS BETTER WITH EACH PASSING YEAR
Professional movie reviewers and published guides do not rate Donovan's Reef very high. More than a few seem to look down their noses at this light comedy. But I have always liked it. Nothing about this movie is supposed to be taken seriously with the sole exception of its subtle rejection of racism. (Some may nitpick about certain depictions of the "non-whites"; but only the hard hearted would fail to notice that the "whites" come off as essentially foolish as well.) At the center is the battle of the sexes between Wayne and Elizabeth Allen-each side getting its share of victories and comeuppances. All the characters are likable and the writing is sharp and witty.

Of special enjoyment is the Christmas Pageant in the leaky chapel. I have never been able to think about the "three wise men" of the Christmas story without this scene coming to mind. The Polynesian ceremony at the end of the film is also humorous as well as touching.

The setting is supposed to be French Polynesia but everything about the film from the scenery to the people suggests Hawaii. No matter. This is simply a great "little" comedy. Watch it some lazy Sunday afternoon and it will make your day.

Don't Take This Too Serious
John Wayne does a great job at Playing John Wayne! This movie is not a serious work -- but rather it is a great excuse for the Duke and his posse to kick it in Hawaii.

Navy buds, pretty girls, beautiful tropical scenery and a big bowl of popcorn makes for a great family night at home. It took me a long to find this movie, but fortunately I finally did.

I can't even begin to count how many times my family and I have seen this great Wayne yarn.

A Top Ten JW movie!
I have to give this 5 stars. I love 80% and just fast forward past the 20% I don't like, and walla!! A nice, short, fun, family friendly, non-disney entertainment. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Tyrone `Apollo`, what a great movie!
I was really impressed by this flick! I couldn't imagine how marvelous it was when I bought it at Amazon...It's one of the best gangster movies I've ever seen.Tyrone is brilliant as usual
and I really enjoyed Lamour's singing too...Go for it!

A great prewar gangster flick
A dazzling proto-noir gangster film, featuring Tyrone Power in one of his best roles, as "Johnny Apollo," a wealthy man's son who changes his name and turns to a life of crime after his father is exposed as an embezzler and sent to prison. Power effectively sheds his pretty-boy image as a romantic leading man, and does an excellent turn as a cynical tough guy -- even more astonishing is Dorothy Lamour's performace as Lucky, a hard-bitten gun moll who takes Johnny under her wing. Snarling out her lines in a thick urban accent, Lamour is about as far away from her Polynesian and exotic hottie typecasting as possible; she also gives one of the most convincing gangster gal portrayals I've ever seen. Better still, is Lloyd Nolan's turn as crime boss Mickey Dwyer, whose grinning, boyish enthusiasm and charismatic charm belies his violence yet completely explains Apollo's devotion to him. Nolan plays a cheerful psychopath -- the kind of role that Robert Deniro and Joe Pesci have so artlessly beaten to death -- with such naturalness and ease that his performance may actually be the heart of this film. Look for his scene with the icebox lock, and you'll see what I mean. I really enjoyed this film: if you're looking for a good gangster flick, or a Hollywood classic, check this one out!

Tyrone Power and Dorothy Lamour shine
This gangster film marked a distinct change of pace for both Tyrone Power and Dorothy Lamour. Indeed the shift really shows both performers in a very favourable light and reveals other sides to their performing abilities.

Tyrone Power by 1940 was at the peak of his popularity and had been named Box Office King of Hollywood the year before. He was however unsatisfied with being regarded solely as the glamour boy of Hollywwod and was eager to stretch himself as a performer in more serious roles. "Johnny Apollo" provided him with such a vechicle and he portrays an interesting multi dimensional character who is at times a likeable innocent but who develops into a hardened criminial because of circumstances beyond his control.

Dorothy Lamour was borrowed from Paramount for this role and in her Autobiography "My Side of the Road" she states how excited she was to find herself teamed with the number one heartthrob of Hollywood. Like all his co stars she found Tyrone to be a total joy to work with and someone who lacked any ego normally associated with alot of leading men. Dorothy had already enjoyed stardom at Paramount in such notable films as "The Hurricane" where she usually played a native girl in a sarong. In "Johnny Apollo" she has a complete change of pace playing Mabel 'Lucky' DuBarry the girl friend of gangster Lloyd Nolan who develops an interest in Tyrone's character. She is excellent portraying the world weary singer and gangsters mole with the heart of gold . Edward Arnold also is a stand out in the role of Tyrone's father Robert Cain Sr. His initial arrest on corruption charges is the catalyst which sends Johnny's life crashing down around him and while he reforms and learns the errors of his ways it has the opposite effect on Johnny who moves into a life of crime and corruption. Arnold, a superb character actor in many diverse performances has never been better than in this role and his great chemistry with Tyrone is obvious from their interactions and really gives the film an electricity and dramatic build up.

Twentieth Century Fox went all out with this production showing the seamy side of the gangsters world and included one very violent and brutal scene when Tyrone apprehends a gang member and has a fight with him in the street involving smashing his head into the pavement. Brutal stuff which gives the scenerio a raw edge which seems very realistic. Even Tyrone's very famous goodlooks have a more mature, darker look about them as if anticipating a more mature outlook in his screen presence for the future.

"Johnny Apollo" may lack a little of the gritty quality so evident in the classic Warner Bros gangster movies of the early thirties but it shows an interesting variation on the crime theme by displaying White Collar crime and in displaying prison as a possible place of rehabilitation that can have a positive influence.

Being a big Tyrone Power fan I do tend to enjoy him in his famous swashbuckling roles but "Johnny Apollo" is a particular favourite of mine as it combines a gripping story with great characterisations by Power, Lamour, Arnold and Nolan. These four really set the sparks flying in the story and all reveal pleasing aspects of their screen personas not greatly utilised before. If you like well written gritty dramas combined with just that touch of exciting melodrama you can't go past "Johnny Apollo" .

Captivating Drama
"Johnny Apollo" is one of those films that seem merely interesting at first, yet by the end, you're waiting breathlessly for the final word, your heart clenched with anticipation over what will befall the characters you've learned to care for.

Dorothy Lamour is excellent in this movie, fully convincing as the gangster's girl with a soft heart. Edward Arnold is simply wonderful as the title character's father, stubborn and standing by his morals no matter what the cost. Lloyd Nolan's performance is top notch, as well, the hard-hearted gangster whose ability to care for someone else is overwhelmed by his self-serving nature.

Tyrone Power gives the performance of his life (up to this point) as the son of a convicted criminal who is soon in over his head but too blind to see it. He lacks the light-hearted charm that is so much appreciated in many of his other films, but that kind of attitude would be out of place in a gangster movie such as this. His is a dark, brooding performance, excellently mature and moving, restrained yet honest. Such is his performance that his looks, strange as it may sound, are noticed only as an afterthought.

This is a taut, gripping human drama with nothing seeming out of place. Witty dialogue, surprising moments, wonderful cast, and little enough predictability to spoil anything. Certain things you know will happen, and it's the execution that counts. And here it's superb. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

DEMILLE AT HIS BARNUM BEST!
"The Greatest Show on Earth" is probably Cecil B. DeMille's best sound film (sans the 1956 perennial "The Ten Commandments") since it is a film about showmanship. DeMille was cinema's greatest showman, whether his movie plots were historical, religious, dramatic, or just plain American 1950's hokum, such as this one. "The Greatest Show on Earth" succeeds at glorifying the lost art of the world's traveling circus when the circus was performed in tents, vs. the great arenas of today. DeMille's narration adds an air of authenticity to the proceedings, but the audience knows full well that this movie is a big show itself, which is low on the acting quality but big on the spectacle. Some of the matte shots and special effects show their age, especially the model train wreck which climaxes the film. Most fun of all is seeing Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in the circus audience watching their Paramount co-star Dorothy Lamour perform.

Groan ... The DeMille "Touch"
For me, this movie already had two strikes against it before I even started watching it: Cecil B. DeMille and Charlton Heston. I've always thought DeMille movies were overproduced, empty spectacles, and that Heston performances were overripe, empty caricatures. Well, both men were true to form in this story about the conflicts behind the scenes at a travelling circus. Heston snarls and orders people around as the circus manager, the object of the affections of Betty Hutton, aerial star, and Gloria Grahame, elephant trainer. Enter Cornel Wilde, the hotblooded French aerial star, and things get complicated (not really ... the story never gets that deep). Jimmy Stewart stars as a clown with a mysterious past (I'm not kidding about that), and Dorothy Lamour is ... well ... I'm not actually sure what her purpose was in the film, other than to badly lip synch a few songs. Other than Stewart, who in all honesty could read the dictionary and make it interesting, the performances are pretty bad. But then again, saddled with such lousy cliched dialogue, there probably wasn't much they could do. Yet although I seem to be trashing this film a lot, it was entertaining somehow. The circus spectacle is colourfully presented, and if you just accept the plot, dialogue, and acting for what they are - products of the DeMille "touch", it is mindlessly fun. That may not be glowing praise, but like I said, for a film that already had two strikes against it in my book, I was expecting worse.

What's with this transfer?
Okay, you like the movie or you don't. I do. Corny but a great spectacle,etc. But what's with this transfer? It is full screen, not letterboxed, and some scenes snap inexplicably in and out of close-up mode -- not pan and scan but hop and jump. Damn shame, given the wait for this one.

Awesome in its Badness
Jaw droppingly bad movie. Loud, dumb, melodramtic, cheesy and poorly acted. Widely hailed as purhaps the worst movie to win the academy award for best picture. A Cecil B Demille vanity project. High Noon and The Quiet Man are infinitely superior movies. That High Noon didn't win is a crime. Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly should have sued somebody, anybody.

The Greatest Show On Earth - But Not The Best Picture
As a circus buff, I can't imagine anybody BUT C.B. De Mille having the scope of vision to do justice to a show deliberately created to be so big that one person simply can't take it all in, and the stories and subplots that abound under the biggest of the Big Tops. That said, I do have to wonder what on earth the Academy was thinking when they voted TGSOE the Oscar as Best Picture of 1952. That year saw the release of High Noon, Ivanhoe, The Quiet Man and Singin' In The Rain, any one of which could lay better claim to the title of Best Picture in terms of writing, plot and cinematography. Why did TGSOE win the Oscar?

I believe it is because the film was seen as a "last chance" vote for De Mille; particularly ironic given that C.B. received the Thalberg that year as well, and for the same reason: for creating and producing consistently high-quality movies. De Mille's best work was decades behind him when he filmed the 1951 edition of the Ringling Brothers - Barnum & Bailey Circus. The subplots, purple prose and some of the situations have more in common with the silent cinema spectacles for which De Mille is justly famed than they do with the realities of running a three-ring railroad circus plus midway under canvas on the road for an 8-month season.

One subplot almost derailed the production, in fact. From its beginnings, Ringling Brothers was renowned for running a totally honest show. Considering that at one point Ringling had been nicknamed 'the Sunday-School Show' for its total intolerance of grifters, pickpockets and thieves, the subplot involving a dishonest rival circus owner planting a team of con men on the show to run the midway's games of chance was about as welcome to the circus's management as a skunk at a picnic. There were rows between De Mille, Art Concello (Ringling's Director of Performance) and John Ringling North, the show's owner, over this plot until C.B. convinced them he needed the plot line to set up the climactic train wreck at the end of the movie. (Ringling's management didn't like THAT much either, because RB&BB hadn't had a train wreck since 1892!) However, the show extended itself even beyond their usual standard to accommodate the filming (Concello, a famous aerialist in his time, even gaffed The Great Sebastian's fall for De Mille) and despite the tensions engendered by the needs of two different forms of entertainment (there is a legend that C.B. got a royal chewing-out from Concello for moving the lighting around without asking so he could film better, which movement nearly caused a trapeze artist to fall because he couldn't see his catcher), the principal photgraphy was a marvelous chronicle of circus life, in and out of the ring.

The photography, in fact, is what makes The Greatest Show On Earth such an important picture. De Mille succeeded in capturing on film a way of life that even then was starting to die; John Ringling North would strike the Big Top for good midway through the 1956 season and convert his circus into an 'arena show.' Forget the corny subplots involving Brad Braden, Holly, Buttons the Clown and The Great Sebastian. Watch this movie in a documentary frame of mind and you will realize not just how important the circus used to be back before television brought the world into your living room, but the sense of wonder that has been lost from our faster-paced, wider-ranging lives. Glory in the music as well, much of it written for the movie or the 1951 Edition; Victor Young's "The Greatest Show On Earth March" instantly sets the circus scene just as well as Fucik's "Entry of the Gladiators" ever has. Remember that all the acts are doing their thing in real time, not with the help of a green screen and CGI; those are real people really risking their necks out there! (Oh yes: and that really IS Betty Hutton working on the single bar above Ring One. She was doubled for the sequences on the flying trapeze, but she learned and performed her own routines on the single bar. There is even an extant film clip of her being presented with an award from Photoplay Magazine by C.B. De Mille, who had to ride up on a camera crane to give it to her while she was rehearsing under the Big Top!)

We owe the great Cecil B. De Mille many thanks for the documenting of The Greatest Show On Earth at its peak. I personally believe this movie should rank high on the AFI 100 Greatest Movies List. However, as I've said, the best picture of 1952 it isn't, not by a long shot.

Even so, buy the DVD anyway and go to the circus again... and again... and again! "Bring the young'uns! Bring the old folks! Come again!" ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Archaic but amusing.
This comedy/musical extravaganza, set mostly aboard an ultra-modern luxury liner, does not hold up as well as most of W.C. Fields' films. It is overlong and rather dull in spots, but several funny scenes (with Fields, of course) almost compensate. Surpringly, the best scene is that in which Bob Hope sings, for the first time, the song that has become indelibly associated with him for the past 63 years, "Thanks For the Memory". It is a duet with Shirley Ross, and it is done not as a funny novelty song, but as a poignant one. Worth seeing.

Ship race through icebergs, W.C. Fields at the wheel
This movie has it's good points. It was made with some special effects that may seem primitive by todays standards, but they work reasonably well and are not overdone. There is an animated splash of water that refuses to go back into the ocean and instead dances to the music. If it were in color it would be considered a good video for MTV. W.C Fields is good as two brothers. Bob Hope is adequate. Both have much better films. The best part of watching this is to see how our styles and standards have changed. When Bob Hope was singing "Thanks for the Memory," I found myself looking at the silly hat the girl who sang with him was wearing. Another funny hat was worn by the lady opera singer. She even carried a spear while she warbled. Imagine 60 years from now when somebody reviews Garth Brooks latest video and finds themselves laughing at his crazy hat and that microphone growing out of the side of his head. Styles change, but this is an okay movie with Fields in a flying motor scooter and Ben Blue doing a mean Charleston. If you like dance numbers, Martha Raye does a fun and energetic workout with some gymnastic style tosses. Bob is better in "Paleface," "Son of Paleface," "Fancy Pants," "Seven Little Foys," "Beau James" and any of the "Road" pictures. W.C. Fields was better in "The Bank Dick" and "My Little Chickadee." Tom Willett

This movie is well acted and has wonderful songs
The Big Boadcast is with no doubt the best of the four broadcasts. It is splendidly acted with an all star cast. Buzz Fielding (Bob Hope) is a broadcaster on a ship trying to escape from his three ex-wives, with his finacee Dorothy Windham(Dorothy Lamour) Thanks for the Memory was first sung here, and it is Bob Hope's first movie. Shirley Ross is a splendid Cleo Fielding, and Martha Raye does a marvelous job as Martha Bellows the daughter of S.B. Bellows (W.C. Fields) Great dance numbers and songs, I fully recomend it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A mixed bag... but still good nostalgic fun
Bing Crosby croons the closing number in this flimsily-scripted wartime tossoff in which Paramount Studios hosts a patriotic all-star revue to entertain our men in uniform. Eddie Bracken is a goofy sailor back home to get a girl... Lucky for him that Betty Hutton -- in her first major role -- has her eyes set on him as well. She fast-talks and finagles (in a very Lucy-like way) to get Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Fred MacMurray and a bunch of other stars to come on board for the (spontaneous, yet amazingly elaborate) really big show, and in the process Hutton gets her man. The song and dance numbers, despite being written by Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen, are notably not first rate, although the Golden Gate Quartet have a nice cameo (even if they are playing train porters...) and a trio of starlets -- Paulette Goddard, Dorothy Lamour and (aroooogah!! woof! woof!) Veronica Lake -- do a hilarious number together, based on their images as stars. Also notable is a silly, prolonged skit in which men pretend to be women (eek.) and Bing's big patriotic number at the end, which is some of the clumsiest wartime propaganda committed to film. Betty Hutton is given the film's biggest role, and though she hams it up, she's still totally adorable. Let's see more of her!! Film buffs will also enjoy the chance to see director Preston Sturges and studio legend Cecil B. DeMille onscreen.

Absolutely crazy!
This combination of Paramount's stars during World War II is great! The storyline is typical of musical comedies from that era: Betty Hutton is a telephone operator at Paramount who, along with Victor Moore, pretends that Moore is the head director of the studio in order to impress Moore's sailor son (played by Eddie Bracken) and his shipmates. In reality, Moore is only a gate guard known as Pop, and when he is discovered by the director whom he is impersonating (Walter Abel) he and Hutton are fired and thrown off the lot. Unfortunately, they have promised Bracken that the stars of the studio will put on a show for the men on his ship. Hutton manages to sneak back into the studio and coaxes several actors and actresses to help their beloved Pop. The whole movie is a lot of fun. My family loves it, especially the part when Hutton is trying to get back into the studio! With a few exceptions--Hutton, Moore, Bracken, Abel, etc.--everyone in the movie plays themself, including several well-known Paramount directors of that time. Definitely a must-see if you love goofy movies from the forties! ... Read more

Reviews (59)

"Creepshow 3", anyone?
I liked this movie for many reasons. One, the first one was terrifyingly scary (I was 8 when I first saw it). Two, it was written by horror master Stephen King. The first story, "Old Chief Woodenhead," about a cigar store Indian who avenges the murders of his kindly shop owners, was creepy enough. Only really scary if you are easily creeped out or if you watch it at night with the lights off. The second story, "The Raft," about four college students who go to a secluded lake and unwittingly become sitting ducks to a carnivorous oil slick-like blob was particularly scary. My second favorite out of the three stories in the movie. The last of the three and by far the simplist and most scariest was "The Hitchkiker." About a cheating wife driving home from a rendevous with her lover and runs down some poor guy. She flees the scene only to be haunted by his undead spirit. Makeup effects by master Tom Savini were awesome. The complaints I have about the movie are minor ones. Why were there only three stories instead of five like in the first one? Also, what was up with the animated wraparound story? Yes, the first
"Creepshow" featured animated in-betweens before and after each story, but it did not have any cartoonish interaction between characters in its prologue or epilogue. Also the score wasn't nearly as scary as it was in the first movie. The fillmmakers should have tried to get the same composer to return as well as director George A. Romero. The DVD doesn't have that many special features on it. The trailer and a behind-the-scenes photo gallery montage are about it. I would have liked to at least have a commentary by the director if not a couple of the cast members. Last but not least, when will there be a "Creepshow 3"? It's never too late for another sequel. Hello, Hollywood is sequel-crazy these days. Now is the time to strike. Overall, a decent pick if you're looking for a fright ride.

As good as the first one in a bad way
Creepshow 2 isn't so glamorous as its predecessor, but in many ways that works in its favor. Gone is the lightshow and comics-inspired camera work. All that is left are 3 nifty Stephen King stories and some serviceable actors to bring them to life (with the exception of George Kennedy who does a wonderful job as a storekeep who is murdered by thugs and avenged by a wooden Indian). The wooden Indian tale that starts this movie comic book probably sums up all the themes that EC comics tried to beat us over the head with: If you are bad, bad things will happen to you. Hence, thugs kill sweet storekeep, wooden Indian gores thugs. They only got what was coming to them. Story Two, "The Raft" is all-out cool. Kids smoke pot and swim to a raft (in an off-limits lake), and blob of gook on lake eats kids one by one until all that is left is the Camaro the kids drove up in. "The Raft" is giddy fun. Genuinely creepy. But wait, there's "The Hitchhiker." Lois Chiles plays an adulteress driving home from a fling when she kills a hitch hiker and then drives off. Of course, hitch hiker won't let her get away with that and so what follows is the scariest and most off beat segment in the movie. I mean, this guy can't be killed, but Lois Chiles certainly gives it all she's got. In the end, though - good triumphs and Lois gets hers. And it's all great fun. Not so flashy as Creepshow one, but this sequel is worthy.

"Thanks for the ride lady!"
Thanks for a crappy rental blockbuster. This movie blew more then a three dollar hooker. My friend and I were so disapointed in this movie. We both saw the first one and loved it. Every story in that one was awesome and they all had a cool comic book feel and each one was different from the other. Well the sequel had a feeling of "When will this movie end" ok i will be honest the second story was really good and the blob thing was awesome. I know it is just a movie but it did bother me that the car battery never died after the car being on for so long but again it is just a movie. that story is the reason why i gave it two stars instead of one.
The last story was the one that ruined the movie. I mean the first story was neat but not great and the second one was cool but the third one was poop on a stick. All it was, was a black guy in a raincoat screaming "thanks for the ride lady" while getting killed thirty times. The only thing that terrified me was how i laughed during that scene because i was thinking what if Dave Chapelle remade this but with him as the black guy. It would have been hilarious. So just rent the first one and if you do really want to see this just watch the first two stories and skip the last one, you will thank me

A Hoot
I love this sequel to Creepshow, more fun and sillyness. My favorite in this one is "Old Chief Wood'n Head,". I just always liked this one. Too bad they never made a Creepshow 3 and so on. This would have been a good series if more were made by the same crew that did one and two. This is a fun film with plenty of laughs and cheesiness. Check it out if you haven't already.

Good follow up but not as good as the 1st!
Let me start off by saying that I loved creepshow, I was somewhat dissapointed with this one. I bought a box set called 3 from the mind of Stephen King, just for this one. But I figured out that the other two (children of the corn and maximum overdrive) where alot better! anyways, the first story starts of with a wooden indian coming to life and seeking revenge. this story is called Ol' chief woodenhead. then next story is "the raft" this one is probably my favorite one of them all. its about four friends whose vacation to a lake turns into a nightmare! and the last story is about a lady who runs over a hitchiker and he comes back to life and haunts her. and by the way the creep looks nothing like he did in the first! Rated R for horror violence, language, and some nudity. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

LAMOUR, FONDA AND BARRYMORE
In the thirties, all-star action melodramas didn't come much better than SPAWN OF THE NORTH, an eventful yarn of the war between Russian and American salmon-fishing fleets along the Alaskan coast. It was a winner for Paramount, which made several such big-scale mass entertainments in a period when other companies were scooping up all the Oscars and critics' awards. Even some of the reviewers enthused about the rugged vigour of Henry Hathaway's direction of this Barrett Willoughby story, scripted by Jules Furthman and Talbot Jennings. Performances pleased, too: Henry Fonda as the stalwart skipper, Dorothy Lamour as the gal who stands by him, defying the world, the flesh and the devil; George Raft as Fonda's pal (who goes over to the bad guys but thinks better of it). The great John Barrymore is great fun as a grizzled, guzzling newspaperman and Akim Tamiroff is good as the Russian heavy. Charles Lang's photography (the exteriors shot mostly in Alaska) was magnificent.

Excellent historical drama of trap fishing in Alaska
I enjoyed the authentic depiction of the challenges and dangers of fishing in Alaska in the thirties and earlier using fish traps. Some of the footage was on site and spectacular! ... Read more

Amazon.com

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 ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Wonderful start for the "Road" pictures.
"Road to Singapore" is the first of the "Road" pictures starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour. They are all wonderful, crazy, silly and just plain fun films as Bing and Bob wreak havoc along everything they encounter. In this first film, plenty of that is done, probably more likely in any other 'Road" picture as they head for Singapore and rescue the fair Mima from a bullwhipper. Some of my favorite sequences are the "patty-cake, patty-cake" scenes in which it becomes a running gag in every "Road" film, especially this. Filled with crazy antics, hilarious crack-ups, exotic dance numbers and s omuch more to enjoy even though the film is quite underrated and a bit quirky.

The first stop of many worthwhile destinations
I don't know why so many of the past reviewers put this film at the bottom of the list of "The Road to . . ." series. This is the film that started it all! It may lack some of the easy play and banter between Hope and Crosby as seen in the later films, but keep in mind this is the first time (1939-40) that Bing and Bob have been in a film together. As the years progressed, they were given more freedom to do what they liked given their bigger star status and the box-office successes of the earlier pictures. Despite what others may say, "Singapore" is an enjoyable film all the way through. It's embedded with gems like "Captain Custard" and "Sweet Potato Piper". The chemistry between Hope, Crosby, and Lamour is great -- you can tell they must have had a fun time making this movie :)I would definitely not leave this one out of my "Road" collection.

The start of a great tradition
The first of the much-vaunted "Road To" series, and an inkling of things to come... Beset on all sides by would-be wives, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope skip town to form an Asian branch of the He-Man Woman-Haters Club, predictably getting sidetracked by drippy Dorothy Lamour (is it just me, or is her likeness to Katie Holmes... check her out in profile... a little eerie?) Anyway, the plot is paper thin, the pacing is sluggish and the gags are as flat as the tunes by songwriter Johnny Burke. It's kind of goofy seeing Hope in a supposedly manly-man role, but maybe that's just in hindsight. Most significantly, this marks the beginning of Crosby's descent into unmitigated pop culture corn... It's a so-so oldie; better that you should stick with Crosby's earlier "Waikiki Wedding," which at least has some cool music.

TOO ROMANTIC
That's the title of the best-known tune which was introduced in this first entry in the immensely popular ROAD TO.... series. In this one, Josh Mallon, the scion of a straightlaced shipping magnate, and his free-spirited pal, Ace Lannigan, ridicule the institution of marriage. However, Josh's Dad is disgusted with his son's irresponsible antics & commits Josh to an office job and a marriage to socialite Gloria Wycott...The working title of this just-average first outing from the famed duo of Hope & Crosby was FOLLOW THE SUN. Other songs which are heard in the picture are: SWEET POTATO PIPER, KAIGOON, THE MOON AND THE WILLOW TREE & CAPTAIN CUSTARD (!). In 1940, the Ohio Censorship Board demanded that the studio (Paramount) make extensive cuts in the native dancing girl sequence.

On The Road To Classic Comedy
While this first outing may not be the very best of the road pictures (I rate "Morocco" and "Utopia" as better), this is classic comedy, if not a classic film. Hope was new enough on the scene to get third billing (behind Crosby and Lamour), and it was amusing seeing an early Anthony Quinn and Jerry Colonna. The plot is better than some in the "Road" series (a bit of class warfare gets things started), and I always enjoy seeing Bing's "dad" in the film (Charles Coburn).

The rivalry between Hope and Crosby for Lamour's affection has an edge to it, but that makes it just about perfect.

In the extra features we learn that Hope and Lamour were not the first choices for the flick -- would you believe George Burns and Gracie Allen??? BTW, the extra features in all of the new Universal series of DVDs for the "Road" series are well done.

I hadn't seen this in years, and it is much better than my memory had it from years as cut up fodder on commercial television. This one is a keeper. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Quick Trip...
This is a review of the STERLING/PEARSON DVD "Bob Hope Film Collection" edition (with the green cover!) I hope that helps set this apart from the other editions and reviews...

The film is a good example of the Road movies - it's no Utopia or Morocco, but it's still very entertaining. Lamour is ravishing whilst Hope and Crosby wise-crack and soft-shoe with the best of 'em. All in all a four star movie.

However, this DVD has a rather pathetic amount of extras (ie. none), a fair-to-middling print and a very low audio track. My suggestion is to find another DVD edition. At the end of the day - we all want to upgrade from VHS to DVD, so why settle for an edition that is estentially lower quality?

Good and wholesome family entertainment!!
The "road" series are tremendous fun. Despite having seen these movies many times over we still enjoy them each and every time that we watch them. My wife and I have introduced these classics to our children who have become avid fans of Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour. When you think of Bob Hope you naturally think of the ROAD series. This is comedy that you can share with your family without fear inappropriate content. Enjoy!!

Wonderful movie, their wit shines through tremendously.
Well, the movie is wonderful. It's hilarious and charming, with Hollywood Oomph boy adding a scene. FUNNY!
Always Crosby and Hope share their wity banter.

If you want a taste:
They're insulting each other, of course.
"Swine" - Crosby
"Pig" - Hope
"swine means pig" - Crosby
"fine, ham." - Hope

It's just all around witty and charming.
The only defect of the video is the sound quality, it's muffled and I can scarecly make out what they're saying at times. I was continuously straining to hear they're witty banter.
The movie itself is well worth having. Although I recommend you go with a DVD version, if you want to really hear and crack up at their constant inults.
Otherwise GREAAAAAAAAAAT!

Its Sad to see Bob Hope pass away today...
He lived a very long life and gave tremendously to America and the World. In this we hope people can remember happier times by watching this video.

Best of the Road series, with one small glitch
This has always been my favorite film in my favorite film series. And I agree with the other reviews here that the Brentwood DVD boasts a nice crisp print, courtesy of the UCLA Film Archives. However, there is one inexplicable mistake in the video transfer. Movies such as this that predate widescreen format generally fit neatly into a standard TV picture frame with only minimal clipping on all sides. But "letterboxing" is not just for wide-screen movies. In the better DVD and video versions of pre-widescreen movies the opening credits are often letterboxed on all four sides so that the viewer can see the entire frame without the names being clipped off at the beginning or end (hence the word "letterbox").
Such is the case with this version of Road to Rio. There is a 4-sided letterbox around the opening credits, but the frame of the film is not adjusted to fit inside the letterbox! So instead of allowing us to see the entire frame, the letterboxing here actually masks a large portion of the picture. (This is really unfortunate because the opening credits are quite clever, with the names of the stars literally dancing along a cartoonish painting of the Copacabanna beach to the tune of "Brazil.") As you watch the credits you will notice the clumsy pan-and-scan as the frame is consciously maneuvered within the letterbox to follow the shifting position of names and credits. This of course, defeats the whole purpose of letterboxing, and begs the question, "What were these people thinking?" They obviously knew the picture did not fit the letterbox!
The reason this is so annoying is that Director Norman Z. McLeod (perhaps the most accomplished comedy director of the entire "Road" series) was a cartoonist and drew a series of amusing little stick-figure caricatures of the cast and crew that appear in the lower right hand corner of Road to Rio's opening credits. This was a trademark of McLeod's; he did this in some of his earlier comedies as well. Unfortunately the ham-fisted letterboxing almost completely obscures these drawings. I know this sounds like a minor complaint, but Rio's opening titles are the best in the series and really set the tone for the whole movie. Someone really had to go out of their way to mess up an otherwise excellent presentation of this film. An earlier VHS version of Road to Rio released by Columbia Home Video managed to letterbox the opening credits properly.
It's a shame that Road to Rio and Road to Bali are not owned by Universal (which owns all of Paramount's pre-1948 releases including the first four "Road" films). Universal's "Road" DVDs are technically beautiful. If Rio and Bali could have been part of Universal's DVD set, fans would've been very fortunate. Alas Rio and Bali are owned by Bob Hope Enterprises. As is often the case with older films whose copyrights are not held by major studios with the resources to do them justice, these two great films (as well as several other Hope classics owned by Hope Enterprises) have had a very inconsistent existence on home video.
May 2003 marks not only the 100th birthday of the great Mr. Hope, but Bing Crosby would also have been 100 years old this month! (Bing was 27 days older than Bob). Even with the letterboxing glitch, this DVD of Road to Rio is a wonderful way to celebrate the centennial of one of Hollywood's greatest comedy teams. Happy Birthday, Bob! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Lovely Slice of the 1940's
I was born in 1952, but would come home from gradeschool to find 1940's movies being played on the local TV station. I fell in love with the strange world of the 1940's, which was so very different from the late 50's.

This movie is a delightful romp, as Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamore fight Nazi terrorists and spies in Washington DC who are planning to attack American cities enmass, poisoning the water, blowing up power stations, the type of thing the Bush Administration is always trying to scare us about. I suppose this shows my political bias, but at one point in the movie, a character says that she will no longer work with the Nazi's since she values the freedom in this country. My immediate thought that was with the Patriot Acts 1 and 2, it is from INTERNAL sources that we now have to worry about our freedom, whereas in the 1940's it was the external enemy that wanted to turn us into a police state.

Anyway, this movie is delightful in giving a slice of the popular culture at that time, the wonderful tailored clothes, bizarre women's hair styles, the GI Joe patriotism, and most importantly the laughs which haven't aged a day since 1942, all the way up to the hilarious conclusion when members of all branches of the military join Bob and Dorothy in saving the USA!

If you enjoy WW2 memorabilia, this movie may be a fun experience for you. If you are a baby boomer like me who was raised on such black/white movies on TV after school, it will be a nostalgic look back wards. This is the REAL THING, not some modern movie made to re-enact the WW2 days. In a wierd sense, this is a very sweet movie when Bob and Dorothy were young and vital, and the world was in great danger, and yet we all had time to laugh.

SIMPLY GREAT !
As a French (currently living in Switzerland), I have never had the opportunity to be that familiar with Bob Hope and his humor, therefore I bought this DVD at random...and I simply hit the ceiling ! First of all, on the technical point of view, the transfer is absolutely exceptional (when you'll watch the trailer, you shall see the difference !) , glorious black and white, great sound with lots of dubbing (Argh !) and subtitles.
The story is very light but amusing, typical of those WWII comedies and the lines of Hope...Mama mia ! you can die for them !
It is so hilarious that I already watched it twice in 3 months
So do not hesitate to purchase it , even if the price ... appears to me to be too excessive ... ... Read more

Reviews (59)

"Creepshow 3", anyone?
I liked this movie for many reasons. One, the first one was terrifyingly scary (I was 8 when I first saw it). Two, it was written by horror master Stephen King. The first story, "Old Chief Woodenhead," about a cigar store Indian who avenges the murders of his kindly shop owners, was creepy enough. Only really scary if you are easily creeped out or if you watch it at night with the lights off. The second story, "The Raft," about four college students who go to a secluded lake and unwittingly become sitting ducks to a carnivorous oil slick-like blob was particularly scary. My second favorite out of the three stories in the movie. The last of the three and by far the simplist and most scariest was "The Hitchkiker." About a cheating wife driving home from a rendevous with her lover and runs down some poor guy. She flees the scene only to be haunted by his undead spirit. Makeup effects by master Tom Savini were awesome. The complaints I have about the movie are minor ones. Why were there only three stories instead of five like in the first one? Also, what was up with the animated wraparound story? Yes, the first
"Creepshow" featured animated in-betweens before and after each story, but it did not have any cartoonish interaction between characters in its prologue or epilogue. Also the score wasn't nearly as scary as it was in the first movie. The fillmmakers should have tried to get the same composer to return as well as director George A. Romero. The DVD doesn't have that many special features on it. The trailer and a behind-the-scenes photo gallery montage are about it. I would have liked to at least have a commentary by the director if not a couple of the cast members. Last but not least, when will there be a "Creepshow 3"? It's never too late for another sequel. Hello, Hollywood is sequel-crazy these days. Now is the time to strike. Overall, a decent pick if you're looking for a fright ride.

As good as the first one in a bad way
Creepshow 2 isn't so glamorous as its predecessor, but in many ways that works in its favor. Gone is the lightshow and comics-inspired camera work. All that is left are 3 nifty Stephen King stories and some serviceable actors to bring them to life (with the exception of George Kennedy who does a wonderful job as a storekeep who is murdered by thugs and avenged by a wooden Indian). The wooden Indian tale that starts this movie comic book probably sums up all the themes that EC comics tried to beat us over the head with: If you are bad, bad things will happen to you. Hence, thugs kill sweet storekeep, wooden Indian gores thugs. They only got what was coming to them. Story Two, "The Raft" is all-out cool. Kids smoke pot and swim to a raft (in an off-limits lake), and blob of gook on lake eats kids one by one until all that is left is the Camaro the kids drove up in. "The Raft" is giddy fun. Genuinely creepy. But wait, there's "The Hitchhiker." Lois Chiles plays an adulteress driving home from a fling when she kills a hitch hiker and then drives off. Of course, hitch hiker won't let her get away with that and so what follows is the scariest and most off beat segment in the movie. I mean, this guy can't be killed, but Lois Chiles certainly gives it all she's got. In the end, though - good triumphs and Lois gets hers. And it's all great fun. Not so flashy as Creepshow one, but this sequel is worthy.

"Thanks for the ride lady!"
Thanks for a crappy rental blockbuster. This movie blew more then a three dollar hooker. My friend and I were so disapointed in this movie. We both saw the first one and loved it. Every story in that one was awesome and they all had a cool comic book feel and each one was different from the other. Well the sequel had a feeling of "When will this movie end" ok i will be honest the second story was really good and the blob thing was awesome. I know it is just a movie but it did bother me that the car battery never died after the car being on for so long but again it is just a movie. that story is the reason why i gave it two stars instead of one.
The last story was the one that ruined the movie. I mean the first story was neat but not great and the second one was cool but the third one was poop on a stick. All it was, was a black guy in a raincoat screaming "thanks for the ride lady" while getting killed thirty times. The only thing that terrified me was how i laughed during that scene because i was thinking what if Dave Chapelle remade this but with him as the black guy. It would have been hilarious. So just rent the first one and if you do really want to see this just watch the first two stories and skip the last one, you will thank me

A Hoot
I love this sequel to Creepshow, more fun and sillyness. My favorite in this one is "Old Chief Wood'n Head,". I just always liked this one. Too bad they never made a Creepshow 3 and so on. This would have been a good series if more were made by the same crew that did one and two. This is a fun film with plenty of laughs and cheesiness. Check it out if you haven't already.

Good follow up but not as good as the 1st!
Let me start off by saying that I loved creepshow, I was somewhat dissapointed with this one. I bought a box set called 3 from the mind of Stephen King, just for this one. But I figured out that the other two (children of the corn and maximum overdrive) where alot better! anyways, the first story starts of with a wooden indian coming to life and seeking revenge. this story is called Ol' chief woodenhead. then next story is "the raft" this one is probably my favorite one of them all. its about four friends whose vacation to a lake turns into a nightmare! and the last story is about a lady who runs over a hitchiker and he comes back to life and haunts her. and by the way the creep looks nothing like he did in the first! Rated R for horror violence, language, and some nudity. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

+1/2 Lightweight pre-war military comedy
Eddie Bracken and Dorothy Lamour star, respectively, as Bob Hope's comedic and romantic foils in this lightweight military comedy. Bob plays Don Bolton, a pampered, smartaleck-y movie star who latches onto marrying Lamour as a way to to avoid the draft ("I'm not a coward," he says, "I'm just allergic to bullets.") The trouble is his would-be wife is also the daughter of a bristly old-school Army Colonel, and she shares daddy's distaste for shirkers. Their love-hate relationship slowly tilts towards love, and eventually he proves himself worthy of her hand. The sketch-oriented script has episodic laughs, but is pretty predictable and sluggish: it might have been funnier at a time when universal conscription was becoming a reality, and civilian America was ramping up to meet a total war economy. In that regard, it's an interesting cultural relic.

Pleasing wartime Bob Hope effort
"Caught In The Draft" is an amusing film not well known today and certainly it is not one of Bob Hope's more frequently seen films. I believe the reason for this was that it was definately a product of its time, as America was preparing to move into the Second World War and was just feeling its way about such issues as conscription and compulsory training of soldiers.

Adapted as a vechicle for Bob Hope's very unique style of comedy acting it is a pleasant and at times very amusing film. While not up there in my opinion with such Hope classics as "The Cat And The Canary", "The Ghost Breakers" or "My Favourite Blonde" it is still an amusing way to pass an hour and a half. Bob Hope was one of Paramount's biggest stars in 1941 when "Caught In The Draft" was filmed. In his solo comedies and in his memorable work as a team with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour in the "Road" films he had become an icon for American comedy. In this outing he is joined as his leading lady by Dorothy Lamour and the two, despite Lamour's limitations both with her role here, and her acting in general, have a real screen chemistry that plays very well.

Bob Hope plays Hollywood movie star and big shot Don Bolton an actor who definately believes his own publicity and who wants to avoid the draft for army service at any cost since it will interfer with his career and his endless womanising. Falling for Lamour playing an army colonel's daughter he seeks to impress her by pretending to enlist in the army only to find that through a chain of circumstances he has indeed actually enlisted in the toughest regiment there is!! What develops then is an amusing series of incidents as Hope adjusts to life in the army and finds himself constantly getting into trouble much to the chargin of Colonel Fairbanks, just the man he needs to impress as he is the father of his love interest Antoinette "Tony" (Dorothy Lamour). His mishaps involve, attempting to parachute out of a plane without his parachute attached properly, gun practice even though he is mortally afraid of even the sound of a gun going off, attempting to drive a tank across terrain without being able to see where he is going (the most hilarious sequence in the film by far!) which results in him crashing into the Colonel's vechicle. Among the most memorable scenes is when Bob is pulled in to doing guard juty when he is dressed only in his underwear under his coat. What develops is a very funny sequence of events as Bob's two buddies Steve and Burt (Lynne Overman and Eddie Bracken in stand out performances)try to get his clothes to him under the eye of Colonel Fairbanks who is visiting the hospital at that moment. It contains some of Hope's most hilarious work as he ducks out windows, jumps into beds and receives the unwelcome attentions of a concerned nurse armed with a castor oil bottle.

While not his best work "Caught In The Draft" shows Bob Hope in his familiar guise of the loveable coward right at the time his illustrious career was at a peak. It's an enjoyable farce and and even though it's Hope's vechicle all the way, Dorothy Lamour given the limited role she has to work with, makes the most of it and the superb Edith Head fashions she wears are superb and most flattering and go a long way to explaining why Lamour was considered one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood in the early 1940's. Enjoy this story set in a period which is now part of our history.

Hilarious!
This is one of Bob Hope's least known and least appreciated films, but it's a gem. Bob gives his patented "dumb, naive" characterization, and it will have you in stitches. The scene where Hope tries to drive a tank while his sight is obstructed will have you on the floor laughing hysterically.

If you are a fan of Bob Hope, movies of the World War II era, and if you just like to be entertained, this movie is for you. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

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 ... Read more

Reviews (14)

An outrageously original and sensationally surreal comedy!
The classic 1942 comedy "Road to Moroco", the 3rd in the "Road" series, starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour. This is my favourite- great songs and zany comedy. Decades before Monty Python, the top-of-their-tree talents combined here created an outrageously original and sensationally surreal comedy! Crosby and Hope were two of the biggest box-office draws at the time, and they enjoy themselves immensely in "Morocco", with in-jokes aplenty (they even make fun of the Road series itself!) and double-and-triple crosses in abundance, as they try to get themselves out of trouble and into romance, Bing the smooth, crooning charmer and Bob the cowardly (but loveable) wanna-be. Dottie is beautiful as ever, as are the sets and the support cast includes a menacing Anthony Quinn. The Johnny Burke-Jimmy Van Huesen score includes "Road to Morocco" (Bob and Bing on a camel- "Where we're goin', why we're goin', how can we be sure? I'll lay you eight-to-five that we meet Dorothy Lamour!"); "Ho Hum" and "Moonlight Becomes You" (a classic Bing number, which he solos and reprises with Hope and Lamour). They don't make 'em like this anymore!

They're Off on the road to Morocco!
This movie is really great. Bob, Bing, And Dorothy are, once again, in a strange world. This time it is a world of wealthy sheiks, desert princesses, and men who will buy a guys pal so you can pay for lunch. (The guy being Bing and the pal being Bob). After selling Bob, Bing's conscience gets the better of him, and he sets of in search of his friend. He recieves a note from the missing party telling how he is being horribly tortured. This hardens bob's resolution. Imagine his shock when he finds out the Bob is being treated like a king, and he is going to marry the beautiful Princess(Dorothy Lamour). The rest is history. It's full of chases, inside jokes, ad-libs, and a hilarious song where the boys and a mirage of Dorothy sing 'Moonlight becomes you' in each other's voices. My favorite song was 'Road to Morocco', And the scene where Bob becomes a "Full-fledged american idiot" Is priceless.A teriffic movie.

"Overwrought intellectual analysis" notwithstanding
This movie is brilliantly quick-witted fun and is thoroughly unpretentious. It's about as serious as a jelly bean and only a fatuous, pseudo-intellectual would use a review of it as an opportunity to spout post-modernist drivel such as interpreting the audience inclusive familiarity in which the movie undeniably and hilariously indulges as an example of that sorry philosophy. Then again, though this movie would have to be warped to illustrate the point, there may be some validity to the claim "postmodernism has its roots in vaudevillian comedy", because there is no doubt that from its foundation up post-modernism is a joke. Nonetheless, to those of you who haven't seen this film, please don't let the backhanded compliments of some keep you from enjoying this wonderful movie. It is what it is - irreverent, joyful goofiness - and it will hopefully outlive the largely bankrupt ideas which have currency among contemporary Western intelligentsia.

Light-hearted, Dim-witted Fun
This film offers a bizarre opportunity to see unsophisticated humor of an innocent age meld with cutting-edge postmodernism. Crosby and Hope demonstrate that postmodernism has its roots in vaudevillian comedy! Film has plenty of what postmodernists love to call the self reflexive: mugging at camera, inside jokes, and unabashed self parody.

In other words, if you appreciate the humor of The Simpsons, you will probably laugh a lot during the Road to Morocco.

Silly jokes and gags come often enough that pace never lags, levity never lets up.

Now that the world's roads are easier for the rest of us clowns to travel, the film does reveal America's ignorance and insularity that is hopefully becoming a thing of the past. But the silly jokes and physical comedy stand the test of time.

Bonus appearance by a rather handsome young Anthony Quinn as desert chieftain / rival for the affections of Dorothy Lamour.

Lighten up, pal.
Jeez, I don't know if you can see the review I'm looking at, but he gave this two stars. If you look at his history, the "disgruntled Dominican" gave "Chopper Chicks in Zombie Town" five stars. I think that's all you need to know. This is a light, funny entertaining film that holds up well unless you're a disgruntled Dominican buckethead. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Beware if you have a widescreen TV...
This is a fine presentation and packaging of the seventh (and weakest) of the Crosby-Hope "Road" series. True fans will want this for their collection, and I agree that Hong Kong is not as bad as it is often portrayed. In the era of Austin Powers, this film actually picks up some points for kitch; it was arguably the first spoof of the '60s spy thriller.

But there is one very unfortunate flaw in this DVD version. Even though this is the first release of this movie in widescreen, this DVD is not optimized for widescreen televisions. So if you have a wdiescreen TV this movie will appear letterboxed on all four sides, the frame of the picture will not fill out your widescreen from left to right. This is an infuriating lapse on the part of MGM.

Watch it for Peter Sellers short but stellar bit!
This isn't nearly as bad as often made out to be. For one thing these guys were ALWAYS to old for these antics, otherwise they would have been making them in the 1930s. By this time their timing was down pat & frankly the writing here seemed a lot sharper than the previous entries. But the real reason to watch this is a terrific hilarious & all too brief turn by Peter Sellers as an Indian doctor that is as funny as anything Sellers or anyone else ever did on screen.

Road to Hong Kong
Definetly not the best of the Road pictures but mildly entertaining and worth having to complete the Road collection.
Both Crosby and Hope are noticably older and really don't have the magic with Joan Collins like they did with Dorothy Lamour and the jokes are trying to be funny instead of just being funny.

Hillarious, My Family Constantly Quotes This Film!
most often left out of lists of the popular "road to. . ." movies is road to hong kong. many people don't like it, but it is my favorite, it actually has a plot! (until the very end where it gets kind of odd) the story is about harry turner and chester babcock, con artists who, when the film begins, are on the eve of their newest scheme. they have hundreds of paying investors into an innovation that is supposed to use this rocket space suit thing and cause someone to fly. when the "brave native" that was supposed to demonstrate the suit backs out, turner and babcock have to come up with a plan. turner forces babcock in the suit and chester ends up flying through the roof of the warehouse where the demonstration is being held.

poor chester.

next we see harry visiting babcock in the hospital discovering that chester has lost his memory. he doesn't remember what girls are and what he did with them, what money is and what he did with it, and he can't even remember his own name. The former two seem to be of great concern to him.

harry feels terrible and takes chester to the best doctors he can find. a few of them tell him about a monestary where a memory herb is used. harry and chester find that this story is true and go to the airport. it is at the airport that they meet up with diane, a secret agent for a group called the third eschelon. she thinks that chester is her contact and gives him a secret formula that is needed to send a rocket into space. this third group apparently wants to beat russia and the u.s. to space and threaten to drop bombs on them unless they don't accept rule under their force.

at any rate, i won't reveal too much, but it is a very very funny film -- especially the bannana scene. i laugh so hard each time i see it. to me the chemistry of hope and crosby is at its finest. if you love the other road movies, then maybe you will not like this departure -- but there is so much more of the "real world" woven into this pic, you cannot help but love it. also, peter sellers' cameo is fabulous as an insane doctor, so buy this film or rent it today. (i have it on vhs but am waiting impatiently for a DVD version to come out, I wonder why they haven't released it) oh, and there are of course some sterotypes in the film, but don't let them offend you and enjoy the chemistry of the characters!

I loved it!
I know that many people consider this the worst of the Road movies, but I would consider it my favorite. While dissapointed in not having Dorothy in there more than just a cameo appearance, I think the rest of the movie makes up for it! The banana feeding scene was the best! (Hope and Crosby being tested in place of the monkeys on the spaceship) This movie also had some other good cameo appearances. ... Read more

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Made during the heyday of Hollywood anthology films (such as O. Henry's Full House and Tales of Manhattan), this meandering movie is wound around the adventures of a lowly classified-ad clerk (Burgess Meredith, who also produced) who plays roving "man on the street reporter" for a day. He asks the question, "What influence has a baby had on your life?" and gets a collection of comical responses. Hapless jazz musicians Henry Fonda and Jimmy Stewart mistake the word "baby" for "babe" and describe how a shapely trumpet-playing dish upended their lives, movie star Dorothy Lamour remembers how a child star turned an Iowa day player into a South Seas screen goddess, and Fred MacMurray tells a story suspiciously similar to "The Ransom of Red Chief." It's fun to see Fonda stumble and stammer through a slapstick performance and Lamour spoof her Polynesian Princess image, but it's a lightweight lark with only fitfully funny stories.

Officially credited to King Vidor and Leslie Fenton, it also received uncredited assistance from John Huston and George Stevens in the Fonda-Stewart story. None of them show much facility for slapstick and their styles never meld. The film lurches from one gag to another, only settling down for MacMurray's story, where his easy delivery and chemistry with future "My Three Sons" costar William Demarest overcomes the clumsy direction. Paulette Goddard also rises above her material in a small role as Meredith's sharp and sexy wife. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Hopefully O. Henry Got Some Royalties Off of This One
Known for being the only film Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda starred in together, I thought I'd check out "On Our Merry Way" for its historical significance. Unfortunately, it's not very good.

The film is split into three seperate stories tied together by a rather odd framing device. Burgess Meredith and Paulette Goddard play a married couple having monetary problems, with Meredith conning his way into a reporting job to earn extra cash. He then proceeds to interview three seperate sets of people, with the angle being the way in which a child has affected each of their lives. Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda are musicians that lose their band to a "babe", Dorothy Lamour is an actress contending with a spoiled child star (echos of Shirley Temple) and finally Fred McMurray fights a battle of wits with a 10 year-old holy terror.

The first segment is pretty dull, and Jimmy and Henry are not given much to do. The second story is a little better, with Lamour doing a nice musical number sending up her exotic image called "Queen of the Hollywood Isles". The last section is a blatant [take] of O. Henry's classic short story, "The Ransom of Red Chief", only stressful instead of funny. The framing device with Goddard and Meredith is the best part of the movie, due to the strong chemistry between them.

I recommend "On Our Merry Way" as a rental for hard-core Stewart or Goddard fans, otherwise it's not really worth your time. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Quick Trip...
This is a review of the STERLING/PEARSON DVD "Bob Hope Film Collection" edition (with the green cover!) I hope that helps set this apart from the other editions and reviews...

The film is a good example of the Road movies - it's no Utopia or Morocco, but it's still very entertaining. Lamour is ravishing whilst Hope and Crosby wise-crack and soft-shoe with the best of 'em. All in all a four star movie.

However, this DVD has a rather pathetic amount of extras (ie. none), a fair-to-middling print and a very low audio track. My suggestion is to find another DVD edition. At the end of the day - we all want to upgrade from VHS to DVD, so why settle for an edition that is estentially lower quality?

Good and wholesome family entertainme