Dorothy Lamour, Bob Hope in Road to Morocco
The Amazing ROAD Series: Part II
Despite all the on-screen craziness, in one of the ironies only Hollywood can produce Road to Morocco was, of all things, nominated for an Academy Award for best original screenplay (for Frank Butler and Don Hartman).
You wouldn't think they could — or would have dared — to push the envelope any further, but they did. It had been nearly four years between "Roads," but the public had not begun to tire of the franchise.
Released in 1946, Road to Utopia is the series' only period piece. Set in turn-of-the-20th-century Klondike, the comedy is filled with Hollywood inside jokes, talking animals, and ad-libs like none before or since. It was bona fide film anarchy. Therefore, it was only — ahem — natural that another nomination for best original screenplay (for Melvin Frank and Norman Panama) would follow.
But since Utopia was such lunacy, there was really no comedic place left to go. As a result, the formula was slightly tweaked to that of a standard musical comedy for Road to Rio in 1947, which in many ways remains the most well-crafted and "legitimate" picture in the series. The addition of the Andrews Sisters as guest stars suggests that the variations on the trio's modus operandi was wearing thin even if the fun had far from faded. Despite the downshift in format, Road to Rio remains a delight.
With the 1952 entry Road to Bali — in Technicolor — the old anarchy returned, though for the first time there was a mechanical air to it. All the tried-and-true Hollywood inside jokes and cameos are there, among them a memorable Humphrey Bogart tugging the "African Queen" down a jungle river, but while Road to Bali is very funny, it does feel calculated for effect. The free-wheeling spirit had been dulled.
Bali was the end of the Road for Paramount, but not for Hope and Crosby. Ten years later, they bankrolled funding for The Road to Hong Kong (note the addition of the article), shot in England and released through United Artists in 1962.
Bing Crosby, Joan Collins, Bob Hope in The Road to Hong Kong
With Hong Kong, the old Hollywood double standard — older actors can be paired with younger actresses, but not the other way around — was to raise its head in the case of Dorothy Lamour. Over the loud objections of Bob Hope, youthful Joan Collins was cast as "the girl in the middle," with Dotty relegated to a "guest star" role near the end of the film.
Incidentally, Hope was right. The whimsical chemistry is missing between him, Crosby, and Collins, a point driven mightily home when Lamour shows up and the magic of the old days suddenly shifts into high gear. Despite this near-blasphemous recasting, with the Road to Utopia team of Norman Panama and Melvin Frank writing and directing, Hong Kong didn't fare badly.
The Road to Hong Kong turned out to be the team's swan song, but only because of Crosby's death in 1977. At the time, plans were in the works for "The Road to the Fountain of Youth". I should add that unlike most swan songs, The Road to Hong Kong is actually better than the previous Road effort. The '40s pop-culture phenomenon was really ageless, after all.
A Paramount writer once said there was a simple formula for a Road picture: "Get 'em up a tree, throw rocks at 'em, get 'em down from the tree."
Personally, I'd say: Add exotic locales, great songs, anything-for-a-laugh jokes, audience "participation," and three stars who click like a well-oiled machine, and that's really all you need.
It's difficult to capture the feel of these films on a page … trust me, I know. So, treat yourself to a look at some random moments of craziness from the series in the DTS-TV production, "Road Smiles." If you're a fan, you're probably already smiling at the thought. If you're new to the pictures, be prepared to become a fan.
Photos: Derek Taylor Shayne Collection
Text: © Derek Taylor Shayne
Derek Taylor Shayne is author of the Anthony Solantro/Michael Taylor comedy-thriller series, including Dark Star of Dambala and Monte Carlo After Midnight, available at online bookstores worldwide.