Customer Reviews

On the Road With Bob Hope and Bing Crosby Collection (Road to Singapore/Road to Zanzibar/Road to Morocco/Road to Utopia)

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

If you don't like classic comedy, you're not going to like this either. But for me, this is my first stop when I need to take a break from the Marx Brothers (who I watch way too much). These films are exhibit A for Bob Hope's comedic talents, and Bing's cooler than you or I will ever be. Plus with Bing around, I'm actually happy to listen when the songs come, which is not the case for most 30's and 40's Hollywood films. Morocco is my favorite, but any of these four films can brighten a dark day. There are a few decent extras on this set, and for $20 it's a steal. If you're willing to watch a comedy made before "Animal House," you should go ahead and take the plunge into Hope and Crosby's world.

Wow! The first four Hope and Crosby road pics on one DVD! What can you say? The first two, ROAD TO SINGAPORE and ROAD TO ZANZIBAR (though still funny) are still trying to flesh out the chemistry of the duo and the two actors adhere to the scripts. Then, they hit their stride of hilarity and break out in ROAD TO MORROCCO and continues in ROAD TO UTOPIA. However, in ROAD TO ZANZIBAR evidence of what is to come in Hope and Crosby's future pairings comes near the end of the film. The two are captured by cannibals in Africa and are tested to see if they are gods (sort of a variation of THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING). Hope's character is forced to wrestle a gorilla in a caged match. This is very funny as Hope shows his ability for physical comedy. Then, the climax is when they are about to be literally cooked for dinner. They use their patented "patty-cake" routine to escape from the cannibals. This is even more hilarious than the gorilla scene. Then, in ROAD TO MOROCCO, the famous ad-libbing and rapid fire delivery of dialogue is apparent and the film is zany from beginning to end as the duo are involved with a Moroccan Princess (Dorothy Lamour) and an angry Shiek (Anthony Quinn). Then, in ROAD TO UTOPIA the two go to Alaska for the gold rush and get involved in a case of mistaken identity. Overall, the four films showcase one of the great pairings in the history of entertainment and some of the funniest and successful film franchises. The DVD package has little extras except for a couple of sing-along features and liner notes, but having the four films on one disc at a price lower than some other collection discs is worth it.

This collection of the first four Road pictures is well worth having. The picture quality is excellent and all four films are loaded on one double-sided disc. But where are the remaining three Road pictures? This would have made the ultimate Road collection. Disappointing.

I looked for the Road To movies a few years back with no luck. I checked back recently, and was pleased to find this collection of the first four- and, arguably, the best four- films in the series. The package is nice, and the movies are on one double-sided DVD, which is a nice change from the unnecessarily disc-heavy sets we see so often. The transfer of the movies isn't perfect, but they're old, and it's still fantastic in both sound and picture. All four movies are wonderful, though Road To Singapore is a bit slow in coming off the ground. Hope and Crosby are revered as one of the best comedy duos of all time, and this set proves why. I'm young, and I love these movies. They're great fun for all ages, and I highly recommend getting them. Especially for that price!

In the last couple of years I have started to really appreciate the talent of Hope and Crosby. These movies are very funny and they do stand the test of time. You just have to give them a chance. It's not a modern Seinfeld or Chappell type humor, but it is deeply funny and influential. For example, Woody Allen has stated he was influenced by Bob Hope. If you watch these movies and then some of Allen's early movies you'll see that Allen "almost" mimics Hope. I am really suprised that so few people have reviewed this set.

Not what you think. My only objection to this release is that all four movies are on one double-sided DVD. The transfers are fine, but I would have preferred two single-sided disks. It was cheap though, and that sort of makes up for it.

Those who know the Road movies don't need descriptions, so I won't waste any time on them. For those who maybe have heard of the Road movies and would like to know where to start - this little set would be hard to beat.

Including four of the seven films in the series, "On the Road with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby" is a collection that I'm proud to own. The Bob Hope and Bing Crosby "Road" movies are a set of classic comedy musicals that are pointless but funny! This can only be appreciated by someone who understands the relationship between Hope and Crosby and the jokes that apply to the era. A great collection for the Hope, Crosby, or Lamour fan.

For you young whippersnappers who have never seen a Hope-Crosby "Road" picture, there's a reason these are considered to be classics. No one has ever done a better "buddy" movie. NOBODY. While many of the gags will only resonate with those old enough to get the topical references, there are plenty of timeless jokes that will make people of any age laugh. The chemistry between Hope, Crosby and Lamour is perfect and watching these films you can't help but wish you had such friends to go on the "Road" with. My only gripes with this collection is that all 4 films are on one double-sided disc (I prefer separate discs); there are no commentaries or interviews in the special features; and of course, like all Hope-Crosby fans, I wish all 7 "Road Pictures" were fully restored and available in one collector set. Maybe someday...

There are many great comedies nowadays, but there are very few great comedy teams. In the old days, you could have the Three Stooges, the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy or Abbott and Costello: teams that were greater than the sum of their parts. (What was Abbott without Costello or Moe without Curly and Larry?) Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, on the other hand, each were successful on their own, yet they are also recognized as a team in a way that even modern combinations like Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson are not. And the series of films that made them a famous team were the Road Pictures, the first four (of seven) of which are on the DVD On the Road with Bob Hope.

Actually, the Hope/Crosby team was actually a trio, with Dorothy Lamour as the woman who always came between the two. In the first Road movie, Road to Singapore, she is an island girl taken in by the two of them after they get her away from her nasty employer. The two are sailors fleeing commitment in the U.S. by taking refuge on a tropical island. In the second movie, Road to Zanzibar, they are showmen in Africa who escort Lamour and Una Merkel through the jungle, unaware that the two women are actually con artists.

In Road to Morocco, the two find themselves in a desert nation. Crosby sells Hope into slavery, which turns out to be a lot better than it sounds, when it turns out he has to marry a princess played by Lamour. What Hope doesn't know is that her first husband is destined to die, clearing the way for a long second marriage; what Lamour doesn't know is that the prediction is based on faulty information. Though Hope always seems to lose Lamour to Crosby by the end of the movie, Road to Utopia shows Hope and Lamour old and long-married before flashing back to a time when they were in Alaska looking for a gold mine.

Plot is almost incidental in these movies, merely a means to move from one gag to another. Although I doubt they were the first to do so, they often seem to recognize that they are in movies. For example, in Road to Utopia, Hope calls a mountain his bread-and-butter: it suddenly gets a circle of stars and becomes the Paramount logo. Anything can happen - even animals talk - and it is all a lot of fun. Not every joke works, but Hope and Crosby's chemistry carry the films. For some silly, old-fashioned movie comedy, this foursome fits the bill nicely.

The first four ROAD pictures are real treasures of comedy and music. Hope and Crosby's easy style have often been immitated by newer comics and even animated characters, but never equalled. The only downside to this collection is putting all on one disc. Just don't like double sided discs when not necessary. Making this a two disc set should not have increased production costs enough to increase the purchase price. Finally, WHY only the first four? Was it a rights issue? The 5th, RIO, must surely still be under Universal/Paramounts control. Still these squabbles don't negate the life of these films. What classic Hollywood was all about...