Customer Reviews

Road to Bali/Road to Rio [VHS]

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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?

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!!

Hi! I am a 14 year old girl, who has been introduced to the Road to Series by my parents since I was a little girl. I find it hard to believe that Bing and Bob's work can be so funny. Road to Rio had to be one of my most favorite episodes because there is just one slap stick commedy after another! I am not makeing this up! As much as I like Leonardo DiCaprio and Freddie Prinze, Jr..Nothing they make can come as close and funny to this! It is honestly worh your money!

Every great film has a repeating line, and Road to Rio has that one. It's always been one of my favorites - if not THE favorite - of the road pictures, but maybe the lustre has worn off. Still, "I hate you. I loathe you. I despise you" is a long-time family joke, and this film, if it grabs you at the right moment, is a gem. The musical numbers, as usual, are terrific, and there are so many throw-away lines and sight gags that this "road" is one that should be traveled.

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!

Bob Hope and Bing Crosby ushered in 1947's "Road to Rio" with zany wit, plenty of style, and the Andrew Sisters. On the run from the law, musicians Bob and Bing escape from a burning carnival, stow away on an ocean liner, and get shot at in Oklahoma. And that's just the first half-hour. "Road to Rio" is perhaps as comedic and stunning as their earlier "Road to Morocco". Though not as funny as "My Favorite Brunette(a Hope-financed production)", "Road to Rio" is a solid No. 5 entry in the series of 7 Road Pictures. The film's pace does suffer from phlegmatic Dorothy Lamour; perfectly cast as a semi-hypnotic coquette. However, the real currency of "Road to Rio" is a stellar cast, including Gale Sondergaard, Frank Faylen, Ray Teal,Charles Middleton, future horror star Tor Johnson, and the hilarious Jerry Colonna. Former shoe salesman and failed Broadway actor Bob Hope finally hit it big with his first Hollywood movie in 1938. In the 1940's, he was raking in the dough, and buying up San Fernando Valley. He started a 40-year TV career at NBC in 1960. Thanks to too much Southern California real-estate, Hope retired to a cathedral-castle in the hills over-looking Palm Springs. Invested in race horses and Minute-Maid, millionaire Bing Crosby died in 1977(the same year as Elvis) while walking on the golf course. This brand new DVD features a meager 8 chapters and a Bob Hope bio. The opening pan-and-scan titles are adjusted for the TV screen. And sound volume drops off intermittently to reduce noise and rumble. Otherwise, UCLA Archives has beautifully and digitally restored this American cinema icon. Despite troubling health issues, Bob Hope can reach the age of 100 in 2003. We don't know how long he will survive. But we do know that a valuable compendium of classic comedic performances are forever recorded, now and for our ancestors. Lucky us.

Crazy Bing Crosby and Bob Hope in another of their "Road To---"movies. It is a fun movie

Bing had so many great songs. The performance of "You Don't Have To Know The Language" with the Andrew Sisters is mesmerizing.

"Road to Rio", along with 1942's "Road to Morocco", are considered the apex of the Crosby/Hope "Road" series, and for good reason; the music, comedy, and general silliness mesh perfectly...and for my money, "Rio" is TOPS!

The songs are first-rate, from the opening "Apalachicola, FLA" (with it's 'caboose' finale), to a wonderful Bing ballad, "But Beautiful", to a show-stopper with the Andrews Sisters, "You Don't Have to Know the Language", to a nearly risqué "Experience" from Dorothy Lamour...the comic routines feature Bing and Bob at their best, from a homage to the Marxes' barbershop routine from "Monkey Business", to a hypnotized 'duel'("I hate you, I loathe you, I despise you..."), to a silly finale dance number (with Bob in drag, of course)...and the one-liners are hilarious (Lamour: I don't know what came over me! I found myself saying things, and I didn't know why I was saying them!
Hope: Look, why don't you just run for Congress and leave us alone?).

Norman Z. McLeod was a superb comedy director, and he manages to maintain a semblance of plot midst all the craziness (which is a major reason this film 'works' better than, say, "Road to Bali"), and, for the second film in a row, BOB gets the girl (disproving the myth that Bing always did, every picture).

From Hope on a high-wire, to Jerry Colonna leading a cavalry charge, "Road to Rio" is a winner, from beginning to end...Don't miss it!