MOVIE
November 11, 1942, "Road to Morocco", the third title in the "Bob
Hope Tribute Collection" from Universal that included some of the other
"Road" movies such as "Road to Singapore", "Road to
Zanzibar" and "Road to Utopia".
Bing Crosby and Bob Hope return in this tale set in the Arabian desert, complete
with camels and harem girls. Not truly a sequel, because they play different
characters each time, the duo ends up in trouble over a woman (Dorothy Lamour)
once again. They boys really have their routine down pat by now and we know
what to expect. Their banter and chemistry is spontaneous and entertaining and
as in the last movie, they aren't afraid to make fun of the film by singing
"Where we're going, why we're going, how can we be sure? I'll lay you eight
to five that we meet Dorothy Lamour."
Orville (Bob Hope) and Jeff (Bing Crosby) are stowaways, ending up in a raft
on the high seas after Orville causes an explosion on the ship. Somehow they
wash up on the shore of a desert and make their way to a bar in the town of
Karamesh. Penniless, Jeff sells Orville into slavery. He later tries to rescue
him and finds that he has landed in the hands of Princess Shalimar (Dorothy
Lamour) and doesn't want to be rescued. Unknown to Orville, the princess is
using him as a temporary suitor, when after his death, she will wed the villain
of the movie, who is once again played by Anthony Quinn.
Possibly the best of the "Road to" movies, we are again presented
with hilarity, gags, songs and ad-libs that we have come to expect from this
talented pair.
DVD
Region 1
Single Sided, dual layer
Run Time: 82 minutes
Black & White, Closed-captioned
Full Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1
Audio Tracks: English (Mono)
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Production notes
• TV spot(s)
• Bob Hope and the Road to Success
• Command Performance
• "Road to Morocco" sing-along
• Photo gallery
• Cast and filmmakers
VIDEO
Occasional artifacts and scratches are present, but is not distracting as the
film is generally strong, sharp with good black levels.
AUDIO
The audio shows some signs of time with some ambient noise very similar to the
two earlier films in the series. It's not overly objectionable and is soon falls
away during the viewing.
MENU
Scenes
18 total, 6 per page with thumbnails, static with music.
Bonus Materials
• Bob Hope and the Road to Success
• Command Performance 1944
• "Road to Morocco" sing-along with lyric captioning
• Photo gallery
• The Theatrical Trailer
• Production Notes
• Cast and Filmmakers
• DVD-Rom Features
• DVD Newsletter
• Recommendations
Languages
English only with subtitles selections of English, Spanish and French.
Play
BONUS MATERIALS
• Bob Hope and the Road to Success (14m)- Roger Mielke, author of "The
Road to Box Office", Richard Grudins, author of "The Spirit of Bob
Hope" and Phyllis Diller tells about the reason for the movies and how
they affected the audience at the time.
• Command Performance 1945 (5m) - A section of the 1945 performance given
to the troops on location in WWII and broadcast on radio. Bob jokes around with
his guest, comedian Jerry Colonna.
• "Road to Morocco" sing-along with lyric captioning
• Photo gallery (3m) - picture slideshow of lobby cards and stills during
filming and breaks of Bob, Bing, Dorothy and supporting cast with orchestral
fill.
• The Theatrical Trailer
• Production Notes - Trivia about the third movie in the series. According
to Crosby, "The basic ingredient of any "Road" picture is a Rover
Boys type plot, plus music. The plot takes two fellows, throws them into a jam
or as many jams as possible, then lets them clown their way out." Info
is included about some trough scrapes they went through and the mystery of the
spitting camel. One of 1942's top-grossing movies, it also received Oscar nominations
for Best Screenplay and Best Sound Recording.
• Cast and Filmmakers - a list of cast and crew.
• DVD-Rom Features - a notice that the Universal DVD's in this line may
include games, screen savers, wallpapers, additional info, internet access and
special Universal Studio links.
• DVD Newsletter - A way to sign up for the Universal E-Newsletter via
dvd.universalpictures.com
• Recommendations - Recommends the other "Road to", as well
as the other Bob Hope Tribute DVD's including "The Paleface", "Ghost
Breakers", "Big Broadcast of 1938/College Swing" and "My
Favorite Blonde/STAR Spangled Rhythm".
SUMMARY
The "Road To Morocco" is another step in a journey along the path
of a film series that would turn out to be one of the most successful and remembered
in history. Quite possibly the best of the "Road to" movies, it's
entertaining and worth a spot in your collection if you are a Bob and Bing fan.
Buy: