Road to Rio *** (1947, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, Gale Sondergaard) – Classic Movie Review 6605

Director Norman Z McLeod’s zesty 1947 Paramount comedy is the fifth Road film with the magic team of Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour on vivacious form. Nutty, escapist comedies were ideal for the troubled times just after the Second World War.

This time there is more story than usual in the original story and screenplay by Edmond Beloin and Jack Rose, in which Hope and Crosby play Hot Lips Barton and Scat Sweeney, out-of-work vaudeville musicians fleeing the law as stowaways on the Rio-bound boat, where they meet Lucia Maria de Andrade (Lamour), who is being hypnotised by her wicked aunt Catherine Vail (Gale Sondergaard).

But, still, happily the elaborate plot does not cripple the comedy and it is a funny show. And it is a show because there is plenty of music too: Hope takes on drag and takes off off Carmen Miranda, Hope sings in Portuguese, and the Andrews Sisters join him for ‘You Don’t Have to Know the Language’ (written by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen), while Lamour performs ‘Experience’ (written by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen).

Hope gets the girl for once, but Crosby gets the best song, ‘But Beautiful’ (written by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen).

Road to Rio was a big hit, but after this Hope, Crosby and Lamour decided to have a five-year rest from making any more of the Road movies, until they returned for Road to Bali (1952).

Also in the cast are Frank Faylen, The Wiere Brothers, Joseph Vitale, Frank Puglia, Nestor Paiva, Robert Barrat, Jerry Colonna, Stanley Andrews, George Meeker, Harry Woods and Tor Johnson.

Road to Rio runs 100 minutes, is shot in black and white by Ernest Laszlo, is produced by Daniel Dare, scored by Oscar nominated Robert Emmett Dolan, with music and lyrics by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen, and Art Direction by Hans Dreier and A Earl Hedrick.

The series started with Road to Singapore (1940).

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6605

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