Product: Road to Rio (1947)
Rating: 4.0
"You're in the Groove, Jackson!"
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.