Road to Rio
Tags: entertaining

Plot synopsis:
Scat Sweeney and Hot Lips Barton, two out-of-work musicians, travel the United States trying to find work and stay away from girls. After running from state to state, each time running because of a girl, they try their luck in Louisiana.
They stow away on board a Rio-bound ship, after accidentally starting some fires at a circus. They then get mixed up with the distraught Lucia, who first thanks them, then unexpectedly turns them over to the ship's captain. Unbeknownst to both of them, Lucia is being hypnotized by her crooked guardian, Catherine Vail. Vail plans to marry Lucia to her brother so she can control her and a set of "papers."
After a series of misadventures. including sneaking off the boat, recruiting a few local musicians, and the boys trying to escape with Lucia only to have Vail hypnotize her again and slap them both, Vail decides to do away with the boys permanently. She hypnotizes both of them and tries to get them to kill each other in a duel, but it fails. Scat and Hot Lips finally figure things out and the boys head for the ceremony in order to stop the wedding and to help catch the crooks. Upon finding the "papers", which Scat reads, when Hot Lips asks what they are about, Scat tears them up and looks into the camera, saying, "The world must never know."
Later on, Scat is dismayed to see that Lucia loves Hot Lips and not him, but upon peeking through a keyhole, he sees Hot Lips hypnotizing her.
Hope's frequent sidekick Jerry Colonna has a cameo as the leader of a cavalry charging to the rescue of Bing and Bob, as the film cuts away to the galloping horses periodically. All is resolved before he can arrive, leading Colonna to point out:

Review: Hope and Crosby are great, and romantic moments are designed for Lamour...but let's not forget the wonderful Wiere Brothers.
Considering that The Road to Rio was the fifth in the series, that the formula was down pat, that the plot, as usual, was merely an excuse for spontaneous and not-so-spontaneous bantering by the two stars, that the money-to-effort ratio was by now very satisfying to nearly all concerned, and that Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, both at 44, were quickly reaching the point where their age was working against their image of happy-go-lucky, sex-on-their- minds, slightly dumb but well-intentioned good guys...well, this is one of the best in the series.
Their roles, Bing Crosby as Scat Sweeney, singer and slightly moth-eaten bon vivant, and Bob Hope as Hot Lips Barton, slow-witted but wise- cracking boy-man, are as comfortable to them and us as a pair of old slippers.
Scat Crosby and Hot Lips Hope encounter them while the two boys are trying to rescue Dorothy Lamour from a nefarious plot.
Although Hope, Crosby and Lamour were teaming together for the fifth time in a Road movie, the format and style remain fresh, with a greater emphasis on song and a more rigid plot-line than in its four predecessors.
The interplay between the three stars continues to be a delight, and Gale Sondergaard makes for a wonderful villain, whilst the Wiere Brothers almost steal the show as a trio of Rio street entertainers whom Bing and Bob persuade to impersonate the last three members of the five-piece all-American band that they have promised to deliver into Nestor Paiva's nightclub.
McLeod, marks the fifth installment to the popular "in name only" comedy series featuring that famous trio of Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour.
Unlike its preceding adventures of ROAD TO ZANZIBAR (1941), MOROCCO (1942) and UTOPIA (1946), ROAD TO RIO is no doubt funnier than its initial entry, ROAD TO SINGAPORE (1940), yet coming across on its own merits presenting itself almost like a straight-forward musical-comedy than its predecessors consisting of offbeat situations, talking animals and formalistic Hollywood in-jokes.
Certain aspects, however, ranging from opening titles bearing animated names of its principal players dancing across the screen; to the wide-eyed/ bushy-mustached Jerry Colonna coming from nowhere leading his calvary on horseback belting out a long wide yell; Hope and Crosby's "patty-cake" routine and witty comedy lines are true reminders of this being very much a part of the "Road" adventures the public then has grown to love so well.The plot gets off to a really good start in a carnival where the smooth talking "Scat" Sweeney (Bing Crosby) has his pal "Hot-Lips" Barton (Bob Hope) doing a high wire bicycle act leading to disastrous results before the carnival catches fire, burning to the ground.
To avoid capture by an angry boss and mob, the boys make a run for it, ending up as stowaways taking refuge in a lifeboat of the S.S. Queen bound for Rio. During their voyage, they encounter the beautiful Lucia Maria De Andrade (Dorothy Lamour) traveling with her aunt, Catherine Vail (Gale Sondergaard).
As Scat and Hot Lips each vie for Lucia's affections, they become confused by her sudden mood changes (from "I love you," to "I hate you," I loathe you," "I despise you" ...) reactions, unaware she's actually under a hypnotic trance by her aunt, whose intentions are for her to forget about these men and concentrate on her forthcoming marriage.
Upon their arrival in Rio, Scat and Hot Lips obtain jobs working for Mr. Cardoso (Nestor Paiva) in his nightclub with three odd-ball musicians (The Wiere Brothers) who don't speak any English, before braving Mrs. Vail's henchmen (Frank Faylen and Joseph Vitale) disguised as a pirate and Caribbean dancer, to entertain at Lucia's wedding, to extremely funny results.In between Hope and Crosby antics and Lamour's hypnotic trance, song interludes by Johnny Burke and James Van Heusen enter the scene, including: "We're on Our Way" (sung by Bing Crosby and Bob Hope); American standards of "Swanee River" (by Stephen Foster), and "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" (by James A.
Bland); "But Beautiful" (sung by Crosby); "You Have to Know the Language" (sung and performed by Crosby and the Andrews Sisters); "Experience" (sung by Dorothy Lamour); and "Brasilia (I Yi Yi)." Crosby's performing on board ship with the Andrews Sisters (Laverne, Patti and Maxene), a popular singing trio during the World War II years, ranks one of the film's several highlights.
For being the longest (100 minutes) in the "Road" series, Crosby's vocalizing of "But Beautiful" to Lamour was usually one that got deleted from most television prints during the 1970s and 80s to fill in enough commercial breaks during its standard two hour time slot.This highly entertaining and worthwhile "Road" entry, formerly presented on American Movie Classics (1997-2001), is often hailed as the last great "Road" comedy, though certainly not its finish.
With the overplayed ROAD TO MOROCCO listed among one of the greatest comedies by the American Film Institute, ROAD TO RIO, with Crosby, Hope and Lamour at their finest, is certainly entertaining enough to merit attention and availability for future generations to endure.
They stowaway on a boat bound for Rio De Janeiro and they meet damsel in distress Dotty with her "aunt" Gale Sondergaard and her two henchmen Frank Faylen and Joseph Vitale.
Dragon lady Gale has been hypnotizing Dottie to force her into a marriage so that her inheritance can be swindled.The Road pictures always had a usual pattern of songs.
Hope and Crosby do Appalachicola, Fla and Dottie does an unforgettable version of Experience accompanied by Hope playing a bubble blowing trumpet.Bing Crosby's most frequent singing partners were the Andrews Sisters on record.
They did enough material to fill more than three of those old fashioned vinyl LPs. But their only appearance in a movie with Bing is here and they sing You Don't Have To Know The Language with him as an extra treat.See it and figure out for yourself what was in those "papers" that the world was better off in blissful ignorance of..
It stars Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, Gale Sondergaard and Frank Faylen.
Music is by Robert Emmett and cinematography by Ernest Laszlo.Hope and Crosby star as two vaudevillians, who after setting a circus on fire, stow away on a liner bound for Brazil.
Once there they encounter a distressed woman (Lamour) who is being coerced into an unwanted marriage by her scheming guardian.The fifth in the hugely popular "Road To" series of films, Rio follows the same trajectory as before.
In support the wonderful Sondergaard turns in another one of her memorable villainess performances, and The Wiere Brothers form part of the narrative to produce great comedic results.With a blazing first quarter, a jovial middle section and a genuinely hilarious finale, Road to Rio achieves everything a "Road To" fan could wish for.
Bing and the Andrews Sisters' rendition of "You Don't Have to Know the Language" is my favourite "Road" musical interlude.
I am so glad to have seen the brothers in "Road to Rio" because apparently there is very little of their routines on film.It is also good to see Gale Sondergaard in a type of role she made her own - mysterious evil with a beautiful face and body.
Another Road picture with Bob, Bing and Dorothy.
Dorothy Lamour, Bob Hope,Bing Crosby.
With a bit of a slow start, Road to Rio finally joins the ranks of the immortal Road To movie series of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope.
Then again, humor is a matter of taste, and if I think they're funny, then the movies are deserving of good reviews!In this one Bing and Bob take an ocean liner to Rio, where they each fall in love with Dorothy Lamour.
Since she plays hot and cold, both guys think they have a shot-and when they discover what's going on with Gale, they have the masculine urge to save their damsel.As usual, Bing, Bob, and Dorothy are movie magic together, and the quips fly off as quickly as they can rattle them out.
When Bing sings "But Beautiful" there's a screen behind him playing a movie and the opposite motion will make you sick.
A chunk of history in this chapter of the Road films; Bob Hope and Bing Crosby traveled around the world (...
they had recorded 47 songs with Bing, which is probably why they are in Road to Rio. The Wiere Brothers were an act that had come over from Deutchland, and stayed, performing when and where they could.
the plot is pretty inane, but as usual, they boys run off from their last fiasco of a performance, and meet up with Dorothy Lamour on the way to Brazil.
As in most of these films, the boys(Bing and Hope) begin as ne'er-do-well struggling entertainers.
They are given an opportunity to join the ship's orchestra, with "Hot Lips" Hope playing the trumpet and Bing the clarinet and singing.
The Andrew Sisters team with Bing, singing "You Don't Have to Know the Language.Mrs. Vail continues to try to get rid of the boys as romantic rivals to her brother whom she wants to force Lucia to marry so that she can obtain some important papers and control Lucia, presently being her guardian.
Songs: "But Beautiful" (Crosby); "You Don't Have To Know the Language" (Crosby, Andrews Sisters); "Experience" (Lamour); "Apalachicola, Fla" (Crosby, Hope); "Cavaquinho" (Wiere Brothers) -- all by Johnny Burke (lyrics) and James Van Heusen (music), who wrote another song, "For What?" for the Andrews Sisters, but this was deleted; "Brazil" (orchestral) by Ary Barroso (music), Bob Russell (lyrics).
Fleeing from the vengeance of the carnival owner, they stow away on board a luxury passenger ship bound for Rio where they meet and rescue a beautiful heiress who is being craftily mesmerized by her evil aunt.
"The Road to Rio" is an almost perfect musical comedy, wittily scripted, ingratiatingly played, sensitively directed and lavishly produced.
The bantering between Bing and Bob was never better and here they are joined by a really out-of-the-drawer support cast led by the spider lady herself, Gale Sondergaard.
As a satire on the movie chase thriller, complete with cross-cutting to the last-minute rescue party that here actually arrives on the scene too late, "The Road to Rio" is still an absolute delight.
Picture back in 1940, each subsequent entry in the series seemed to build on its wacky and manic content, with each becoming slightly more off the wall and crazy as the last.However when the fifth entry was released in 1947, for some reason things were toned down a tad, making the Road to Rio, although still funny and enjoyable appear to lack the quirkiness and zany antics of what had gone before.The banter and wise cracks between our two heroes is as good as ever, and the musical numbers up to par as well, but in spite of this, I always have a problem associating this film with any other in the series.
It seems out on it's own; out on a limb.Maybe it's because unlike its predecessors, the gang are not lost in the untamed wild of somewhere or other, perhaps its the lack of talking animals, or perhaps it has more to do with the fact that this story actually has a plot; a real story you can follow instead of the more customary and formulaic half-hearted story onto which a few gags and songs had been pinned.Still the film is enjoyable and very funny, with The Andrew Sisters, Bing's other frequent stalwarts from radio and record, joining in on the fun for 'You Don't Have to Know the Language' and a delightful comic turn from The Weire Brothers as three local boys trying to pass themselves off as red blooded Americans, despite only knowing three slang terms in English which had been taught to them by Hope and Crosby just minutes before.As I said you will enjoy this entry very much but you will probably find this movie more akin to a Bob Hope 'My Favorite Blonde/Brunette' kind of comedy than anything so far seen in the 'Road To...' franchise.
"The Road To Rio" was right there in the middle...not great, but really good.Scat Sweeney and Hot Lips Barton, both out-of-work musicians, head for Louisiana and through their bumbling cause a fire at a circus.
Of course, they run into Dorothy Lamour (Lucia), who seems to have a split personality, but is actually being controlled by the hypnosis by her sleazy guardian, played deliciously by Gale Sondergaard.
Along the way, the boys gain the help of the Wiere Brothers, who were pretty funny guys who never seemed to make it big in movies.
After accidentally setting a circus on fire in Louisiana, two Vaudville performers named "Scat Sweeney" (Bing Crosby) and "Hot Lips Barton" (Bob Hope) secretly board a passenger liner headed for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
That night Scat meets a young woman in distress by the name of "Lucia Maria de Andrade" (Dorothy Lamour) and while attempting to console her divulges that he and Hot Lips Barton are stowaways.
I especially liked the chemistry between the three aforementioned actors and the addition of both the Andrews Sisters and the Wiere Brothers along with Jerry Colonna who appeared at the very end.
Road to Rio is another enjoyable series outing from Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour.
With this-the fifth in the Road series-there are a couple notable firsts: the first time Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour are billed above the title instead of after and the first time that Hope and Crosby are profit participants in a series entry as the copyright is assigned to them while the beginning logo says "A Paramount Release" instead of "Picture".
Anyway, after a not very funny beginning involving a circus and a bike on a tightrope, the fun comes fast and furious after the boys stowaway on a ship to the title city with Ms. Lamour on board.
Also on board is Gale Sondergaard as the villainess with one of her henchman played by Frank Faylen-a player from my favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life, of which I always like to cite when someone involved in that one is involved in something else.
Also good to see The Andrews Sisters do a number with Bing and The Wiere Brothers do both comedy and music well.
Unfortunately Hope falls and accidentally sets the circus on fire, and the vaudevillians flee and stow away on board a ship bound for Brazil.
En route, they encounter a suicidal woman being coerced into a marriage she doesn't want, and get involved.The movie does have a sinister story and frightening villains, but it has plenty of fun scenes of singing and dancing and clowning, with appearances by the Andrews sisters and the Weire Brothers.
This is the fifth in a series of seven "Road" done by Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour.
It's got two 'Road' pictures (Rio and Bali), and a nice assortment of additional films spanning Hope's career.
Watching one, it's hard not to watch another immediately after, especially when he teams with iconic sidekick Bing Crosby, or in this case, with Dorothy Lamour along for the ride with both stars.
Too bad they didn't show up in a few more Road shows.As usual, Dorothy Lamour turns up as a character unknown to the boys when the film begins; here she's an heiress who's villainous 'aunt', played by Gale Sondergaard, attempts to steal her fortune via an arranged marriage.
Aunt Catherine employs a couple of toughs to bodyguard Lucia (Lamour); Frank Faylen and Joseph Vitale both get to mix it up with the boys along the way, usually getting the short end of the stick.Best line of the picture - "Well if she looks like Lamour, she can sing like Lamour, can't she?" Sing she can, in a tuneful little single titled "Experience".
It's the kind of relaxed, enjoyable, self-referential episode we expect in the "road" series of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.
Two hoodlums are working for Lamour's aunt and the rest of the movie is basically a pursuit through the streets, night clubs, and hotel rooms of a touristy Rio.There are some pretty funny scenes.
Hope and Crosby stow away to Rio..
Fifth of the Hope and Crosby 'road shows'.
Not wacky, just straight comedy as Hot Lips Barton(Hope)and Scat Sweeney(Crosby)flee from Oklahoma and Texas avoiding matrimony.
After burning down a tent show, the boys stow away on a ocean liner headed to Rio. Aboard ship, the song and dance duo fall for the luscious Lucia(Dorothy Lamour), who runs hot and cold, because she is being hypnotized by her evil aunt(Gale Sondergard)trying to force her into an arranged marriage.
Songs written by the team of Johnny Burke-Jimmy Van Heusen are entertaining; the best being "But Beautiful" by Crosby and "Experience" by Miss Lamour along with Hope's bubble blowing trumpet.
Nobody went to these movies looking for a great plot and were quite happy to to find a pair of performers one jump ahead of the posse and watch Crosby set Hope up for another life-threatening stunt before meeting up with Lamour and the resident heavies.
Frank Faylen, Nestor Paiva, the Andrews Sisters and the Wiere Brothers make up the numbers for one of the top three in the franchise..
As is, it left a lot to be desired.Bob Hope and Bing Crosby are caught up in their all too familiar antics, this time fleeing to Brazil, after they've been accused of starting an accidental fire in a circus.Meeting up with Dorothy Lamour is the worst thing that could happen to the guys since she is being victimized by her guardian to wed the latter's brother so as to swindle her fortune.Gale Sondergaard is up to her usual sinister ways in this one.
Even the Andrews Sisters show up on board the boat in this one to sing a song with Bing.