A Few Words About A few words about...™ Road to Singapore - in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

Between 1940 and 1962 (with a quiet period between 1953 and 1962), Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, a dream team pairing by Paramount, were featured as a team in seven productions. The films have been available on DVD for aeons, but the earliest are just now making their way to Blu-ray, courtesy of Kino Lorber, and their deal with Universal. The seventh, and last arrived in 2015 via Olive.

Road to Singapore - 1940
Road to Zanzibar - 1941
Road to Morocco - 1942
Road to Utopia - 1945
Road to Rio - 1947
Road to Bali - 1952
Road to Hong Kong - 1962

Only one, Road to Bali was in Technicolor.

The first six had Dorothy Lamour along for the ride, while Hong Kong had Joan Collins standing in.

All seven had top cinematographers - William Mellor, Ted Tetzlaff, Lionel Lindon, Ernest Laszlo, Georges Barnes, and Jack Hildyard. If some have a need to look them up, this would be a good time.

The earliest four films round out the Kino offerings. Rio and Bali arrived in 2017.

Singapore, the earliest of the group, aside from a bit of frame movement, is a gorgeous representation of the film. Rich black and superb gray scale. Audio is fine.

These were films that gave audiences something to smile about in the pre-war and WWII era, and they will now live again on Blu-ray, courtesy of Kino Lorber and Universal.


Image - 4.25

Audio - 5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Upgrade from DVD - Yes

Recommended

RAH

 

[Thomas T]

The seventh film has already made it to blu ray. Road To Hong Kong was released on blu ray by Olive films in 2015.

 

[Robert Harris]

The seventh film has already made it to blu ray. Road To Hong Kong was released on blu ray by Olive films in 2015.

Thanks for the update. I'd missed that one.

 

[Alan Tully]

I loved seeing these films on TV when I was a kid, & I'm glad this film has got a good bill of health, it makes me optimistic about the others. I'm not bothered about the last two, for me, the Road To films should be in b/w & made in the forties. My two favourites, The Road To Morocco ("Like Webster's Dictionary, we're Morocco bound") & The Road To Utopia.

 

[Matt Hough]

Thanks for the update. I'd missed that one.

I reviewed it for HTF back in 2015. That review is here if anyone is interested.

 

[BarryR]

Hope insisted on Lamour making an appearance in HONG KONG, which explains her cameo.

 

[Joel Arndt]

So pleased to see Singapore and the remaining three Road titles get the Blu treatment from Kino.

Regarding Hong Kong, it's amazing that Lamour was considered "over the hill" at age 46-47 at the time it was shot. Crosby and Hope were both 10 plus years older.

 

[BarryR]

So pleased to sing Singapore and the remaining three Road titles get the Blu treatment from Kino.

Regarding Hong Kong, it's amazing that Lamour was considered "over the hill" at age 46-47 at the time it was shot. Crosby and Hope were both 10 plus years older.

Right--Hope & Crosby were around 60 years old!

 

[Matt Hough]

So pleased to sing Singapore and the remaining three Road titles get the Blu treatment from Kino.

Regarding Hong Kong, it's amazing that Lamour was considered "over the hill" at age 46-47 at the time it was shot. Crosby and Hope were both 10 plus years older.

Plus she looked great, sang beautifully, and was very funny. She was a definite asset for the film.

 

[Worth]

So pleased to sing Singapore and the remaining three Road titles get the Blu treatment from Kino.

Regarding Hong Kong, it's amazing that Lamour was considered "over the hill" at age 46-47 at the time it was shot. Crosby and Hope were both 10 plus years older.

Twas always thus...

There are only three ages for women in Hollywood - Babe, District Attorney, and Driving Miss Daisy.

 

[Alan Tully]

That's part of the reason I love the forties films; they're not two sixty year old guys going after women less than half their age. There's a ton of Bob Hope films still to be released on Blu-ray. I hope The Ghost Breakers (1940) makes it.

 

[Matt Hough]

Love "The Sweet Potato Piper" in this.

 

[SAhmed]

That's part of the reason I love the forties films; they're not two sixty year old guys going after women less than half their age. There's a ton of Bob Hope films still to be released on Blu-ray. I hope The Ghost Breakers (1940) makes it.

Yes lots of Bob Hope but one I particularly hope for is The Cat And The Canary but any more will be great!

Regards

 

[Dee Zee]

Love the Road movies. Would love to see them all on HD. In the Bing Crosby American Masters doc from a few years ago I was excited to see snippets of the series in HD.

Dorothy Lamour ‘s autobio My Side of the Road has a few pages about Hong Kong. She was “humiliated” and jealous of Collins getting the part. Evidently the distribution deal was made with her name without her knowing it and Collins was already cast so the producers had to write her in for a small cameo.

 

[Dick]

That's part of the reason I love the forties films; they're not two sixty year old guys going after women less than half their age. There's a ton of Bob Hope films still to be released on Blu-ray. I hope The Ghost Breakers (1940) makes it.

...and CAT AND THE CANARY and SORROWFUL JONES and....

 

[Astairefan]

Well, there's certainly some hope (pun intended) for more of Bob's films, as I've seen the Insider mention on the other forum that they have four more licensed from Universal (most likely from the forties) and are trying to clear two more (one of which could be one of his thirties films)!

 

[JoeDoakes]

So pleased to see Singapore and the remaining three Road titles get the Blu treatment from Kino.

Regarding Hong Kong, it's amazing that Lamour was considered "over the hill" at age 46-47 at the time it was shot. Crosby and Hope were both 10 plus years older.

She did Donovan's Reef shortly after this. It wasn't a very glamorous part, but she was able to show what a talented comedic actress she was. To bad that she didn't get more roles at that point in her career.

 

[Dee Zee]

I now have all seven films on blu and having a marathon screening this week in chronological order. Guilty pleasures these Road movies.

 

[LeoA]

Was reading a review just now at that other site that we don't speak of by name around here, that mentioned a blackface performance in this movie. Are they talking about when Hope tries to pass himself off as a native to get some food that's being given away to the locals by I assume some relief organization or the local government?

If so, that's a pretty big stretch. I don't think a disguise to blend in with the local populace is quite the same thing as performers getting on a stage in blackface to perform something like a musical act, which many today perceive as to be mocking of those with dark skin (Or at least I believe that's the rational; I've never really asked to have it explained to me, so perhaps I'm way off base).

Next thing I know we'll see war movies where soldiers blacken their face before going out on a nighttime patrol as being criticized for being insensitive.

 

[Nick*Z]

Was reading a review just now at that other site that we don't speak of by name around here, that mentioned a blackface performance in this movie. Are they talking about when Hope tries to pass himself off as a native to get some food that's being given away to the locals by I assume some relief organization or the local government?

If so, that's a pretty big stretch. I don't think a disguise to blend in with the local populace is quite the same thing as performers getting on a stage in blackface to perform something like a musical act, which many today perceive as to be mocking of those with dark skin (Or at least I believe that's the rational; I've never really asked to have it explained to me, so perhaps I'm way off base).

Next thing I know we'll see war movies where soldiers blacken their face before going out on a nighttime patrol as being criticized for being insensitive.

I wouldn't say that's too much of a stretch. I actually read comments about a debate elsewhere regarding the original Mary Poppins where more than one contributor thought chimney sweeps with coal dust powdering their visages was considered a smite to black culture. And sadly - no - I'm not kidding. I hate political correctness. Not only has it absolutely ruined movies and television today, but now it seeks to ascribe racial intolerance variables to movies and shows for which either the times - and social morays - were quite different, or, for which no such blight on a particular culture/creed/race/etc. was directly intended.

I'll just close with L.P. Hartley's famous quote. It seems fitting.

The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.