ROAD TO UTOPIA (Paramount, 1945), directed by Hal Walker, the fourth in the popular comedy adventures featuring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour, is, contrary to the much famous ROAD TO MOROCCO (1942) happens to be the funniest and best in the seven film series, thanks to the Norman Panama and Melvin Frank Academy Award nominated script (excluding the Hope and Crosby ad-libs), comedy material, and the fine chemistry between the three major leads. For an added treat (or treatment), there's occasional narration between scenes provided by Robert Benchley clarifying the plot during individual scenes.
The story opens in at an estate where elderly couple Chester Hooten (Bob Hope) and his wife, Sal (Dorothy Lamour), are seen living comfortably off their $3 million fortune acquired during the Gold Rush. On that very night, the Hootens are visited by Duke Johnson (Bing Crosby), the other member of their party whom they had left for dead in the Klondike some 35 years ago. As Duke explains how he survived a near death experience, the scene fades to turn of the century San Francisco where Duke and Chester, a couple of entertainers in the "Professor Zambini" mind reading act, are exposed as frauds, and run out of town before an angry mob catches up with them. As Chester comes on a steamer bound for Brooklyn, he discovers that his pal, Duke, has taken his savings, causing him to rush towards the other steamer where Duke has booked passage to get back his money, only to end up bound Alaska bound. Losing all their money due to mishaps, the two work find themselves various jobs in order to pay for their passage. While cleaning one of the cabins, they acquire a map to a gold mine. Caught by Sperry (Robert Barrat) and McGuirk (Nestor Paiva), who earlier had stolen the deed belonging to the father of Sal Van Hayden, Duke and Chester outwit the villains, take the deed, and head over to Dawson City disguised as the bad guys. Sal, who had also booked passage to the Yukon, looks up Ace Larson (Douglass Dumbrille), proprietor of the Golden Rail, for assistance, as well as a job working as saloon hostess. The fun begins as Sal tries to win back the deed by flirting individually with "McGuirk/Duke" and "Sperry/Chester." As the real Sperry and McGuirk are hot on their trail, Larson, along with his dance hall girlfriend, Kate (Hillary Brooke) scheme to obtain the deed for themselves.
Others members of the cast include: Will Wright (Mr. Latimer, Sal's murdered uncle); Billy Benedict (The Newsboy); Alan Bridge (The Boat Captain); and Jack LaRue (Le Bec, one of Larson's henchmen).
As traditionally done in these "Road" comedies, there's time out for songs, this time by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen including "Sunday, Monday and Always" (sung by Bing Crosby); "Good Time Charlie" (sung by Crosby and Bob Hope); "It's Anybody's Spring" (sung by Crosby); "Personality" (sung by Dorothy Lamour); "Welcome to My Dream" (sung by Crosby); "Put It There, Pal" (sung by Crosby and Hope); "Would You?" (sung by Dorothy Lamour); and "Welcome to My Dream" (sung by Crosby). Lamour's solo, "Personality," may sound familiar for those who might remember hearing it used in a 1970s TV commercial for Wesson oil, retitled "Wessonality."
In spite of this reportedly being a 1946 release, ROAD TO UTOPIA contains material and "in jokes" giving every indication to this as produced much earlier, starting off with Crosby's singing "Sunday, Monday and Always" from his 1943 release, DIXIE; and in the "Put It There, Pal" number where Hope and Crosby make references to each other's 1943 movies: Crosby's DIXIE and Hope's LET'S FACE IT. It's interesting that Robert Benchley's scenes weren't taken out entirely considering he died (1945) before the film's initial release.
What makes ROAD TO UTOPIA stand apart from the others in the series is how Crosby and Hope perform remarkable well together well in a sense of comedy team Bud Abbott and Lou Costello with Crosby the confidence man cheating as well as outwitting his partner (Hope). The scene where they're pocket-picking one another is simply hilarious ("no hard feelings?") next to their meeting up with Santa Claus(!). It should be noted that while ROAD TO UTOPIA has its share of talking bass and bears, along with a debonair taking a "short cut to Stage 10" while the boys are stoking coal, it doesn't contain their usual "paddy cake" routine. As for Dorothy Lamour, who, during her senior moments is heard sounding remarkable like Beulah Bondi's character in MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW (1937), through the stretch of the imagination of Hope, envisions her walking through the Yukon in her sarong. Next to Lamour , Hope and Crosby have a St. Bernard sharing in their search for gold, and he gets some quota of laughs as well.
Formerly on home video (VHS) and later distributed to DVD, its cable TV Broadcast history consists of The Disney Channel (1990s); American Movie Classics (1992-2000) and Turner Classic Movies (2004-present). Contrary to Hope's comment, "And I thought this was going to be an 'A' Picture" after his initial reunion with his pal, Duke (Crosby), ROAD TO UTOPIA is 90 minutes of solid entertainment, with Hope having the last word before the fadeout. So ends Duke Johnson's ROAD TO UTOPIA story. Next installment: ROAD TO RIO (1947). (***1/2)
The story opens in at an estate where elderly couple Chester Hooten (Bob Hope) and his wife, Sal (Dorothy Lamour), are seen living comfortably off their $3 million fortune acquired during the Gold Rush. On that very night, the Hootens are visited by Duke Johnson (Bing Crosby), the other member of their party whom they had left for dead in the Klondike some 35 years ago. As Duke explains how he survived a near death experience, the scene fades to turn of the century San Francisco where Duke and Chester, a couple of entertainers in the "Professor Zambini" mind reading act, are exposed as frauds, and run out of town before an angry mob catches up with them. As Chester comes on a steamer bound for Brooklyn, he discovers that his pal, Duke, has taken his savings, causing him to rush towards the other steamer where Duke has booked passage to get back his money, only to end up bound Alaska bound. Losing all their money due to mishaps, the two work find themselves various jobs in order to pay for their passage. While cleaning one of the cabins, they acquire a map to a gold mine. Caught by Sperry (Robert Barrat) and McGuirk (Nestor Paiva), who earlier had stolen the deed belonging to the father of Sal Van Hayden, Duke and Chester outwit the villains, take the deed, and head over to Dawson City disguised as the bad guys. Sal, who had also booked passage to the Yukon, looks up Ace Larson (Douglass Dumbrille), proprietor of the Golden Rail, for assistance, as well as a job working as saloon hostess. The fun begins as Sal tries to win back the deed by flirting individually with "McGuirk/Duke" and "Sperry/Chester." As the real Sperry and McGuirk are hot on their trail, Larson, along with his dance hall girlfriend, Kate (Hillary Brooke) scheme to obtain the deed for themselves.
Others members of the cast include: Will Wright (Mr. Latimer, Sal's murdered uncle); Billy Benedict (The Newsboy); Alan Bridge (The Boat Captain); and Jack LaRue (Le Bec, one of Larson's henchmen).
As traditionally done in these "Road" comedies, there's time out for songs, this time by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen including "Sunday, Monday and Always" (sung by Bing Crosby); "Good Time Charlie" (sung by Crosby and Bob Hope); "It's Anybody's Spring" (sung by Crosby); "Personality" (sung by Dorothy Lamour); "Welcome to My Dream" (sung by Crosby); "Put It There, Pal" (sung by Crosby and Hope); "Would You?" (sung by Dorothy Lamour); and "Welcome to My Dream" (sung by Crosby). Lamour's solo, "Personality," may sound familiar for those who might remember hearing it used in a 1970s TV commercial for Wesson oil, retitled "Wessonality."
In spite of this reportedly being a 1946 release, ROAD TO UTOPIA contains material and "in jokes" giving every indication to this as produced much earlier, starting off with Crosby's singing "Sunday, Monday and Always" from his 1943 release, DIXIE; and in the "Put It There, Pal" number where Hope and Crosby make references to each other's 1943 movies: Crosby's DIXIE and Hope's LET'S FACE IT. It's interesting that Robert Benchley's scenes weren't taken out entirely considering he died (1945) before the film's initial release.
What makes ROAD TO UTOPIA stand apart from the others in the series is how Crosby and Hope perform remarkable well together well in a sense of comedy team Bud Abbott and Lou Costello with Crosby the confidence man cheating as well as outwitting his partner (Hope). The scene where they're pocket-picking one another is simply hilarious ("no hard feelings?") next to their meeting up with Santa Claus(!). It should be noted that while ROAD TO UTOPIA has its share of talking bass and bears, along with a debonair taking a "short cut to Stage 10" while the boys are stoking coal, it doesn't contain their usual "paddy cake" routine. As for Dorothy Lamour, who, during her senior moments is heard sounding remarkable like Beulah Bondi's character in MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW (1937), through the stretch of the imagination of Hope, envisions her walking through the Yukon in her sarong. Next to Lamour , Hope and Crosby have a St. Bernard sharing in their search for gold, and he gets some quota of laughs as well.
Formerly on home video (VHS) and later distributed to DVD, its cable TV Broadcast history consists of The Disney Channel (1990s); American Movie Classics (1992-2000) and Turner Classic Movies (2004-present). Contrary to Hope's comment, "And I thought this was going to be an 'A' Picture" after his initial reunion with his pal, Duke (Crosby), ROAD TO UTOPIA is 90 minutes of solid entertainment, with Hope having the last word before the fadeout. So ends Duke Johnson's ROAD TO UTOPIA story. Next installment: ROAD TO RIO (1947). (***1/2)