Road to Morocco (1942)

Director:

David Butler

Writers:

Frank Butler (original screenplay) and
Don Hartman (original screenplay)

Release Date:

22 April 1943 (Australia)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Romance

Tagline:

You'll Shriek At These Shieks! . . . trying the double - Oh! on Sheikess Dorothy Lamour!

Plot:

Two carefree castaways on a desert shore find an Arabian Nights city, where they compete for the luscious Princess Shalmar.

Plot Keywords:

Princess | Desert | Castaway | Rescue | Camel

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Bing Crosby	...	Jeff Peters
Bob Hope	...	Orville 'Turkey' Jackson / Aunt Lucy
Dorothy Lamour	...	Princess Shalmar
Anthony Quinn	...	Mullay Kasim
Dona Drake	...	Mihirmah
Vladimir Sokoloff	...	Hyder Khan
Mikhail Rasumny	...	Ahmed Fey
George Givot	...	Neb Jolla

Runtime:

82 min (DVD) | 81 min (copyright length)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #8255) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Finland:S | Sweden:15 | UK:U | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Imperial County, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Orville and Jeff are kissed by an amorous two-humped (Bactrian) camel. The camels in North Africa (Dromedaries) have only one hump. Bactrian camels are a much more the norm in Central Asia.

Quotes:

Turkey Jackson: Aunt Lucy. I can see her now, lying on her dying bed, looking at you with those big, trusting eyes. 'Before I go, Jeff, promise me one thing,' she said. 'Promise me you'll always be a friend to little Orville,' she said. 'No matter what happens, you'll never leave the little jerk,' she said. 'Promise me, Jeff, promise me,' she said.
Jeff Peters: Yeah, then she up and died before I had the chance to say no.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of Comedy (1997) (V)

Soundtrack:

Ain't Got a Dime to My Name (Ho Hum)

Gentle comedy in the old fashioned style

When the ocean liner carrying Jeff and Orville is sunk, they find themselves washed up and on the way to Morocco. In pay for food Jeff sells Orville to a man only to find that Orville has been sold on to Princess Shalmar and is now to marry her. However the princess is only marrying Orville as her first wed is cursed to die within a week – leaving her free to marry Mullay Kassim.

Like an old pair of shoes, the road to movies may not be fantastic but they're comfortable and safe. This is actually one of the better road movies, the plot, though silly, is quite focused and doesn't go off on flights of fancy like some others. The focus of the plot allows a safe environment for Hope and Crosby to do their double act within. The love interest is OK but really it slows the film down a bit.

Crosby is good as ever and gets to do his songs on a regular basis, but really the star is Hope. His Orville is cowardly, treacherous and selfish – but he manages to be sympathetic and funny. This is all down to Hope's wit, timing and deliver – he is a genuine showman. Stars in the shape of Lamour and Quinn are diverting – but this is a Crosby/Hope vehicle all the way.

One of the better Road movies this is funny in an old fashioned way.