The Road to Hong Kong (1962)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Norman Panama

Writers:

Melvin Frank (writer)
Norman Panama (writer)

Release Date:

22 May 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Bob Hope and Bing Crosby return as Con-men Chester Babcock and Harry Turner, in the last of their road movies...

Plot Keywords:

Herbs | Road | Rocket | Lama | Cigar

Cast

Bing Crosby	...	Harry Turner
Bob Hope	...	Chester Babcock
Joan Collins	...	Diane (3rd Echelon agent)
Robert Morley	...	Leader of the 3rd Echelon
Walter Gotell	...	Dr. Zorbb (3rd Echelon scientist)
Felix Aylmer	...	Grand Lama
Alan Gifford	...	American official
Michele Mok	...	Mr. Ahso
Katya Douglas	...	3rd Echelon receptionist
Roger Delgado	...	Jhinnah
Robert Ayres	...	American official
Mei Ling	...	Ming Toy
Jacqueline Jones	...	Blonde at airport
Yvonne Shima	...	Poon Soon
Dorothy Lamour	...	Herself

Runtime:

USA:91 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #20116) | Australia:G | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

Melnor Films

Trivia:

Bob Hope's and Bing Crosby's final Road movie. Two years after Crosby's death, Hope announced the possibility (in earnest) of doing "The Road to the Fountain of Youth" with George Burns, but nothing came of it.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: As Harry and Chester are going into the basement of the head spy, Chester's hat is lifted off his head by a very visible wire.

Quotes:

Chester Babcock: I'll never look at another banana split.

Movie Connections:

Follows Road to Singapore (1940)

Soundtrack:

WARMER THAN A WHISPER

A fond farewell

There are no bad ROAD movies, and I do not except this one from that statement. As someone once said of the Marx Brothers film AT THE CIRCUS (and I paraphrase) in the career of any other comedy team this picture would be considered a classic. It not only holds its own with the rest of the series but I actually prefer it to ROAD TO RIO, which (while still adhering to the Road Rule stated above) always seemed like the weakest of the series to me. It's funny the reasons some other posters have given for not liking the film: It looks like it was made in the Sixties (it was), the stars looks like they're nearing their sixties (they were, and so what?), it's not as funny as the others in the series (in any given horse race one horse will come in last, but he still had to be pretty damn good to get into the race in the first place). And nobody seems to much like Joan Collins. Well, she was gorgeous and a competent enough actress and in a movie like this who cares anyway? It's Bob and Bing's movie and despite what anyone says they prove they've still got the goods and deliver them with ease. I say quit carping and enjoy.