Road to Bali (1952)

Two unemployed show-biz pals accept treasure-diving work in Bali for a local princess and they find treasure, love and trouble.

Director:

Hal Walker

Writers:

Frank Butler (screenplay), Hal Kanter (screenplay)

Stars:

Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bing Crosby	...	George Cochran
Bob Hope	...	Harold Gridley
Dorothy Lamour	...	Princess Lala
Murvyn Vye	...	Ken Arok
Peter Coe	...	Gung
Ralph Moody	...	Bhoma Da
Leon Askin	...	King Ramayana

Storyline

Having to leave Melbourne in a hurry to avoid various marriage proposals, two song-and-dance men sign on for work as divers. This takes them to an idyllic island on the way to Bali where they vie with each other for the favours of Princess Lala. The hazardous dive produces a chest of priceless jewels which arouses the less romantic interest of some shady locals.

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Plot Keywords:

romantic triangle | volcano eruption | romantic rivalry | bare chested male | reference to cecil b. demille | 

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Taglines:

TOGETHER AGAIN!...in the BEST and FUNNIEST "Road" Picture Yet!

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy | Musical

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 April 1953 (France)

Also Known As:

The Road to Hollywood

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch - 1 Iverson Lane, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bing Crosby Productions, Hope Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scenes of Melbourne shown at the beginning of the movie were shot from the Fire Tower on the corner of Victoria Parade and Gisborne Street. The Fire Tower is still there today, but the skyline of Melbourne has changed dramatically with the construction of some of the tallest buildings in the Southern Hemisphere. However you can make out the Victorian Parliament building and the Princess Theatre in Spring Street.

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Goofs

When George and Harold meet Lala, Harold's coat is held on his right shoulder. But, between shots, Harold appears holding the coat in front of himself.

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Quotes

Princess Lala: [showing a portrait of a woman in regal dress] She was my mother, Queen Tama of Vaatu.
George Cochran: Hm, beautiful.
Princess Lala: [indicating the portrait next to it of a man in a kilt] And he was my father.
George Cochran: Didn't anybody in the family wear the pants?

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Crazy Credits

In the end, Harold Gridley is trying to get rid of the "The End" text, but it wouldn't go away. When it faded to black it reads "Positively The End".

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Connections

Features Reap the Wild Wind (1942)

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Soundtracks

THE MERRY GO RUNAROUND
Music by Jimmy Van Heusen
Lyrics by Johnny Burke
Sung by Bob Hope and Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour

User Reviews

The Bob and Bing Show

In this very lighthearted comedy, Bob and Bing ham it up in the South Pacific, in search of women and adventure. The plot, which involves deep-sea diving for sunken treasure, is super shallow ... so to speak. But of course the film is just an excuse to highlight the talents of the comic and the crooner. And talent they had. But here, neither the jokes nor the songs are memorable. Fortunately, Dorothy Lamour is on hand to spice things up. The sets are mildly interesting, in a tacky sort of way.

For me, the real value of the "road" movies is the perspective they bring to cinema viewing. My ... how movies have changed in fifty years, and not necessarily for the better. "Road To Bali" wouldn't fly today ... or float, for that matter. But for fans of Hope and Crosby, the film is a pleasant, harmless diversion, a reminder of a more innocent, bygone era in film-making.