On The Road Again: Bing Crosby and The Road To Singapore
It was March 14, 1940 — 85 years ago today — that “Road to Singapore,” a musical comedy starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour, premiered in New York City. It would become a big hit and would lead to six more “Road to” movies over the next 22 years.
A Plan For A Simple Buddy Film Set In An Exotic Locale
The project was originally to be a musical comedy “buddy” film starring Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie and called “Road to Mandalay,” but neither was interested. The script was changed to “Beach of Dreams” and offered to George Burns and Gracie Allen, with a second male lead to be determined. They, too, turned it down. Gracie Allen called it “too silly.”
Studio chiefs at Paramount Pictures then thought of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, who seemed to have great chemistry: They clowned around quite a bit on the studio lot and maintained a friendly back-and-forth feud on their respective radio shows. In fact, the two had worked together, off-and-on, since the 1930s.
Lamour’s work in a number of “south seas” type pictures — starting with “The Jungle Princess” in 1936 — had earned her a reputation as the “Sarong Queen.” This led studio executives to think of her for the female lead. Lamour worked for a straight salary while Crosby and Hope got a salary plus a cut of the profits.
While a script for “Road to Singapore” had been written and updated, both Hope and Crosby ad libbed much of their lines throughout the film. They were also aided by their own writers, who accompanied them to the set. The hefty amount of ad libbing upset the original scriptwriters, Frank Butle and Don Hartman.
There are downsides to the film as well — in one scene, Hope and Crosby appeared in native garb and makeup. This was not unusual in comedy films at the time but is frowned upon now. But the rapid-fire humor, the fourth-wall-
breaking Hollywood in-jokes — Hope would frequently complain about studios and the script — set new standards for “buddy” films.
The Seven 'Road To' Films
MARCH 14, 1940
Road to Singapore
BING PLAYS:Josh Mallon V
BOB PLAYS:
Ace LanniganWHO THEY ARE:
Playboys with broken hearts
DOROTHY PLAYS:
Mima
WHO ENDS UP WITH DOROTHY:
Bob, but then he discovers she loves Bing more
NOTABLE:
Hope was billed third after Lamour. That would change for all the other “Road to” films.
APRIL 11, 1941
Road to Zanzibar
BING PLAYS:Chuck Reardon
BOB PLAYS:
Hubert “Fearless” FrazierWHO THEY ARE:
Inept con men posing as circus performers
DOROTHY PLAYS:
Donna LaTour
WHO ENDS UP WITH DOROTHY:
Bing ... of course
NOTABLE:
In 1964, the island of Zanzibar would join with Tanganyika to form what is now Tanzania.
NOV. 10, 1942
Road to Morocco
BING PLAYS:Jeff Peters
BOB PLAYS:
Orville “Turkey” JacksonWHO THEY ARE:
Stowaways who are stranded when their ship explodes
DOROTHY PLAYS:
Princess Shalmar
WHO ENDS UP WITH DOROTHY:
Bing ... of course
NOTABLE:
Only “Road to” film nominated for an Academy Award — two of them, in fact.
MARCH 22, 1946
Road to Utopia
BING PLAYS:Duke Johnson/Junior Hooton
BOB PLAYS:
Chester HootonWHO THEY ARE:
Failed Vaudeville performers who become con men
DOROTHY PLAYS:
Sal Van Hoyden
WHO ENDS UP WITH DOROTHY:
Bob, but they later have a son that looks justlike Bing
NOTABLE:
Filmed in 1943 but release was held until 1946
DEC. 25, 1947
Road to Rio
BING PLAYS:Scat Sweeney
BOB PLAYS:
Hot Lips BartonWHO THEY ARE:
Inept Vaudeville performers
DOROTHY PLAYS:
Lucia Mariade Andrade
WHO ENDS UP WITH DOROTHY:
Bob, but he cheated by hypnotizing her
NOTABLE:
Highest grossing “Road to” film, bringing in $4.5 million
NOV. 19, 1950
Road to Bali
BING PLAYS:George Cochran
BOB PLAYS:
Harold GridleyWHO THEY ARE:
Unemployed show biz performers
DOROTHY PLAYS:
Princess Lala McTavish
WHO ENDS UP WITH DOROTHY:
Bing walks away with both Dorothy and Jane Russell
NOTABLE:
Only one of the seven “Road to” films made in color
MAY 22, 1962
The Road toHong Kong
BING PLAYS:Harry Turner
BOB PLAYS:
Chester BabcockWHO THEY ARE:
Con men
JOAN COLLINS
PLAYS: Diane
WHO ENDS UP WITH JOAN:
Bing ... of course
NOTABLE:
Bing insisted that, at age 48, Lamour was too old to play the leading lady. Bob refused to do the film without her, so she was given a cameo appearance.
October 1977, Road to the Fountain of Youth
Movie producer Lew Grade announced plans to make an eighth “Road to” film with Hope, Crosby and Lamour.
On Oct. 14, 1977, Crosby died of a heart attack after playing a round of golf on a course in Madrid, Spain. He was 74.
Hope later floated the possibility of making “Road to the Fountain of Youth” with George Burns instead, but that never materialized.