Road to Rio (1947)

Fantastic!

Did you people see the same film I saw?

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Hope and Crosby play two vaudevillians who entertain at a circus, and they are given extra money for Hope to ride a bicycle along a tightrope. Unfortunately Hope falls and accidentally sets the circus on fire, and the vaudevillians flee and stow away on board a ship bound for Brazil. En route, they encounter a suicidal woman being coerced into a marriage she doesn't want, and get involved.The movie does have a sinister story and frightening villains, but it has plenty of fun scenes of singing and dancing and clowning, with appearances by the Andrews sisters and the Weire Brothers. Fun entertainment for all.

Road to Rio is directed by Norman McLeod and written by Edmund Beloin and Jack Rose. It stars Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, Gale Sondergaard and Frank Faylen. Music is by Robert Emmett and cinematography by Ernest Laszlo.Hope and Crosby star as two vaudevillians, who after setting a circus on fire, stow away on a liner bound for Brazil. Once there they encounter a distressed woman (Lamour) who is being coerced into an unwanted marriage by her scheming guardian.The fifth in the hugely popular "Road To" series of films, Rio follows the same trajectory as before. For fans such as myself this is OK, other film fans venturing in for a first time look may be a bit bemused by it all. In fairness this one does have a solid story at its core, with hypnotism the dastardly weapon of choice, while McLeod neatly blends the comedy and musical numbers and keeps the pace brisk. Hope gets some well written topical gags to deliver and Crosby croons whilst also getting to do a number with The Andrews Sisters. In support the wonderful Sondergaard turns in another one of her memorable villainess performances, and The Wiere Brothers form part of the narrative to produce great comedic results.With a blazing first quarter, a jovial middle section and a genuinely hilarious finale, Road to Rio achieves everything a "Road To" fan could wish for. 7.5/10

Perhaps, that's what this film needed, more Portuguese being spoken. As is, it left a lot to be desired.Bob Hope and Bing Crosby are caught up in their all too familiar antics, this time fleeing to Brazil, after they've been accused of starting an accidental fire in a circus.Meeting up with Dorothy Lamour is the worst thing that could happen to the guys since she is being victimized by her guardian to wed the latter's brother so as to swindle her fortune.Gale Sondergaard is up to her usual sinister ways in this one. Even the Andrews Sisters show up on board the boat in this one to sing a song with Bing.

Since the very first Road To.. Picture back in 1940, each subsequent entry in the series seemed to build on its wacky and manic content, with each becoming slightly more off the wall and crazy as the last.However when the fifth entry was released in 1947, for some reason things were toned down a tad, making the Road to Rio, although still funny and enjoyable appear to lack the quirkiness and zany antics of what had gone before.The banter and wise cracks between our two heroes is as good as ever, and the musical numbers up to par as well, but in spite of this, I always have a problem associating this film with any other in the series. It seems out on it's own; out on a limb.Maybe it's because unlike its predecessors, the gang are not lost in the untamed wild of somewhere or other, perhaps its the lack of talking animals, or perhaps it has more to do with the fact that this story actually has a plot; a real story you can follow instead of the more customary and formulaic half-hearted story onto which a few gags and songs had been pinned.Still the film is enjoyable and very funny, with The Andrew Sisters, Bing's other frequent stalwarts from radio and record, joining in on the fun for 'You Don't Have to Know the Language' and a delightful comic turn from The Weire Brothers as three local boys trying to pass themselves off as red blooded Americans, despite only knowing three slang terms in English which had been taught to them by Hope and Crosby just minutes before.As I said you will enjoy this entry very much but you will probably find this movie more akin to a Bob Hope 'My Favorite Blonde/Brunette' kind of comedy than anything so far seen in the 'Road To...' franchise