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 | Lama | Rocket | Road | Neurologist

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 character Chester Babcock is named after composer Jimmy Van Heusen who was born Edward Chester Babcock. Van Heusen wrote "Warmer Than A Whisper", which Dorothy Lamour performs in the movie.

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:

Harry Turner: [hands Chester a hand mirror] Who's that?
Chester Babcock: I don't know, but gimme a stick and I'll kill it.

Movie Connections:

Follows Road to Utopia (1946)

Soundtrack:

The Road to Hong Kong

OK - but the other "Road to" films were better

Chester and Harry are con-men working their way around Asia. When an accident puts Chester in hospital with memory loss, the two contact a doctor who advises them of a ancient herb that will bring back all his memories. The herb also gives him the ability to memorise anything he reads.

A mix-up at the airport with an agent of a cult puts Chester in possession of formulae for a space rocket which the cult plan to use to put weapons on the moon and take control of the earth. The cult pursue the two leading to a range of crazy situations on earth.......and beyond!

That's the plot and, to quote Dorothy Lamor in this film "That's the plot so far? I'd better hide you.....from the critics!". The plot is, as always, a flimsy excuse for banter between Hope and Crosby. However in other "Road to...." movies the plot has been a little less silly. Here it's daft and too complicated to be totally forgotten about. And unfortunately the banter feels a little tired between the two, the other road movies felt fresher.

And it feels like they know it too - there's lots of tired routines, "special effects!" for one, and they have too many self-deprecating jokes. They're quite funny but after a while you realise that they're just saying it before anyone else does. However there still is much to like here - Hope and Crosby are still funny in a bad movie and some of their banter is still great, although the situations that give them the dialogue are daft.

Hope and Crosby play their characters with well rehearsed ease. A young Joan Collins is OK but comes over as a little over earnest. The larger-than-life Robert Morley plays the cult leader with seriousness and Peter Sellers wins the film with his Indian doctor cameo. There are a range of small cameos, some funny some not - Dorothy Lamor returns to the Road series, David Niven turns up for a few silent seconds and Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra take a gentle swipe at their rivals (although it's not very funny -"special effects!").

Overall this is a gentle comedy that you'll enjoy because of Hope and Crosby. The ridiculous plot takes away from it a lot (did they have to make it quite so silly?), and the musical numbers slow it down a bit. But to be honest, there's much better movies in the road series that this one.