Road To Hong Kong
1962
In the seventh ROAD... movie wisecracking Chester Babcock (Bob Hope) loses his memory, it leads to a wacky espionage adventure for him and his vaudeville partner Harry (Bing Crosby). The duo's exploits take them from Sri Lanka to Hong Kong, as they contend with a comely spy (Joan Collins) and a bumbling band of criminals whose .. Read more
| Starring | Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Joan Collins, Frank Sinatra |
|---|---|
| Director | Norman Panama |
| Genres | Comedy |
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Road To Hong Kong
In the seventh ROAD... movie wisecracking Chester Babcock (Bob Hope) loses his memory, it leads to a wacky espionage adventure for him and his vaudeville partner Harry (Bing Crosby). The duo's exploits take them from Sri Lanka to Hong Kong, as they contend with a comely spy (Joan Collins) and a bumbling band of criminals whose leader wants to rule the world. Along the way Chester and Harry even perform a vaudeville act. But the entertainers find that their strangest adventure is still to come--a zany trip into outer space.
| Starring | Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Joan Collins, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, David Niven, Peter Sellers, Zsa Zsa Gabor |
|---|---|
| Director | Norman Panama |
| Studio | MGM ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 32 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Comedy |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 06 Sep 2004 Production year: 1962 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (2)
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Bing Crosby and Bob Hope reteamed ten years after Road to Bali for this, the seventh and last in a once fabulously funny series. Sadly, by now the spark had gone from the relationship, and the English locations and parsimonious filming in black and white make the movie look shabby. Worse is the disgraceful demoting of Dorothy Lamour to “guest star”, with the co-starring role being taken by an ill-suited Joan Collins. The film's not without interest, of course, and there's super work from some distinguished supporting players — especially Peter Sellers — but on the whole this is neither funny nor attractive. Children unfamiliar with the classics in the series might enjoy it, however.
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A few good gags, but it's all very tired by now, and the space fiction plot makes it seem more so.
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Most helpful member's review
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Not too shabby
Ten years after Road to Bali, Hope and Crosby made a belated farewell with this movie, much like Indy returning in Crystal Skulls I suppose.
It starts off badly, with the pair caught up in some space rocket over the moon escapade which makes them men out of their time. Crosby looks old, he has the irascible, slightly scary look he took on in later years - his nonchalant, butter wouldn't melt expression is long gone so when he stitches up Hope it seems a bit sinister. Hope is older too and looks like a right-wing Republican of the Tricky Dicky era. Both could appear in more serious, credible movies (China Syndrome type stuff) as villainous types, you feel. Joan Collins shows up early on to offer up a flashback with harpy narration.
It does get better, however, and for a film released in 1962, the same year as Doctor No, there are plenty of Bond connections. I enjoyed the zany credits and found they were done by one Maurice Binder. Walter Gotell turns up as an evil scientist, one year before his turn as SPECTRE trainer in From Russia With Love. Casino Royale's Peter Sellers and David Niven make cameos - Niven's is 10 seconds long, Sellers reprises his Indian doctor to not very humorous effect, save some goonish fun with a snake in a basket. The same year as Dr No we see the villain (played by Robert Morley) has an underwater lair with windows looking out onto sharks, which makes Hope gulp and grab his partner's lapels. Morley ends up with some Hugo Drax-like plan from Moonraker to exterminate 'the unemployed, the great unwashed' from space, a venture one for which can't help thinking the older, crankier comedians might have some secret sympathy.
The finale is quite mad and risqué, with the pair winding up alone in an unlikely destination with young Joan, whom they agree to share carnally in a way that bizarrely anticipates her later roles in The Stud and its sequel, some 10 years later, thankfully the sheer awfulness is broken by welcome star cameos.
Not the best Road to... film but not really that bad either. Hope's mugging to the camera provides much of the comic energy. -
Most recent members' review
View all -
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Not too shabby
Ten years after Road to Bali, Hope and Crosby made a belated farewell with this movie, much like Indy returning in Crystal Skulls I suppose.
It starts off badly, with the pair caught up in some space rocket over the moon escapade which makes them men out of their time. Crosby looks old, he has the irascible, slightly scary look he took on in later years - his nonchalant, butter wouldn't melt expression is long gone so when he stitches up Hope it seems a bit sinister. Hope is older too and looks like a right-wing Republican of the Tricky Dicky era. Both could appear in more serious, credible movies (China Syndrome type stuff) as villainous types, you feel. Joan Collins shows up early on to offer up a flashback with harpy narration.
It does get better, however, and for a film released in 1962, the same year as Doctor No, there are plenty of Bond connections. I enjoyed the zany credits and found they were done by one Maurice Binder. Walter Gotell turns up as an evil scientist, one year before his turn as SPECTRE trainer in From Russia With Love. Casino Royale's Peter Sellers and David Niven make cameos - Niven's is 10 seconds long, Sellers reprises his Indian doctor to not very humorous effect, save some goonish fun with a snake in a basket. The same year as Dr No we see the villain (played by Robert Morley) has an underwater lair with windows looking out onto sharks, which makes Hope gulp and grab his partner's lapels. Morley ends up with some Hugo Drax-like plan from Moonraker to exterminate 'the unemployed, the great unwashed' from space, a venture one for which can't help thinking the older, crankier comedians might have some secret sympathy.
The finale is quite mad and risqué, with the pair winding up alone in an unlikely destination with young Joan, whom they agree to share carnally in a way that bizarrely anticipates her later roles in The Stud and its sequel, some 10 years later, thankfully the sheer awfulness is broken by welcome star cameos.
Not the best Road to... film but not really that bad either. Hope's mugging to the camera provides much of the comic energy. -
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In the seventh ROAD... movie wisecracking Chester Babcock (Bob Hope) loses his memory, it leads to a wacky espionage adventure for him and his vaudeville partner Harry (Bing Crosby). The duo's ... -