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Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
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{{Multiple Works Need Separate Pages}}<!-- Images for when somebody does this: Wikimedia Commons has "Category:Road to Singapore (film)" and "Category:Road to Bali (film)" -->
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{{quote|''There had been comedy teams in movies before, of course, and fast-paced dialogue, but the Road pictures introduced something new. The interplay between [[The Marx Brothers|Groucho and Chico Marx]], say, or [[The Burns and Allen Show|George Burns and Gracie Allen]], had an abstract, almost surreal quality. The witty repartee of 1930s screwball comedies like ''[[My Man Godfrey]]'' or ''[[Bringing Up Baby]]'' was too polished and stylized to be mistaken for anything but movie dialogue. [[Bob Hope|Hope]] and [[Bing Crosby|Crosby]] seemed like ordinary guys — [[Shaped Like Itself|like Hope and Crosby]], in fact — perfectly attuned to each other's thoughts, moods, obsessions and vulnerabilities.''|Richard Zoglin, in his essay on ''[[Road to Morocco]]'' for the [[National Film Registry]]}}


The ''Road to ...'' movies are a series of comedy films starring [[Bob Hope]] and [[Bing Crosby]], usually with Dorothy Lamour. Each of the films is a parody of a particular film genre.
The '''''Road to ...''''' movies are a series of comedy films starring [[Bob Hope]] and [[Bing Crosby]], usually with Dorothy Lamour. Each of the films is a parody of a particular film genre.


* ''Road to Singapore'' (1940)
* ''[[Road to Singapore]]'' (1940)
* ''Road to Zanzibar'' (1941)
* ''[[Road to Zanzibar]]'' (1941)
* ''Road to Morocco'' (1942)
* ''[[Road to Morocco]]'' (1942)
* ''Road to Utopia'' (1946)
* ''[[Road to Utopia]]'' (1946)
* ''Road to Rio'' (1947)
* ''[[Road to Rio]]'' (1947)
* ''Road to Bali'' (1952) -- The only one in color
* ''[[Road to Bali]]'' (1952) -- The only one in color
* ''The Road to Hong Kong'' (1962) -- with Joan Collins
* ''[[The Road to Hong Kong]]'' (1962) -- with Joan Collins


It inspired some other movies, including ''[[The Road to El Dorado]]''.
The franchise inspired some other movies, including ''[[The Road to El Dorado]]''.
----
=== This series provides examples, straight or parodied, of: ===


''[[Road to Morocco]]'' was added to the [[National Film Registry]] in 1996.
* [[Be Careful What You Wish For]]:

** In ''Morocco'', Hope's character gets his hands on a magic ring...
''Road to Bali'' fell into the public domain because its copyright was not renewed in time once it lapsed. Watch it at [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Road_To_Bali_(1952).webm Wikimedia Commons] or [https://archive.org/details/RoadToBali1952_201612 the Internet Archive].
** Hope's magic flute in ''Bali'', which backfires horribly when Crosby tries his hand at it.

----
{{franchisetropes}}
* [[Breaking the Fourth Wall]]: Bob Hope addressed remarks directly to the audience several times per movie.
* [[Breaking the Fourth Wall]]: Bob Hope addressed remarks directly to the audience several times per movie.
** [[Aside Glance]]
** [[Aside Glance]]
* [[Book Ends]]: ''Road to Morocco''
* [[Captured by Cannibals]]: In ''Road to Zanzibar'', with the cannibals thinking Hope and Crosby are [[Mighty Whitey|white gods]]... until, that is, the cannibals decide to test their divinity by having Hope get into a sidesplittingly hilarious wrestling match with a gorilla.
* [[The Cavalry]]: They arrive ''juust'' after the fact in ''Rio'', although it's not for lack of trying.
* [[The Cameo]]: Several, particularly in the last two films.
* [[The Cameo]]: Several, particularly in the last two films.
* [[Cymbal-Banging Monkey]]
* [[Darkest Africa]]: Once again, from ''Road to Zanzibar''. It uses all the standard Pulp Africa tropes and [[Subverted Trope|subverts the heck out of them]].
* [[Demoted to Extra]]: Dorothy Lamour, in ''The Road to Hong Kong''. She actually wasn't going to appear in it at all after Crosby insisted on (and got) a younger female lead in Joan Collins, but Hope intervened to at least get her a [[The Cameo|cameo]] appearance.
* [[Drink Order]]
* [[Dueling Stars Movie]]
* [[Dueling Stars Movie]]
* [[Genre Savvy]]: Anybody who doesn't fall for the usual distraction.
* [[Early Installment Weirdness]]: ''Road to Singapore'' is a lot more subdued and conventional than the films that followed.
* [[Fake Nationality]]
* [[The Gay Nineties]]
* [[Genre Savvy]]
* [[Greek Chorus]]: Humorist Robert Benchley, in ''Road to Utopia''.
* [[Harpo Does Something Funny]]
* [[Harpo Does Something Funny]]
* [[Heterosexual Life Partners]]
* [[Heterosexual Life Partners]]
* [[Hollywood Mirage]]
* [[Identical Grandson]]: Used to hilarious effect at the end of ''Road to Utopia''. ("We adopted him.")
* [[Incredibly Lame Pun|Incredibly Lame Puns]]
{{quote|''"Like Webster's dictionary, we're Morocco bound"''}}
* [[Invisible Backup Band]]
* [[Large Ham]]
* [[Large Ham]]
** [[Ham-to-Ham Combat]]
** [[Ham-to-Ham Combat]]
* [[Oscar Bait]]: Lampshaded and spoofed in many of the movies, notably in ''Road to Morocco''.
* [[Literal Genie]]
* [[Logo Joke]]
* [[MacGuffin]]
* [[Medicine Show]]
* [[No Party Like a Donner Party]]
* [[Oscar Bait]]: Lampshaded and spoofed in many of the movies, notably in ''Morocco.''
* [[Overly Polite Pals]]
* [[Overly Polite Pals]]
* [[Road Movie]]: the [[Trope Codifier]]
* [[Pardon My Klingon]]
* [[Running Gag]]: "Patty-cake, patty-cake..."
* [[Plot Armor]]
* [[The Smurfette Principle]]: Roger Ebert called this trope "[[Dorothy Lamour Syndrome]]" after her role(s) in the franchise.
* [[Road Movie]]
* [[Running Gag]]: "Pattycake, pattycake.."
* [[Setting-Off Song]]
* [[The Smurfette Principle]]: Lamour
* [[Sneeze of Doom]]
* [[Thirsty Desert]]
* [[Those Two Actors]]
* [[Throw It In]]: The most memorable incident involves a camel.
* [[Title Theme Tune]]: "We're off on the road to Morocco..."
* [[Travel Montage]]
* [[Universal Adaptor Cast]]
* [[Universal Adaptor Cast]]
* [[Vagabond Buddies]]
* [[Vagabond Buddies]]
* [[Vitriolic Best Buds]]
* [[Vitriolic Best Buds]]
* [[We Need a Distraction]]
* [[We Need a Distraction]]: That's what the "patty-cake" routine was for.
* [[What Could Have Been]]: ''Road to the Fountain of Youth'', planned in the late 1970s but called off after Bing Crosby's death.
** The first film, ''Road to Singapore'', was at one point planned as a vehicle for George Burns and Gracie Allen.
----
=== References in other works: ===


{{tropelist|Individual movies provide examples, straight or parodied, of:}}
* ''[[Spies Like Us]]''
== ''[[Road to Singapore]]'' ==
* [[Early Installment Weirdness]]: ''Road to Singapore'' is a lot more subdued and conventional than the films that followed.
* [[Medicine Show]]

== ''[[Road to Zanzibar]]'' ==
* [[Captured by Cannibals]]: In ''Road to Zanzibar'', with the cannibals thinking Hope and Crosby are [[Mighty Whitey|white gods]]... until, that is, the cannibals decide to test their divinity by having Hope get into a side-splittingly hilarious wrestling match with a gorilla.
* [[Darkest Africa]]: Once again, from ''Road to Zanzibar''. It uses all the standard Pulp Africa tropes and [[Subverted Trope|subverts the heck out of them]].
* [[Invisible Backup Band]]: [[Discussed Trope]]
* [[Pardon My Klingon]]
* [[Travel Montage]]

== ''[[Road to Morocco]]'' ==
Tropes specific to ''[[Road to Morocco]]'' are listed on that work's page.

== ''[[Road to Utopia]]'' ==
* [[Cymbal-Banging Monkey]]
* [[Drink Order]]: "Lemonade... in a dirty glass!"
* [[The Gay Nineties]]
* [[Greek Chorus]]: Humorist Robert Benchley.
* [[Identical Grandson]]: Used to hilarious effect at the end of the picture. ("We adopted him.")
* [[Logo Joke]]

== ''[[Road to Rio]]'' ==
* [[The Cavalry]]: They arrive ''just'' after the fact in ''Rio'', although it's not for lack of trying.
* [[MacGuffin]]

== ''[[Road to Bali]]'' ==
* [[Be Careful What You Wish For]]: Hope's magic flute in ''Bali'', which backfires horribly when Crosby tries his hand at it.
* [[The Cameo]]: [[Jane Russell]], at the very end of the picture.

== ''[[The Road to Hong Kong]]'' ==
* [[Demoted to Extra]]: Dorothy Lamour, in ''The Road to Hong Kong''. She actually wasn't going to appear in it at all after Crosby insisted on (and got) a younger female lead in [[Joan Collins]], but Hope intervened to at least get her a [[The Cameo|cameo]] appearance.

----
{{examples|References to the ''Road to'' series in other works:}}
{{Fake heading|Film}}
* ''[[The Road to El Dorado]]''
* ''[[The Road to El Dorado]]''
* ''[[Spies Like Us]]''
* ''[[History of the World Part One]]'' The "Roman Empire" segment. Mel Brooks and others sing "We're off on the road to Judea!"
* ''[[Ishtar]]''

{{Fake heading|Music}}
* [[They Might Be Giants (band)|They Might Be Giants]] song "Road Movie to Berlin"

{{Fake heading|Western Animation}}
* ''[[Family Guy]]'' episodes "Road to Rhode Island", "Road to Europe", "Road to Rupert", "Road to Germany", and "Road to the Multiverse"
* ''[[Family Guy]]'' episodes "Road to Rhode Island", "Road to Europe", "Road to Rupert", "Road to Germany", and "Road to the Multiverse"
* ''[[Taz-Mania]]'' episodes "Road To Tasmania", "Return Of The Road To Tasmania Strikes Back" and "Yet Another Road To Tasmania"
* ''[[Taz-Mania]]'' episodes "Road To Tasmania", "Return Of The Road To Tasmania Strikes Back" and "Yet Another Road To Tasmania"
* ''[[Duckman]]'' episode "Road to Dendron"
* ''[[Duckman]]'' episode "Road to Dendron"
* The ''[[Tale Spin]]'' episodes "For Whom the Bell Klangs" and "The Road to Macadamia"
* The ''[[TaleSpin]]'' episodes "For Whom the Bell Klangs" and "The Road to Macadamia"
* ''[[The Legend of Tarzan]]'' episode "Tarzan and the Fugitives"
* ''[[The Legend of Tarzan]]'' episode "Tarzan and the Fugitives"
* The ''[[ALF|ALFTales]]'' cartoon episode "The Aladdin Brothers"
* The ''[[ALF|ALFTales]]'' cartoon episode "The Aladdin Brothers"
* [[They Might Be Giants (band)|They Might Be Giants]] song "Road Movie to Berlin"
* ''[[History of the World Part One]]'' The "Roman Empire" segment. Mel Brooks and others sing "We're off on the road to Judea!"
* ''[[Ishtar]]''


{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Films of the 1960s]]
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:National Film Registry]]
[[Category:Film Series]]
[[Category:Film Series]]
[[Category:Buddy Picture]]
[[Category:Buddy Picture]]
[[Category:Films of the 1940s]]
[[Category:The Forties]]
[[Category:The Forties]]
[[Category:Films of the 1940s]]
[[Category:Films of the 1950s]]
[[Category:Films of the 1950s]]
[[Category:Road To]]
[[Category:Films of the 1960s]]
[[Category:Comedy Films]]
[[Category:Film]]
[[Category:Black-and-white films]]

Latest revision as of 13:11, 19 October 2023
There had been comedy teams in movies before, of course, and fast-paced dialogue, but the Road pictures introduced something new. The interplay between Groucho and Chico Marx, say, or George Burns and Gracie Allen, had an abstract, almost surreal quality. The witty repartee of 1930s screwball comedies like My Man Godfrey or Bringing Up Baby was too polished and stylized to be mistaken for anything but movie dialogue. Hope and Crosby seemed like ordinary guys — like Hope and Crosby, in fact — perfectly attuned to each other's thoughts, moods, obsessions and vulnerabilities.
—Richard Zoglin, in his essay on Road to Morocco for the National Film Registry

The Road to ... movies are a series of comedy films starring Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, usually with Dorothy Lamour. Each of the films is a parody of a particular film genre.

The franchise inspired some other movies, including The Road to El Dorado.

Road to Morocco was added to the National Film Registry in 1996.

Road to Bali fell into the public domain because its copyright was not renewed in time once it lapsed. Watch it at Wikimedia Commons or the Internet Archive.

The following tropes are common to many or all entries in the Road To franchise.
For tropes specific to individual installments, visit their respective work pages.
Individual movies provide examples, straight or parodied, of:

Road to Singapore

Road to Zanzibar

Road to Morocco

Tropes specific to Road to Morocco are listed on that work's page.

Road to Utopia

Road to Rio

  • The Cavalry: They arrive just after the fact in Rio, although it's not for lack of trying.
  • MacGuffin

Road to Bali

The Road to Hong Kong

  • Demoted to Extra: Dorothy Lamour, in The Road to Hong Kong. She actually wasn't going to appear in it at all after Crosby insisted on (and got) a younger female lead in Joan Collins, but Hope intervened to at least get her a cameo appearance.
References to the Road to series in other works:
Film
Music
Western Animation
  • Family Guy episodes "Road to Rhode Island", "Road to Europe", "Road to Rupert", "Road to Germany", and "Road to the Multiverse"
  • Taz-Mania episodes "Road To Tasmania", "Return Of The Road To Tasmania Strikes Back" and "Yet Another Road To Tasmania"
  • Duckman episode "Road to Dendron"
  • The TaleSpin episodes "For Whom the Bell Klangs" and "The Road to Macadamia"
  • The Legend of Tarzan episode "Tarzan and the Fugitives"
  • The ALFTales cartoon episode "The Aladdin Brothers"
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Road_To?oldid=2034382"