Road to Utopia

Synopsis

In Alaska, Hope, Crosby and Lamour search for the map to a gold mine. While battling two sets of villains for possession of the map, our heroes vie for the affections of Lamour and insult each other at every opportunity. A pop-up window features comedian Robert Benchley commenting on the action.

Discussion

Road to Utopia, with its frequent fourth wall-breaking by Benchley and Hope, offhand comments from talking animals, and odd characters wandering through scenes, is the most surreal of the Road series. In contrast to all the craziness, the villains, led by Douglass Dumbrille, are played straight so that an element of menace and danger is sustained throughout the film. The movie is also full of innuendo. The final joke, Hope defensively telling the audience "We adopted him" when his "son," the spitting image of Crosby, appears, is not only outrageous, but also a clear violation of the Motion Picture Production Code. The gag was presumably passed because it was part of the hugely popular Road movies.

TCM Film Festival, 2013

Road to Utopia was presented at the TCM Classic Film Festival in 2013, as part of the "Essentials" theme. Comedian and actor Greg Proops introduced the film.

In his discussion, Proops said that Bob Hope and Bing Crosby represent show business. Both were enduring and successful in several media, including film, radio, TV and, in Crosby's case, music. The seven Road pictures made between 1940 and 1962 united their seemingly disparate talents into a spectacular duo with natural chemistry. They play off each other easily, often tossing ad-libbed barbs and insults at one another.