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.
Further Reading