For some strange reason, this film was allowed to slip into the public domain. This is odd because it is the only one of the Hope-Crosby road pictures to be in the public domain AND the only one filmed in color. Not surprisingly, however, because these are public domain prints the color is very washed out and the prints I have seen are a bit fuzzy. It must have looked great in 1952...my how times have changed.
This film finds the boys playing pretty much the same characters they played in most of the other films in the series. Once again, they are broke, scheming for money and fighting over women. Also, just like most of their other films, the natives and native dances look like they stepped right out of a Hollywood sound stage...which they have. This makes for an odd film that bears as much resemblance to Bali as it does to Cleveland (well, actually less).
Because Bing and Bob are broke, they accept jobs as divers to retrieve a sunken treasure. What they don't know is that the job is practically suicide--with a horrible giant squid waiting for them. It already has killed several other divers and the boys are next. But, in typical road movie style, the Princess (Dorothy Lamour) falls for the boys and doesn't want to see them risk their miserable lives.
As for the quality of the film, it's a mixed bag. Because the plot and so much about the formula of the movie is the same old same old, it certainly isn't a must-see movie. However, it's pleasant entertainment and the film does have an even higher number of jokes that pokes fun of itself and cultural references than usual. This is how they get little cameos of Humphrey Bogart and Martin & Lewis in a film supposedly set in Bali and the South Seas. It also has gorillas (in Indonesia?!).
For fans of the series, it is a nice return to the past but to someone wanting something different, you're gonna be disappointed.
This film finds the boys playing pretty much the same characters they played in most of the other films in the series. Once again, they are broke, scheming for money and fighting over women. Also, just like most of their other films, the natives and native dances look like they stepped right out of a Hollywood sound stage...which they have. This makes for an odd film that bears as much resemblance to Bali as it does to Cleveland (well, actually less).
Because Bing and Bob are broke, they accept jobs as divers to retrieve a sunken treasure. What they don't know is that the job is practically suicide--with a horrible giant squid waiting for them. It already has killed several other divers and the boys are next. But, in typical road movie style, the Princess (Dorothy Lamour) falls for the boys and doesn't want to see them risk their miserable lives.
As for the quality of the film, it's a mixed bag. Because the plot and so much about the formula of the movie is the same old same old, it certainly isn't a must-see movie. However, it's pleasant entertainment and the film does have an even higher number of jokes that pokes fun of itself and cultural references than usual. This is how they get little cameos of Humphrey Bogart and Martin & Lewis in a film supposedly set in Bali and the South Seas. It also has gorillas (in Indonesia?!).
For fans of the series, it is a nice return to the past but to someone wanting something different, you're gonna be disappointed.