Songs: "The Merry Go Runaround" (Hope, Crosby, Lamour); "Chicago Style" (Hope, Crosby); "Hoot-Mon" (Hope, Crosby); "To See You" (Crosby, reprized Crosby); "Moonflowers" (Lamour); "Two Little Lambs" (Hope, Crosby). All songs except "Two Little Lambs" by James Van Heusen (music) and Johnny Burke (lyrics). Music director: Joseph J. Lilley. Special orchestral arrangements: Van Cleave. Musical numbers staged by Charles O'Curran.
Copyright 1 January 1953 by Bing Crosby Enterprises, Inc., and Hope Enterprises, Inc. Released worldwide through Paramount Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Astor: 29 January 1953. U.S. release: January 1953. U.K. release: 29 December 1952 (sic). Australian release: 18 December 1953 (sic). Sydney opening at the Prince Edward: 28 November 1953 (ran eight weeks). 91 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Two vaudevillians are hired as deep sea divers by a South Seas island prince. NOTES: Third to Shane and Roman Holiday as Paramount's top-grossing domestic release of 1952-53. Second to Knock On Wood as Paramount's top-grossing Australian release of 1954. Sixth of the seven Road pictures.
COMMENT: The first Road movie in color was a box-office hit in its day, despite lukewarm reviews. It holds up rather well despite a rather lackluster climax in which the scriptwriters run out of ideas. The notion seems to have been to spoof such films as Bird of Paradise and Lamour's own "Aloma of the South Seas", but the quips which had been flowing thick and fast unaccountably dry up about twenty minutes from the fade-out.
Mind you, it's all rather lavishly and colorfully staged and the jests do resume with "The End" title which Hope vainly tries to delay as Crosby walks away with both Lamour and Russell.
Otherwise the boys are in fine fettle and those who enjoy their mutual banter, plus a host of topical allusions, plus guest appearances by Jane Russell (stunningly costumed), briefly Jerry Lewis as "Lalah" partnered by Dean Martin, a spot by Bob Crosby (which alas falls flat due to pedestrian staging) and a clip of Humphrey Bogart from The African Queen, will have a grand time on this Road to Bali. The songs are mighty pleasant too.
OTHER VIEWS: Top-class entertainment. Whilst the humor isn't quite as crazy as in some previous Road films and the direction is not as skillful (a few of the jests fall flat owing to far too casual staging), most customers will find the lush Technicolor production values more than take up any slack in the script. Crosby, Hope and Lamour make their usual frolicsome team. The villains led by deep- eyed, deep-voiced Murvyn Vye as Prince Ken Arok, are a rather jolly crew.
Copyright 1 January 1953 by Bing Crosby Enterprises, Inc., and Hope Enterprises, Inc. Released worldwide through Paramount Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Astor: 29 January 1953. U.S. release: January 1953. U.K. release: 29 December 1952 (sic). Australian release: 18 December 1953 (sic). Sydney opening at the Prince Edward: 28 November 1953 (ran eight weeks). 91 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Two vaudevillians are hired as deep sea divers by a South Seas island prince. NOTES: Third to Shane and Roman Holiday as Paramount's top-grossing domestic release of 1952-53. Second to Knock On Wood as Paramount's top-grossing Australian release of 1954. Sixth of the seven Road pictures.
COMMENT: The first Road movie in color was a box-office hit in its day, despite lukewarm reviews. It holds up rather well despite a rather lackluster climax in which the scriptwriters run out of ideas. The notion seems to have been to spoof such films as Bird of Paradise and Lamour's own "Aloma of the South Seas", but the quips which had been flowing thick and fast unaccountably dry up about twenty minutes from the fade-out.
Mind you, it's all rather lavishly and colorfully staged and the jests do resume with "The End" title which Hope vainly tries to delay as Crosby walks away with both Lamour and Russell.
Otherwise the boys are in fine fettle and those who enjoy their mutual banter, plus a host of topical allusions, plus guest appearances by Jane Russell (stunningly costumed), briefly Jerry Lewis as "Lalah" partnered by Dean Martin, a spot by Bob Crosby (which alas falls flat due to pedestrian staging) and a clip of Humphrey Bogart from The African Queen, will have a grand time on this Road to Bali. The songs are mighty pleasant too.
OTHER VIEWS: Top-class entertainment. Whilst the humor isn't quite as crazy as in some previous Road films and the direction is not as skillful (a few of the jests fall flat owing to far too casual staging), most customers will find the lush Technicolor production values more than take up any slack in the script. Crosby, Hope and Lamour make their usual frolicsome team. The villains led by deep- eyed, deep-voiced Murvyn Vye as Prince Ken Arok, are a rather jolly crew.