Road to Morocco (1942)
Director: David Butler
Honors:
#95 on AFI’s Top Songs for “(We’re off on the) Road to
Morocco”
It is the third Road
to… film, but for the first time its plot would not be based off any
preexisting story idea… not that it really makes any difference. Bing Crosby
and Bob Hope return for yet another adventure to some far off land where their
antics cause issues as the two friends take advantage of each other along the
way. Yet another financial success, Road
to Morocco was a relatively cheap and quickly produced motion picture in a
string of films that made Paramount quite a bit of money. Along the way it
helped make its stars a pair of the most recognizable faces in show business.
Not to mention, it is just a plain whacky, comical movie.
The Road to Morocco
is a comedy of two fast talking Americans vying for the affection of a Moroccan
princess. Jeff (Bing Crosby) and Orville (Bob Hope) are two survivors from a
shipwrecked on the shores of Morocco, which is portrayed as mysterious and full
of peril to these two uncultured Americans. For his own selfish gain to
possibly get home Jeff sells Orville into slavery, but it turns out Orville
finds himself in the service of the most beautiful woman in all the land,
Princess Shalmar (Dorothy Lamour), which makes Jeff jealous. The two friends
compete for the affection of the princess, which is further complicated by her
former lover, the deadly sheik Mullay Kasim (Anothony Quinn), and mistaken
prophecy over the doom of the princess’ first husband. Through dangerous
encounters with the sheik our heroes along with the princess and a beautiful
handmaiden (Dona Drake) escape and sail for America, where irony sneaks its way
in as they are shipwrecked again. Luckily they are not far off from New York
City for the close of this last joke and the film.
This zany screwball comedy returns two of Hollywood’s most
popular entertainers in yet another madcap adventure where they play the
fish-out-of-water scenario. Filled with over-the-top villains, plenty of
creative adlibbed humor, an abundance of politically incorrect stereotypes, and
of course the beautiful Dorothy Lamour as the film’s straight character and eye
candy, we see the third installment of the popular Road to… series of movies. Never meant to be taken seriously, do
not come looking for cinematic art or anything ground breaking in the world of
motion pictures when you watch this film. It is simply a comedy meant for
comedy’s sake, intended purely to entertain.
After the success of Road
to Singapore and Road to Zanibar
in 1940 and 1941 respectively it was becoming clear that the teaming of Crosby
and Hope in this formulaic style of movies was a cash cow for Paramount
Pictures. Crosby was one of the nation’s most popular singers with a growing
list of motion picture credits to his name which one day would land him the
title of one of the Hollywood’s all-time box office draws. Bob Hope through the
1930s rose from a small stage comedian to a Hollywood figure that now hosted
the annual Academy Awards ceremony, as well as entertained vast audiences,
including his famous volunteer shows for the armed forces that would make him a
legend.
These were two of Hollywood’s elite stars and they were
still on the rise. For Paramount to partner them and be such a grand success
was a huge victory for Paramount in the beginning, but now these pictures,
which were relatively cheap and quick to produce, allowed the studio to
basically print money with their continual success.
 |
| Quinn with Lamour listening to the prophecy that dooms her fist husband. |
The first two Road to…
features were lightly inspired by prior properties and storylines, but here the
story was original, although serving only as a vehicle to allow for jokes and
other crazy action to happen around the film’s two stars. Both Hope and Crosby
ham it up for the camera, including breaking down the fourth wall while talking
or singing straight into camera about the usual plot structure of their films.
For director David Butler there is not much to say about his
style or contribution to the picture. His cinematic style is average to slightly
above average, but there is nothing spectacular to note about the camerawork or
editing. The few special effects in the picture are crude and silly, obvious
cheap optical tricks to more contemporary audiences. However when it comes to
capturing the antics and jokes of Crosby and Hope as performers Butler left it
simple. He allows for both stars to be themselves for the most part, simply
cracking jokes and poking fun at each other. Some of these adlibbed moments
would make it into the picture, such as the time where the camel spits in the
face of Bob Hope much to the delight of Bing Crosby. It was just too naturally
funny to cut out.
As for the setting of the feature Morocco’s representation
is absolutely appalling to anyone who may have known anything about the actual
country. For what was in reality a bustling nation on the northern peak of
Africa with heavy influences from nearby European countries just a stone’s
throw across the Mediterranean, in this picture Morocco is made up vastly
different. Here Morocco appears more like the lands in the tales of Arabian
Nights mixed with the mystery of the “dark continent” of Africa. Stereotypes
abound greatly throughout the feature. From princesses, sheiks, pristine
palaces, mirages, to human slavery this picture presents itself as if the
filmmakers know nothing about the nation it is supposed to depicting, even if
it is only a comedy. Even the aspect of slavery is poked fun at in a carefree
manner, likening it to American slavery of the 1800s and referring on a couple
of occasions to “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”
Now stepping off the soap box of motion picture as an art or
science, this movie is just plain fun. Crosby and Hope are a natural pair on
screen. Both are funny and take their turns cracking wise about each other,
dishing out the verbal lumps as well as taking them. Their female co-star
Dorothy Lamour returns to be the point of affection for both men, the object in
which send our heroes down this crazy journey with danger.
All in all the film is so entertaining to so many that it
was a box office success then and remains a critically beloved comedy by manner
cinematic historians, numerous times appearing on top all-time comedy lists. If
anything is to be said about this picture it is that it was the ideal Road to… movie in the series. The stars
were in their prime, the jokes come fast, the plot is amusing and wild, and after
several years it still feels fresh enough to enjoy for the first time or the
one hundredth time, because it is just all in good fun.
So for those that want to see a Bing Crosby and Bob Hope
movie, sit down and watch Road to
Morocco. Baring the possibility of an uptight viewer being possibly
offended or the picture’s lack of “art,” it remains as one of America’s more
amusing features from the 1940s.
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