Road to Utopia
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| Road to Utopia | |
 1946 movie poster |
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| Directed by | Hal Walker |
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| Produced by | Paul Jones |
| Written by | Melvin Frank Norman Panama |
| Starring | Bing Crosby Bob Hope Dorothy Lamour Robert Benchley Hillary Brooke Douglass Dumbrille |
| Music by | Leigh Harline |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | February 27, 1946 |
| Running time | 90 min |
| Country | U.S. |
| Language | English |
| Preceded by | Road to Morocco |
| Followed by | Road to Rio |
Road to Utopia, filmed in 1943 but not released until 1946, is the fourth film of the road series.
Contents |
[edit] Production
The film is the only Road to... film without a real place in its title though Alaska with its gold mines is referred to as "Utopia" several times in the film. Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour starred, as they did in all but one of the series. The film is also the only "Road" film that did not take place in contemporary times though the film begins and ends with the cast made up to look older who flashback to the past. As a “narrator”, humor essayist Robert Benchley provides some wry commentary that is interspersed throughout the movie. There are also jabs at Paramount Pictures (the studio that originally released the film) and a reference to Frank Sinatra, not to mention many instances of "breaking the fourth wall" and general wackiness. In her autobiography, Dorothy Lamour said that the release of Road to Utopia may have been delayed by Paramount to not jeopardise the public's and Academy Awards committee's acceptance of Crosby as Best Actor for playing a priest in Going My Way.[1]
[edit] Plot summary
At the turn of the century, Duke Johnson (Bing Crosby) and Chester Hooton (Bob Hope), two vaudeville performers, go to Alaska to make their fortune in the gold rush. On the ship to Skagway, they find a map to a secret gold mine, which had been stolen by McGurk (Nestor Paiva) and Sperry (Robert Barrat), a couple of thugs.
Meanwhile, Sal Van Hoyden (Dorothy Lamour) is in Alaska to try and recover the map; it had been her father's. She falls in with Ace Larson (Douglass Dumbrille), who wants to steal the gold mine for himself. Duke and Chester, McGurk and Sperry, Ace and his henchmen, and Sal, chase each other all over the countryside, trying to get the map and the gold.
[edit] Cast
Bing Crosby ... Duke Johnson / Junior Hooton
Bob Hope ... Chester Hooton
Dorothy Lamour ... Sal Van Hoyden
Hillary Brooke ... Kate
Douglass Dumbrille ... Ace Larson
Jack La Rue ... LeBec (as Jack LaRue)
Robert Barrat ... Sperry
Nestor Paiva ... McGurk
Robert Benchley ... Narrator
[edit] Songs
- "Good Time Charlie", performed by Bing Crosby and Bob Hope
- "It's Anybody's Spring", by Bing Crosby and Bob Hope
- "Personality", Dorothy Lamour
- "Welcome to My Dream", Bing Crosby
- "Put It There, Pal", Bing Crosby and Bob Hope
- "Would You?", Dorothy Lamour
All lyrics by Johnny Burke, and music by Jimmy Van Heusen.
[edit] Copyright
This is the last of the original four "Road" pictures that now reside with EMKA, Ltd./NBC Universal (which holds Paramount's pre-1950 library). The film's copyright was renewed in a timely manner by the company which had acquired it. Originally registered for copyright as LP159 with a declared publication date of March 22, 1946, the continuation of copyright was contingent upon renewal between the 27th and 28th anniversaries of that date. Renewal occurred March 29, 1973, number R548937. Although the film opened February 27, 1946, the renewal is still timely even if the earlier date were considered publication date. Renewal was filed by EMKA, Ltd., and thus Universal Pictures now is the distributor for all media. The copyright is now scheduled to run until 95 years after the publication date (2041). The film has not entered the public domain.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ p.142 Lamour, Dorothy My Side of the Road Prentice-Hall 1980
Road to... refers to a series of seven comedy films starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. They are also often referred to as "Road pictures."
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