Avventura al Marocco

Typical Hope and Crosby nonsense. More of a "big budget home movie" than anything else, but funny and enjoyable anyhow.

By the Time "Morocco" was created, the Road Pictures had been embraced and enjoyed and the formula was set in stone: An exotic locale, Dorothy Lamour, a couple of songs and go easy on the script because Bob and Bing are gonna "jab-lib" their way through it regardless. The result here is a slick and entertaining yarn about absolutely nothing. Don't let the current climate of "Islam/Arab/Terrorism" mindset disturb you about the on screen antics because this was filmed in a different era and has nothing to do with the goings on in our world today.

Bing gets a chance to croon the very lovely Moonlight Becomes You, which to this day is still one of the most touching love songs ever written; Bob gets to do his "screen persona schtick" and it is hilarious; Dorothy has a forgettable song and a funny reprise of Moonlight Becomes You, sung in the desert accompanied by the boys and it is extremely funny. Anthony Quinn (who was a Road Picture Regular) returns in a typical villain role in which he does his best.

A couple of notes. Early in the picture Bob and Bing get involved with a camel who licks them. At the end of this routine as they prepare to ride away on the beast it spits at Bob. This was NOT in the script. The camel ad-libbed and the reactions of both Hope and Crosby are genuine. The director liked the take so much he used it in the final cut. Secondly, it took forever for the boys to sing the theme song, The Road to Morocco. It seems that every time they got to the lyric " . . . like Webster's Dictionary we're Morocco bound. . . " they'd break up over that lyric and would have to re-shoot the song.

It's a breezy, light-weight, fun evening with Der Bingle and Old Slope Nose. Make yourself a bowl of popcorn, grab a large soda and laugh away for 82 minutes. It'll do you good!

The Road to Morocco is the best of Crosby/Hope road movies, in my humble opinion. Yes, the plot is paper thin, but the comedy and self-deprecating humor is there. Much of the comedy is slapstick, but this is a movie that's not afraid to say "It's just a movie, don't take it seriously." In the first song, Crosby and Hope allude to it being just another road movie. Naturally they'll meet Dorothy Lamour, and they have nothing to fear, because Paramount will protect them. This is not a movie to have a serious, philosophical discussion about. This is a movie to pop into the VCR on a Saturday night and forget about your worries.

With Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour all in good form, plus an interesting if wacky story, "Road to Morocco" is rather enjoyable despite the goofy nature of a lot of the material. It has a good variety of settings and comic material that help it keep going, and for all that much if it is silly, it is always good-natured and sometimes imaginative.

The desert setting and characters work all right as long as you don't take them too seriously or view it as any kind of commentary. The gently comic view of the characters and their habits is the source of some good gags, and the contrast between the locals and the two main characters is also used relatively well. There are several self-referential jokes (perhaps a couple too many) to make sure nothing is taken too seriously.

Besides Hope and Crosby, Lamour seems to relish her chance to play a princess, and Anthony Quinn is a suitably menacing adversary. Overall, it has to rank among the better of the stars' collaborations, not memorable so much for the material as for the chance to see the performers together.

This is a typical ROAD movie with the boys chasing Lamour as the audience waits to see who Dotty will wind up with. The script is pure escapist, light-hearted stuff and everyone seems to enjoy the tongue in cheek style of all the gags.

Bing is his usual affable self, tossing off a few songs in the Crosby manner--the best of which is "Moonlight Becomes You". Dorothy Lamour is at her peak of lush beauty as the princess and manages to keep a straight face while the boys cut capers. Bob Hope shines in a part totally suited to his comic skills with one-liners and double takes that keep the high spirits flowing.

If you're a fan of ROAD movies, you'll definitely enjoy this one--although my own personal favorite is still ROAD TO UTOPIA.

It's amazing to me that Dorothy Lamour could keep a straight face during the shenanigans of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope while filming. Apparently she had a great time with them, which is no surprise.

The boys wind up in Morocco in this film, and as usual, Bing's character can't wait to throw poor Bob under the bus - or, in this case, caravan. This time, Bing gets money to pay a restaurant bill by selling Bob into slavery. It turns out Bob is to be the groom of the glamorous Lamour. He's having a blast, though he writes to Bing that he's being tortured daily. As usual, Dorothy falls for Bing.

People might think I'm crazy, but I just love the '40s Bob Hope. He was adorable and very funny. Crosby gets to sing the beautiful "Moonlight Becomes You," an added bonus.

The stories are always the same, set in different locales, and they're always funny. Just two guys ad-libbing and goofing around. Hope plays his own aunt, an apparition. Enjoy.