Road to Rio (1947)

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Excellent but underrated film

Best movie ever!

A chunk of history in this chapter of the Road films; Bob Hope and Bing Crosby traveled around the world (... the back lot of Paramount.) So many greats in here - Jerry Colonna, comedian, musician, and actor, was in many of Bob Hope's projects, as well as so many others. Gale Sondergaard, so evil and serious, also in many Hope films, but my favorite role for her is in the 1940 version of The Letter (bette davis). The multi-talented Andrews Sisters, in their final appearance as sisters in a film, according to wikipedia. they had recorded 47 songs with Bing, which is probably why they are in Road to Rio. The Wiere Brothers were an act that had come over from Deutchland, and stayed, performing when and where they could. This film was kind of in the middle of all the "road" films. the plot is pretty inane, but as usual, they boys run off from their last fiasco of a performance, and meet up with Dorothy Lamour on the way to Brazil. Her aunt has evil intentions, so Bing and Bob must run interference and save the day! A fun caper with Hope and Crosby. They don't show this one very often, but it IS (was ?) available on DVD. Directed by Norm McLeod, who had worked with ALL the great comedians, including the Marx Brothers.

After accidentally setting a circus on fire in Louisiana, two Vaudville performers named "Scat Sweeney" (Bing Crosby) and "Hot Lips Barton" (Bob Hope) secretly board a passenger liner headed for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. That night Scat meets a young woman in distress by the name of "Lucia Maria de Andrade" (Dorothy Lamour) and while attempting to console her divulges that he and Hot Lips Barton are stowaways. To his chagrin Lucia informs the captain of the ship which further compounds their misfortune. Fortunately, they manage to sneak off the ship and just happen to meet Lucia again who continues to display a split personality. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that I thought this was a delightful comedy which, in my opinion, was clearly one of the better "Road Movies" produced. I especially liked the chemistry between the three aforementioned actors and the addition of both the Andrews Sisters and the Wiere Brothers along with Jerry Colonna who appeared at the very end. In short, those who have enjoyed the previous "Road Movies" should appreciate this one as well. Above average

"Road to Rio" is perhaps not the best of the "Road" films but I think it has the most entertaining interludes. Bing and the Andrews Sisters' rendition of "You Don't Have to Know the Language" is my favourite "Road" musical interlude. I love Bing's seemingly effortless movements and singing. Bing apparently rehearsed for many hours in order to make his dance movements look as though he had made them up on the spot. Of his singing he once said that he tried to make it seem to any man that he could sound as good whilst in the shower.His casual style masks his dedication to his craft. The Andrews Sisters performance is a match for Bing's class and style. Has any singing group sounded so right?The second interlude is performed by the Wiere Brothers. I have never seen anything as charmingly eccentric and clever. Their routine has you guessing what they will come up with next and what comes next is unexpected and delightfully witty. I am so glad to have seen the brothers in "Road to Rio" because apparently there is very little of their routines on film.It is also good to see Gale Sondergaard in a type of role she made her own - mysterious evil with a beautiful face and body. Disney used her as the model for the evil Queen in Sleeping Beauty. Sondergaard was to play the Wicked Witch of the West in "The Wizard of Oz" until it was decided that the witch should be ugly. Sondergaard rejected the role and she was right. Her portrayals of evil were not the ugly kind; they were sensual, sophisticated, dark and hypnotic.

Four of the seven 'Road' movies, just over half the franchise, were made in the 1940s and this one, released in 1947, was the last of them. All seven are available on DVD in a handsome slipcase resembling one of those Louis Vuitton steamer trunks that you took with you on a world cruise if you were well-heeled and named Somerset Maugham or Noel Coward. One outlet was offering this set at a silly price and I snapped it up primarily for the songs, there are well over 20 in the seven titles of which a surprising number are very high quality or, dare I say it, high Standards. This one yields the standout ballad But Beautiful, the catchy You Don't Have To Know The Language, Appalachacola, Fla whilst Lamour gets one of the one-word title songs that were something of a trademark (in all she sang four; Constantly, Personality, Moonflowers and this one, Experience). Nobody went to these movies looking for a great plot and were quite happy to to find a pair of performers one jump ahead of the posse and watch Crosby set Hope up for another life-threatening stunt before meeting up with Lamour and the resident heavies. This time around it's Gale Sondergaard who's out to swindle Lamour and marry her off profitably. Frank Faylen, Nestor Paiva, the Andrews Sisters and the Wiere Brothers make up the numbers for one of the top three in the franchise.