Vaudevillian con men Duke and Chester (Bing Crosby and Bob Hope) end their partnership when Chester decides to return to New York. But Duke sees fortune in Utopia, that is, Yukon Territory. You know, because of the gold. Chester is tricked into coming along and on their way they lose all their ill-gotten money. But they steal a map to a gold mine from thugs who stole it earlier in the film. They pretend to be the thugs and the rightful owner of the mine (Dorothy Lamour) tries to steal it from them.
This is the fourth of seven so-called “Road Movies” that Hope and Crosby made together and arguably the best. I was unimpressed with their first one, but felt I needed to give them another chance. Results were mixed.
The film is told in flashback. We begin with Hope and Lamour (Chester and Sal, that is) as an elderly couple who get a surprise visit from Bing/Duke. After a few gags Duke proceeds to explain what happened to him when they last saw each other. This builds anticipation for what happened that fateful day, except we forget the premise by the time it’s resolved.
The big attraction to the Hope and Crosby Road movies is their breezy, lighthearted comedy and a story that doesn’t tax the brain very much. They don’t take themselves or the film very seriously, often breaking character and the fourth wall. The story is occasionally interrupted by a narrator cracking wise about the current action. As such we don’t take them or it very seriously, and it’s a formula that does work.
Just not for me, on this particular day. I can’t explain why many scenes annoyed me, but they did. Maybe it was something I ate. A bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of underdone potato. I like the actors fine, and I enjoy light comedies. And it’s not like I have high standards.
Road to Utopia won’t have you rolling on the floor. Genius comedy it is not. But it is very likable and easy to watch, personal experience aside. I will force it to an AMRU 3 because I think under normal circumstances it deserves it.
"And I thought this was going to be an A picture.”
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