{"id":16145,"date":"2011-03-04T17:49:18","date_gmt":"2011-03-05T00:49:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=16145"},"modified":"2021-01-14T18:36:31","modified_gmt":"2021-01-15T01:36:31","slug":"road-to-hong-kong-1962","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=16145","title":{"rendered":"Road to Hong Kong (1962)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;I bet you never thought you&#8217;d have a fortune riding in the old melon.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Poster-194x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"194\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-16146\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Poster-194x300.jpg 194w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Poster-82x128.jpg 82w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Poster.jpg 302w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 194px) 100vw, 194px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen a con-man (Bob Hope) accidentally memorizes a secret formula coveted by an underground terrorist organization (led by Robert Morley), one of its members (Joan Collins) does everything she can to wrest it from him; meanwhile, she finds herself falling in love with his partner (Bing Crosby).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bing Crosby Films<\/li>\n<li>Bob Hope Films<\/li>\n<li>Comedy<\/li>\n<li>Joan Collins Films<\/li>\n<li>Mistaken Identities<\/li>\n<li>Musicals<\/li>\n<li>Peter Sellers Films<\/li>\n<li>Robert Morley Films<\/li>\n<li>Science Fiction<\/li>\n<li>Space Exploration<\/li>\n<li>Spies<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nThis final entry in the long-running, enormously popular <em>Road to&#8230;<\/em> franchise is often dismissed as its worst, and cited as evidence that the series had finally run its course; therefore, I was surprised to find myself enjoying its silly sci-fi premise (a spoof of <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=33775\"><em>Dr. No<\/em><\/a>, released the same year) as much as I did. Hope and Crosby, despite their advancing ages, still manage to generate plenty of amusing comedic synergy:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Crosby-Hope.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Crosby-Hope-1024x591.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"369\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-63367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Crosby-Hope-1024x591.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Crosby-Hope-300x173.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Crosby-Hope-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Crosby-Hope-768x443.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Crosby-Hope-1536x886.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Crosby-Hope-468x270.png 468w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Crosby-Hope.png 1767w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and gamely allow themselves to get into all sorts of foolish situations; meanwhile, the space travel plot is so ridiculous &#8212; in true <em>Road to&#8230;<\/em> fashion &#8212; that you can&#8217;t help watching in anticipation of what bizarre twist will come next (just wait for the banana-feeding machine). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Bananas-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Bananas-1-1024x618.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"386\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-63362\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Bananas-1-1024x618.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Bananas-1-300x181.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Bananas-1-128x77.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Bananas-1-768x463.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Bananas-1-1536x927.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Bananas-1-448x270.png 448w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Bananas-1.png 1709w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Collins is actually a fine replacement for Lamour, exhibiting natural chemistry with both aging leads, and taking the silly plot just seriously enough. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Collins2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Collins2-1024x625.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"391\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-63364\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Collins2-1024x625.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Collins2-300x183.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Collins2-128x78.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Collins2-768x469.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Collins2-1536x937.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Collins2-443x270.png 443w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Collins2.png 1703w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Speaking of Lamour, however, her brief cameo appearance late in the film is unfortunately a bit pathetic. While she had every right &#8212; as an essential member of the earlier <em>Road to&#8230;<\/em> trio &#8212; to insist on appearing in this film, her over-the-top nightclub performance here (playing herself) simply doesn&#8217;t provide her with a dignified exit from the series. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Lamour.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Lamour-1024x611.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"382\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-63363\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Lamour-1024x611.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Lamour-300x179.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Lamour-128x76.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Lamour-768x458.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Lamour-1536x916.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Lamour-453x270.png 453w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Lamour.png 1715w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Watch for Peter Sellers in an early, uncredited scene as an Indian neurologist attempting to diagnose Hope&#8217;s memory loss &#8212; he (temporarily) steals the film. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Sellers2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Sellers2-1024x621.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"388\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-63370\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Sellers2-1024x621.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Sellers2-300x182.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Sellers2-128x78.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Sellers2-768x465.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Sellers2-1536x931.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Sellers2-445x270.png 445w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Sellers2.png 1701w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Peter Sellers&#8217; brief but indelible early scene as an Indian neurologist<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Sellers-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Sellers-1-1024x617.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"386\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-63366\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Sellers-1-1024x617.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Sellers-1-300x181.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Sellers-1-128x77.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Sellers-1-768x463.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Sellers-1-1536x926.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Sellers-1-448x270.png 448w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Sellers-1.png 1711w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>A number of incredibly silly jokes, sequences, and gags<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Banana-Feeding.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Banana-Feeding-1024x615.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-63368\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Banana-Feeding-1024x615.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Banana-Feeding-300x180.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Banana-Feeding-128x77.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Banana-Feeding-768x461.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Banana-Feeding-1536x922.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Banana-Feeding-450x270.png 450w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Road-to-Hong-Kong-Banana-Feeding.png 1717w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, but it&#8217;s actually recommended for good, clean Hope &#038; Crosby fun.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0056417\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/fantasticmoviemusings.com\/2018\/12\/17\/the-road-to-hong-kong-1962\/\">SciFilm Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.moria.co.nz\/sciencefiction\/roadtohongkong.htm\">Moria Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/17735\/the-road-to-hong-kong#articles-reviews?articleId=89023\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;I bet you never thought you&#8217;d have a fortune riding in the old melon.&#8221; Synopsis: When a con-man (Bob Hope) accidentally memorizes a secret formula coveted by an underground terrorist organization (led by Robert Morley), one of its members (Joan Collins) does everything she can to wrest it from him; meanwhile, she finds herself falling in love with his partner (Bing Crosby). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Bing Crosby Films Bob Hope Films Comedy Joan Collins Films Mistaken Identities Musicals&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=16145\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16145"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16145\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63371,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16145\/revisions\/63371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}