Dorothy Lamour

Average customer rating:

its no quiet man, but its still fun
DONOVANS REEF VIDEO
Excellent Movie
Wayne the Comedian
Donovan's Reef

Donovan's Reef
Starring: John Wayne , Lee Marvin , Elizabeth Allen , Jack Warden , and Cesar Romero
Director: John Ford
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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Hatari!
McLintock! (Authentic Collector's Edition)
Hellfighters
In Harm's Way
The Quiet Man (Collector's Edition)

ASIN: B00005ASGF
Release Date: 2001-06-05

Amazon.com

John Wayne's last film with mentor and long-time collaborator John Ford (The Searchers) is a 1963 comedy about a group of war veterans settled on a South Pacific island. When the daughter of one of them (Jack Warden) comes for a visit, the freewheeling status quo between the boys is disrupted. This is Ford in his chummy, amiable, roughhousing mode--think of Victor McLaglen's drunken fight scene in Ford's She Wore a Yellow Ribbon--and it is entirely pleasurable. Wayne is comfortable in his man's-man role, and Lee Marvin (who played Wayne's nemesis in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance) is effectively roguish. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

its no quiet man, but its still fun.......2007-06-11

a year after his last true masterpiece ("the man who shot liberty valance") director john ford reunited with two of his stars, john wayne and lee marvin, for the final comedy of his career. while wayne is terrific as the brawling owner of a south pacific bar, and marvin has fun in the role victor mclaglen would have essayed at an earlier time, the movie is hurt irreparably by the stilted acting of elizabeth allen, in the role that would once have been played (and splendidly) by maureen o'hara. too many cliches of hula girls and the like, but then again there is also the wonderfully touching christmas pageant sequence, set in the perpetually leaky-roofed church. is this great john ford? not by any means. but it IS john ford, and thus deserves to be seen.

DONOVANS REEF VIDEO.......2007-05-31

Great movie. Funny, romantic, makes you want to take the first plane to Polynesia.

Excellent Movie.......2007-05-14

I'm a big John Wayne fan and this is one of my favorite movies. I could not find this movie anywhere else, so I was extremely pleased to find it through Amazon. This is an oldie, but goodie for John Wayne, but the quality of the DVD was excellent. I was very happy with the choice.

Wayne the Comedian.......2007-05-14

Not your typical Wayne action movie. John plays a softer, more humerious role in this movie and is really good. Wayne showed he had the ability to do comedy and the movie was light-hearted fun. The love story angle was weak, but the Duke never was a good kisser. Must see fun film.

Donovan's Reef.......2007-05-13

I wish Hollywood made films like this today. Great Wayne, Marvin, Warden, and Allen. Wonderful story line.

On the Road With Bob Hope and Bing Crosby Collection (Road to Singapore/Road to Zanzibar/Road to Morocco/Road to Utopia)

Average customer rating:

A RETURN TO NORMALCY
So Happy
On the Road...
Enjoyable!
road to comedy with bob and bing

On the Road With Bob Hope and Bing Crosby Collection (Road to Singapore/Road to Zanzibar/Road to Morocco/Road to Utopia)
Starring: Bing Crosby , Bob Hope , Dorothy Lamour , Una Merkel , and Eric Blore
Director: Victor Schertzinger , David Butler , and Hal Walker
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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( O ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Road to Rio
The Road to Hong Kong
Road to Bali
The Ghost Breakers
The Princess and the Pirate

ASIN: B0001FGBZW
Release Date: 2004-05-04

Description

They are some of the best-loved film comedies ever created. Now, four of the most popular "Road" pictures, starring the unbeatable screen duo of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, are here together in this deluxe DVD collection. Join Bing and Bob as they travel the world and experience rollicking, fun-filled misadventures in the company of the alluring Dorothy Lamour in such screen gems as Road to Singapore, Road to Zanzibar, Road to Morocco and Road to Utopia. You'll laugh yourself silly with four of the titles that made Hope and Crosby one of the most successful comedy teams of the 1940s and which continue to charm and entertain audiences of all ages today.

Customer Reviews:

A RETURN TO NORMALCY.......2007-06-08

HAVING SEEN ALL OF THE ROAD MOVIES IN YEARS PAST, IT IS A GREAT PLEASURE ONCE AGAIN TO HEAR WONDERFUL VOICES, & COMEDIC ACTING AT SUCH A HIGH LEVEL. MUSIC & COMEDY DOES NOT HAVE TO BE VULGAR TO BE ENTERTAINING. WHERE HAVE YOU GONE BING CROSBY?

So Happy.......2007-04-27

I looked for the Road To movies a few years back with no luck. I checked back recently, and was pleased to find this collection of the first four- and, arguably, the best four- films in the series. The package is nice, and the movies are on one double-sided DVD, which is a nice change from the unnecessarily disc-heavy sets we see so often. The transfer of the movies isn't perfect, but they're old, and it's still fantastic in both sound and picture. All four movies are wonderful, though Road To Singapore is a bit slow in coming off the ground. Hope and Crosby are revered as one of the best comedy duos of all time, and this set proves why. I'm young, and I love these movies. They're great fun for all ages, and I highly recommend getting them. Especially for that price!

On the Road..........2007-03-10

Including four of the seven films in the series, "On the Road with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby" is a collection that I'm proud to own. The Bob Hope and Bing Crosby "Road" movies are a set of classic comedy musicals that are pointless but funny! This can only be appreciated by someone who understands the relationship between Hope and Crosby and the jokes that apply to the era. A great collection for the Hope, Crosby, or Lamour fan.

Enjoyable!.......2007-01-12

Couldn't wait to get this DVD and it was worth the wait. Got a charge out of seeing Bob and Bing together. Must order the other "Road" films.

road to comedy with bob and bing.......2007-01-10

a bargain collection of their best (save "Rio which should have been packaged with it - perhaps MCA-Universal did not have the rights).
Enjoy - nothing else needs to be said!

Average customer rating:

CHEAP LOOKING CREEP
I feel the need, the need... for WEED!
not as good as the orginal,but still good
A worthy disk for an under-rated film.
should be in your collection, if you call yourself an 80's horror movie fan...

Creepshow 2
Starring: Domenick John , Tom Savini , George Kennedy , Philip Dore , and Maltby Napoleon
Director: Michael Gornick
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Creepshow
Tales from the Darkside: The Movie
Children of the Corn
Stephen King's Cat's Eye
Stephen King's: Sometimes They Come Back

ASIN: B0000509C4
Release Date: 2001-03-26

Amazon.com

What is it about hitchhikers that makes them such a sure-fire bet for horror? This question is addressed in the final segment of Creepshow 2, another Stephen King-George Romero collaboration. "The Hitchhiker" is the simplest and best of the three tales on display here, with Lois Chiles as a cheating wife who just can't seem to get rid of a hitchhiker... no matter how hard she tries. The collection gets off to a slow start with "Old Chief Wood'n Head," a sleepy story of Native American justice. "The Raft" is a passable teens-in-peril number, but it worked better on the page than on screen. Romero adapted the King stories but emphatically did not direct, which accounts for the drop-off from the kicky fun of the first Creepshow. King appears as a dimwitted truck driver--a foreshadowing of Maximum Overdrive? In any case, this one's for diehard fans only. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

CHEAP LOOKING CREEP.......2007-04-12

Not once has anyone ever seen such a collection of low-budget wierdness. You can't blame the actors; they are pretty good. Blame the lame storylines, lousy music, and stupid props.
Just trust me. Not scary, not thrilling, not worth the time. The only thing great here was the cute topless girl, to be honest.

I feel the need, the need... for WEED!.......2007-01-07

The original Creepshow was a landmark in horror film history,(did I review that one yet?) and the second installment only adds to the glory of the first. It had 3 stories instead of 5 like the first one, but that's probably because they are longer tales. When I look back at the history of horror films, this one is always one of the firstor should i say second that I think of. This is a must have for any collector or film lover.

One last thing... Thanks for the ride, lady!

not as good as the orginal,but still good.......2006-11-20

this edition of Creepshow brings another tide of terror and fear to your DVD collection.There are three stories in this film:

1.Old Chief Woodenhead-an old wooden Indian comes to life and gets revenge on a group of hoodlums that murder his creators.An old-fashioned scare-up.

2.The Raft-Five friends go out to a secluded lake for fun,but are soon trapped by a malavolent monster in the lake.

3.The Hitchhiker-A woman is put through a terrible ordeal when a man she runs over keeps coming back to life.Thanks for the ride,lady!

A worthy disk for an under-rated film........2006-07-15

Considering how this seems to be one of the lesser-appreciated films from the 1980s, I find it a pleasent surprise that they would go back and make a special-edition disk with some nice special features, a making-of mini-documentary and a filmmakers commentary, both of which I had a lot of fun watching and listening to. Other lesser-known films from the 1980s that got some really cool special feats on their DVD disks are: CAT'S EYE, CHOPPING MALL, CHEERLEADER CAMP, THE STUFF, DOLLS, SOCIETY, ROCK & RULE, FIRE & ICE and TIME RIDER.

I do have a few disapointments with this movie, both of which have to do with the fact that they were working on a limited budget back when they made this movie. The first is, as most know, the fact that this film has only three tales, while the first had five. The other thing is that the first film had lots of comic book touches throughout, such as pages turning across the screen, narritive captions shown on screen, weird comic book lighting in the backrounds at certain climative parts, even scenes shown in seperate panels at certain moments. Well, this film has none of that, the stories are just shown in the same way you'd show a regular movie.

Still, the stories are great for what they are. I'd say they're as good as the ones shown in the first film, and I'm glad to own this disk. The stories are:

OLD CHEIF WOODENHEAD: Three young punks in a decrepit desert town rob and kill two elderly store owners, only to have their wooden cigar indean come to life and exact revenge. The fact that it's the wooden indean that avenges the couple and not the people themselves who come back from the dead, as would normally be the case in this type of story, earns this tale at least a few originality points.

THE RAFT: Based on an earlier Stephen King story found in the Skeleton Crew short story collection. Four college students spend a day on a raft in the middle of a remote lake, only to find themselves preyed upon by a black blob lurking in the water that likes human flesh and can slip through the cracks between the boards. In my opinion the best of the three.

THE HITCHHIKER: The story that is probably the most like the classic E.C. comic horror tales. A woman driving home late at night accidentally runs over a hitchhiker. Unfortunately for her, the guy comes back and wants revenge, and she can never seem to get away from him no matter how far she drives. It's like this one episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE turned pure horror as opposed to subtle suspense.

If you're a horror fan, check this one out.

should be in your collection, if you call yourself an 80's horror movie fan..........2006-07-06

Creepshow 2 contains-

1.)three cost effective stories, first is mediocre, but the other two are great.
2.)an EXCELLENT animated wraparound featuring the creep, a weird kid, and his run-in with some bullies. reminds you of late eighties saturday morning cartoons. my favorite part of the movie.
3.)cool/cheesy music.
4.) good acting for such a low budget movie.
5.) great locations. really convincing.
you see a desert town, a mountain lake, and the icy highways of Maine.
6.) good monster effects in the raft sequence and a great mutilated corpse in the hitch hiker.They did really well with such a small budget. the oil slick is scary. don't believe what the detractors say.
but....
1.) this deluxe edition's commentary and bonus documentary are lame. I thought they made this movie look bad but....................Creepshow 2 is a great movie. Recommended.

Average customer rating:

Take Me Out To The Circus
Greatest Show on Earth
Brassy Big Top Corn: Silly But Entertaining
An entertaining picture, just not the Best Picture
The Greatest Show On Earth

The Greatest Show on Earth
Starring: Lillian Albertson , Lyle Bettger , Robert Carson , Antoinette Concello , and Cucciola
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

How Green Was My Valley
Around the World in 80 Days (Two-Disc Special Edition)
From Here to Eternity [Region 99]
Marty
All the King's Men [Region 99]

ASIN: B0001AW08Y
Release Date: 2004-04-06

Amazon.com essential video

The Greatest Show on Earth is a heaping helping of flapdoodle served up by one of Hollywood's canniest entertainers: producer-director Cecil B. DeMille. This overripe melodrama purports to be life inside the Ringling Brothers Circus; maybe it's not, but the circus ought to be like this. The actors wrestling with the purple dialogue are: early-career Charlton Heston, as the tough-as-nails circus manager; Cornel Wilde and Betty Hutton as trapeze artistes; and Gloria Grahame (who won an Oscar), dangling from elephants. Best of all, James Stewart plays a clown who--for mysterious reasons--never removes his makeup. (Stewart took the supporting role simply because he'd always wanted to play a clown.) This is a fried-baloney sandwich of a movie: it ain't sophisticated, and probably isn't good for you, but once you start you can't stop. It was the box-office champ of 1952, and it shocked everybody by winning the best picture Oscar. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

Take Me Out To The Circus.......2007-04-05

Cecil de Mille's THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH won an Oscar for best picture in 1952. While it may not be the greatest movie ever made, it certainly made me want to see a real live circus again, no small feat. The stunts are both funny and fantastic, the animals majestic, the circus comraderie feels genuine, and you can practicallly smell the cotton candy. Yes, there is a plot here too. A very young Charlton Heston is the circus manager who must ride herd on everyone. Betty Hutton and Cornel Wilde play trapeze artists; Jimmy Stewart is a clown with a past. There is a romantic triangle as well as good guys triumphing over the villains. Almost everyone-- but not quite-- winds up happy in the end.

You should certainly see-- if you never have before-- this movie but don't take it too seriously. As they say, they don't make movies like this anymore.

Greatest Show on Earth.......2007-03-27

Received this DVD in a timely manner. I haven't played it yet, but it looks to be in excellent condition.

Brassy Big Top Corn: Silly But Entertaining.......2007-03-14

Every one was shocked when THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH won Oscars for Best Motion Picture and Best Screenplay; there was nothing about the film that could be considered "great art." At the same time, however, SHOW was a lot of fun, and certainly audiences of the day flocked to it, making it the single biggest grossing film of 1952.

The story is purple-prose soap opera. Circus manager Brad Braden (Charleton Heston) is doing a balancing act between rival arielist stars Sebastian (Cornel Wilde) and Holly (Betty Hutton)--the later of whom is torn in her affections between the two. Add in a lovely but common show girl (Dorothy Lamour), a jealous elephant trainer (Lyle Bettger), the object of his affections (Gloria Graham), a clown with a mysterious past (Jimmy Stewart), high wire accidents, and a train wreck--all mixed well by Cecil B. DeMille's eye for larger-than-life spectacle. The result is brassy, silly, corny, and thoroughly enjoyable.

Seen today, the big attraction here is the chance to see the circus when it was still traveling by rail and performing under "the big top." Filmed with the cooperation of Ringling Brothers-Barnum and Bailey, SHOW allows us to see what was involved in organizing the lavish show that was the circus in the 1950s, a world filled with roustabouts, elephants, barkers, peanut vendors, acrobats, and all the rest. One of the more interesting aspects of this is Emmett Kelly, one of America's greatest clowns, who appears throughout the film as himself.

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH is lots of flash and dazzle, a little song and dance, Charleton Heston in his first major role, Betty Hutton in one of her final films (she did most of her own stunt work), and lots of corny charm. It might not really be the "greatest" show on earth, but it is very picturesque. The film isn't restored, but it isn't in bad condition; sadly, there are no bonuses at all.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

An entertaining picture, just not the Best Picture.......2007-02-24

"The Greatest Show on Earth" is a good movie and it's entertaining enough, it's just not an Oscar-winning calibre movie. As other reviewers have noted, this film was probably given its Best Picture Oscar as a kind of life-time achievement award to Cecil B. DeMille. It wasn't that the Academy felt that they had unjustly snubbed DeMille in the past for any specific film, it was just that he had always made those kind of epic cast-of-thousands types of pictures that drew in the audiences but that rarely won Oscars. Plus, a large body of DeMille's work had been done before the Academy Awards even came into existence in 1927. The whole thing seems especially unjust when you look at the competition that year. Two of the other nominees - "High Noon" and "The Quiet Man" are considered unique and classic to this day. Also, there is a film in the top 10 of AFI Best Films from that year that didn't even get nominated for best picture - Singin' in the Rain - which is arguably the best musical film ever made. It's rather ironic that just four years later the Academy could have probably awarded DeMille more legitimately when he made his last movie, the epic "The Ten Commandments", in 1956.

This movie is basically a documentary on how the Ringling Brothers circus operated in the early 50's, and large chunks of film are taken up showing how the Big Top was assembled, the manual labor involved, how the entire circus - including wild animals - was transported via rail, and basically just all of the hard work that went on behind the scenes. There is also a pretty spectacular scene near the end of the film involving the two trains as they are transporting the circus from one town to another. I say "was" because the circus as it is portrayed in this movie closed down and ceased to exist in 1956. The truth is that the Ringling Brothers circus never fully recovered financially from the double whammy of the Great Depression and a fatal fire that killed over 100 people in Hartford, Connecticut in 1944 and thus was in the process of failing even when this movie was made. The plot of the movie is very thin, the main thread being an uninspired love triangle involving the two stars of the trapeze act, Holly and the Great Sebastion, played by Betty Hutton and Cornel Wilde respectively, and the managing boss of the traveling show, Brad Braden, played by Charleton Heston. The subplots include an elephant trainer who is obsessed over a girl in the show who doesn't care for him, some small-time mobsters whose crooked games get thrown off the lot by Brad, and "Buttons" the clown, played by Jimmy Stewart, who never takes off his makeup and who seems to have a mysterious past. All of these plot lines are just there to hold the documentary part of the film together and also as a backdrop for all of the circus acts that are numerous and quite spectacular to behold, especially the acrobatic acts. Quite honestly, one-fourth into the movie you can see the outcome of the dramatic portion of the movie coming at you from a mile away. This makes the fact that this movie won Best Motion Picture Screenplay an even odder decision than the Best Picture award.

There is some interesting trivia involving the film. Famous clown Emmett Kelly can be seen at one point in the film without makeup - a fact that Mr. Kelly was not happy about. Also, Dorothy Lamour has a supporting role in this film, and during one of her musical performances in the show the camera pans to the audience -as it often does in this film - but this time you get a brief glimpse of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope enjoying the show. The inside joke here is that Lamour, Crosby, and Hope were the costars of the popular series of "Road to ..." movies of the 40's and 50's. The strangest thing about the DVD itself is that there are absolutely no extras included. Since many films include "Making of" extras on their DVD's, even if they are decades old since some stock footage usually remains somewhere, how strange that a movie that is basically a cover for a documentary doesn't do the same.

The Greatest Show On Earth.......2007-02-18

This movie is a classic and has all the best actors in it. This movie is circus with excitement,drama and more. Good movie to see.

Average customer rating:

CHEAP LOOKING CREEP
I feel the need, the need... for WEED!
not as good as the orginal,but still good
A worthy disk for an under-rated film.
should be in your collection, if you call yourself an 80's horror movie fan...

Creepshow 2 (Divimax Edition)
Starring: Domenick John , Tom Savini , George Kennedy , Philip Dore , and Maltby Napoleon
Director: Michael Gornick
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Creepshow
Tales from the Darkside: The Movie
Children of the Corn
Stephen King's Cat's Eye
Stephen King's: Sometimes They Come Back

ASIN: B0002F6AZC
Release Date: 2004-09-28

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

CHEAP LOOKING CREEP.......2007-04-12

I feel the need, the need... for WEED!.......2007-01-07

not as good as the orginal,but still good.......2006-11-20

A worthy disk for an under-rated film........2006-07-15

should be in your collection, if you call yourself an 80's horror movie fan..........2006-07-06

The Big Broadcast of 1938 / College Swing Double Feature

Average customer rating:

Good fun
"Well, you go ahead and sing...I'll stand over here so they won't think I'm beating you."
thanks for a plethora of great entertainers in a pair of minor memories
Bob's First Films but Martha Raye Stills the Show
Fantastic disc

The Big Broadcast of 1938 / College Swing Double Feature
Starring: W.C. Fields , Martha Raye , Dorothy Lamour , Shirley Ross , and Lynne Overman
Director: Mitchell Leisen , and Raoul Walsh
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

My Favorite Blonde / Star Spangled Rhythm Double Feature
Bob Hope Tribute Collection - Caught in the Draft / Give Me a Sailor Double Feature
Here Comes Cookie / Love in Bloom / Six of a Kind
Bob Hope Tribute Collection - Monsieur Beaucaire / Where There's Life Double Feature
Bob Hope Tribute Collection - Louisiana Purchase / Never Say Die Double Feature

ASIN: B00005UMFC
Release Date: 2002-03-05

Customer Reviews:

Good fun.......2007-06-18

These films, while packaged as Bob Hope vehicles, are typical all star programmers from Paramount in the late thirties, populated by numerous performers of which Hope is but one. These were his first 2 feature films although he had appeared in shorts for some years. Both are screwy and absurd in the Paramount fashion and accordingly good fun.

"College Swing" showcases Gracie Allan doing her thing but Martha Raye, as a French Professor of Love, steals the show, partcularly in a funny number with Hope "Howdya like to love me"? "The Big Broadcast" stars an obnoxious W C Fields and when he is unsympathetic, he is not very funny. His golf routine is amusing. The famous highlight of the film is Hope's song with the charming and easygoing Shirley Ross "Thanks for the Memory". The film also benefits from some stylish camera angles and deco set design, typical of the director Mitchell Liesen. Look also for some famous stars before their peak - a perky and spirited Betty Grable as a co-ed, handsome John Payne as the male ingenue and Robert Cummings as a radio announcer in "College Swing" and an insipid Dorothy Lamour in "Broadcast" long before she developed any sense of self parody which became her attractive trademark.

The prints are in excellent condition and the photography in both elevates the films above their routine status. The DVD extras are minor except for a few liner notes about each of the films and a trailer for "College Swing".

"Well, you go ahead and sing...I'll stand over here so they won't think I'm beating you.".......2006-09-17

The Big Broadcast of 1938 was the final entry in the Big Broadcast film series. Although Bob Hope only got fifth billing in the opening credits (W.C. Fields had star billing above the movie title), this musical comedy is a landmark film because it boasts Old Ski-Nose's debut in full length features. The flimsy plot involves an ocean liner race between the SS Gigantic and the SS Colossal, but that storyline serves merely as a staging area for the stale vaudevillian routines, the throwaway gags, the mostly forgettable songs, the dull specialty numbers, and one dubious cartoon sequence. Already with Fields and Hope's famous schnozzes on board, this movie only needed Jimmy Durante in it to achieve some kind of nasal trifecta. But, you know what? The routines and songs may be old and creaky, but this musical still has enough charm and the funny in it to be worth a look.

W.C. Fields may have headlined, but his star power does not overwhelm here. It's Bob Hope who carries this movie - as much as an ensemble cast member can carry a movie. As radio broadcaster Buzz Fielding, Hope tries to put on a radio show while contending with three ex-wives and his new girl, Dorothy (Dorothy Lamour), who is on the verge of straying with the hunky inventor. This film offers other romantic entanglements, but the subplot that tugs best at the heartstrings is Buzz's amiable relationship with ex-wife Cleo (winsomely played by Shirley Ross). It's pretty obvious that sparks still may fly between the two. Hope and Ross have great chemistry together, and they make a fun couple as they joust verbally. The highlight of the film comes an hour into it when Buzz and Cleo reminisce at a bar and segue smoothly into a riveting, bittersweet rendition of "Thanks for the Memories." This number was carried out by Hope and Ross with conversational, off-the-cuff flair that was still very personal and emotional. Apparently, Damon Runyon was so taken with the performance of that song that he chose to review only that portion of the film. And, while I don't consider it to be a showstopper, Dorothy Lamour does sweetly croon "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth."

W.C. Fields had little moments here and there, most notably in the outrageous golf and pool sequences (hey, the man cheats!). Throughout the movie, he resorts to his patented mumbled insults and putdowns, although one lady does get one back when she impertinently asks, "Is that a tomato he's eating? Or is that his nose?" But I had a bigger chuckle over Martha Raye's bit where she raucously sings, "Oh, Mama," whilst being tossed and flipped around by sailors.

Other negligible subplots revolve around a $50,000 bet, a bad luck daughter who cracks any mirror she gazes at, and an inventor unable to make his invention function. But all that is fluff. This film is mindless spools of fun that would otherwise be relegated to the back closets of Hollywood if not for its two saving graces: the debut of Hope as a feature film player and the introduction of his signature song "Thanks for the Memories." On a lesser note, this is also the first time Hope teams up on-screen with Martha Raye and, more importantly, with Dorothy Lamour. For those things, The Big Broadcast of 1938 becomes a key cinematic event.

Lastly, for those interested, the SS Gigantic wins the race. Sorry for the spoiler.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The second offering in this Bob Hope tribute collection dvd is College Swing. In his second feature film, Bob Hope inches up in the world, as this time, he receives fourth billing in the credits, one name up from his debut movie. The plot is silly and has to do with a wager placed in 1738 between Gracie Alden's ancestor and the college head. The wager is if, in 200 years, no descendant of the grandfather's graduates, then all his fortunes will go to the college. If someone passes, the college will be ceded to the Alden family. So, now, cut to 1938, 200 years later, where dimbulb Gracie Alden (Allen), after 9 years of attending college, has one last shot at passing the exam. Bob Hope's sly character gets himself contracted to tutor Gracie in exchange for money and other benefits. Gracie passes the exam with flying colors, inherits the university, and begins to make sweeping changes, some of which are fairly dubious.

Huh. That film synopsis took longer than it really should have. Basically, this film boils down to swing music and college silliness. College Swing stars Gracie Allen, who shows off more of her goofy, addled humor. I swear some of that woman's hare-brained comments would make Yogi Berra wince. The film also features her husband/straight man George Burns, a blithely dancing Betty Grable, a brassy Martha Raye, a discombobulated Edward Everett Horton, and, of course, Bob Hope.

College Swing offers up the energetic film title number, which showcases cute Betty Grable, and an amusing duet by Hope and Raye, "How'd You Like to Love Me?" Also mildly entertaining is the opening scene set in a 1738 school as the students stuffily sing a school psalm, only to have a student turn it to scat. An outraged elder asks him, "What is thy name?" - to which the lad replies, "Benny Goodman." College Swing is not a movie I would have purchased by itself, but as the second feature in this package, it'll do.

thanks for a plethora of great entertainers in a pair of minor memories.......2006-08-03

a fun double feature. the latter is most notable for the work of george burns & gracie allen, doing what they did so well; the former, starring w. c. fields, is best remembered for the brilliant sequence wherein bob hope (in a duet w the sadly forgotten shirley ross) introduces "thanks for the memory". not a must-see, but a good enough way to while away an evening.

Bob's First Films but Martha Raye Stills the Show.......2006-05-24

This double feature contains two of Bob Hope's early movies. He was not the star in either film but a featured role in both. Both are typical musical revues of the early age of Hollywood musicals, little story songs to service the performers and not the story. This is very similar to Broadway musicals of the 20's and 30' but with a little more vaudeville in them.

College Swing finds Gracie Allen is the last of her line of nitwit women. If she cannot pass her college exam, the college reverts from her family to the city. Bob is a con artist who figures out how to make her pass. In return she is to put him in charge of the college. George Burns and Edward Everett Horton are the head of the board of trustees and are confirmed bachelors. But it's not George that Gracie winds up with. This is all set to swing music.

The Big Broadcast of 1938 would be totally forgotten if it did not introduce Bob Hope's theme song Thanks for the Memory. Bob is a radio host who has a penchant for gambling and ex-wives. He is to host a radio broadcast aboard a new radio wave powered ship that is racing the ship that holds the current crossing record. W.C. Fields is the named star of the film as the twin brother of the owner of the new ship who has a bad luck curse. The ship makes a detour to rescue the passengers of a sinking boat which includes Fields' like wise cursed daughter, Martha Raye. Also on board is Bob's three ex-wives and his current flame, Dorothy Lamour - yes, they didn't meet on the road. The film has plenty of irrelevant splashy musical numbers. But it is Bob and Shirley Ross' rendition of Thanks for the Memories that is the high moment in the film.

The best thing about these two films is Martha Raye. She shines in both films and shows her talents. Too bad Hollywood never found a place for her. But these two films and her great performance in Chaplin's Monsieur Verdoux make a great tribute to her.

This DVD is a must have if you are one of the following:
*A Bob Hope fan
*A Martha Raye fan
*Someone with an interest in early Hollywood musicals

DVD EXTRAS: None

Fantastic disc.......2005-12-11

For those interested in the quality of the sound and picture and if it is an original, unaltered release rest assured this one is. Fantastic sound and picture quality with no alteration. A genuine pleasure to watch and own.

Average customer rating:

Great Laughs
End of the Road to ...
One More Time.....
Beware if you have a widescreen TV...
Watch it for Peter Sellers short but stellar bit!

The Road to Hong Kong
Starring: Bing Crosby , Bob Hope , Joan Collins , Robert Morley , and Walter Gotell
Director: Norman Panama
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Road to Rio
On the Road With Bob Hope and Bing Crosby Collection (Road to Singapore/Road to Zanzibar/Road to Morocco/Road to Utopia)
Road to Bali
Son of Paleface
The Princess and the Pirate

ASIN: B00006L930
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Description

"The laughs come thick and fast" (Variety) in this seventh hilarious Road movie from Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. Cavorting through a series of madcap adventures with Joan Collins, DorothyLamour and Robert Morleyas well as Peter Sellers, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and David NivenCrosby and Hope dish out a "fricassee of jokes and gags" (Los Angeles Times) in what may be the wildest entry in their popular film series! Vaudevillians Harry (Crosby) and Chester (Hope) travel to Tibet to search for a drug to restore Chester's memory. Once they find the cure, Chesters memory becomes so good that he accidentally memorizes a secret formula for space navigation. Soon the two meet up with a beautiful spy (Collins) and get slightly sidetracked'to another planet!

Customer Reviews:

Great Laughs.......2006-03-16

What a pair Bing Crosby & Bob Hope will really make you laugh in this one. love the scene where bob is pushing or was it pulling Bing Crosby & Joan Collins great scene.
a great pass time for the entire family

End of the Road to ..........2006-01-21

Road to Hong Kong was the last Hope - Crosby Road film. Dorothy Lamour only makes an appearance in this film. Joan Collins is the love interest in the film - a beautiful spy for the top secret spy group The First Echelon.

Harry and Chester are a couple of con artists. When Chester loses his memory in an accident, they are sent to a Tibetan Lamasery. En route Chester is accidentally slipped a rocket fuel formula. While at the Lamasery, they find out about a rare herb that increases memory capacity. The boys know this will make a great mentalist act for vaudeville and still it. They steal a bottle and return home. As a test, Chester memorizes the formula. This sets the remainder of the film. The First Echelon wants their formula and will do anything to get it.

This being the final Road film, lots of guest stars including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, David Niven and an early performance by Peter Sellers.

This is the most polished of the Road films. Written by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank, who have collaborated on a number of his films including their Oscar nominated Bob Hope film The Facts of Life and Frank's best solo film, A Touch of Class. Just sit back and enjoy.

DVD EXTRAS: None

One More Time............2004-09-02

The Bob Hope/Bing Crosby/Dorothy Lamour "Road" pictures were the most successful film series until someone named James Bond came along. The Road To Hong Kong was a belated final entry - a nice idea but one executed on a miserly budget when the stars were somewhat past their peak. The script roughly follows the dependable formula of the earlier films and, while not as funny or as charming as the classic Road To Morocco, still provides a fair amount of amusement. It is certainly not the overcooked turkey that some people claim.

Cheaply filmed in England in black and white on cardboard sets and with special effects of rocket ships that would have made Ed Wood proud, the film relies a lot on the audience's affection for Hope and Crosby. The interplay and patter of their double act, so finely tuned over the years, is still a major attraction. Poor Dorothy Lamour is reduced to a guest star spot while the female lead is given to Joan Collins looking amazingly fresh and extremely sexy. One of the main embarrassments of the film is the love scenes between a visibly aging Crosby and the svelte young Collins. But, apart from that, she works quite well with the old troupers. And Robert Morley has a fun turn as a Dr No-type villain.

For me, though, the real star is Bob Hope in his trademark role as a professional coward with delusions of being a great lover. Whether tossing off a succession of quips or performing slapstick (with the aid of an obvious double) he breathes more life into the film than it possibly deserves. One of Hope's best scenes is with a pre-international stardom Peter Sellers who plays an eccentric Indian doctor. It is both fascinating and funny to witness this encounter between comic geniuses from different generations.

Yes, yes, yes...I know the film is creaky and looks older than it actually is. But it is also a lot of fun and has its heart in the right place. It's certainly no worse than any of the British "Carry On" films which have somehow been elevated to cult status. To paraphrase another fun film of that era - Hope and Crosby may have been past their prime, but what they had left over was more than most film comics started out with.

Beware if you have a widescreen TV..........2003-11-19

This is a fine presentation and packaging of the seventh (and weakest) of the Crosby-Hope "Road" series. True fans will want this for their collection, and I agree that Hong Kong is not as bad as it is often portrayed. In the era of Austin Powers, this film actually picks up some points for kitch; it was arguably the first spoof of the '60s spy thriller.

But there is one very unfortunate flaw in this DVD version. Even though this is the first release of this movie in widescreen, this DVD is not optimized for widescreen televisions. So if you have a wdiescreen TV this movie will appear letterboxed on all four sides, the frame of the picture will not fill out your widescreen from left to right. This is an infuriating lapse on the part of MGM.

Watch it for Peter Sellers short but stellar bit!.......2003-05-03

This isn't nearly as bad as often made out to be. For one thing these guys were ALWAYS to old for these antics, otherwise they would have been making them in the 1930s. By this time their timing was down pat & frankly the writing here seemed a lot sharper than the previous entries. But the real reason to watch this is a terrific hilarious & all too brief turn by Peter Sellers as an Indian doctor that is as funny as anything Sellers or anyone else ever did on screen.

Average customer rating:

Not Captivating
Road to Bali
Forgettable
Slapstick with a Setting Reminiscent of Gilligan's Island
Road to Bali 1952

Road to Bali
Starring: Bing Crosby , Bob Hope , Dorothy Lamour , Murvyn Vye , and Peter Coe (III)
Director: Hal Walker
Manufacturer: Brentwood Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Comedy | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Road to Rio
The Road to Hong Kong
On the Road With Bob Hope and Bing Crosby Collection (Road to Singapore/Road to Zanzibar/Road to Morocco/Road to Utopia)
Bob Hope Tribute Collection - The Road Show Series (The Road to Morocco / The Road to Singapore / The Road to Utopia / The Road to Zanzibar)
Son of Paleface

ASIN: B00004YS72
Release Date: 2000-11-21

Customer Reviews:

Not Captivating.......2007-04-08

I was predisposed to like this film, but was disappointed in the weakness of the plot and the hackneyed one-line put downs constantly exchanged between the two protangonists. It starts with the two vaudeville stars doing their routine on stage, while in the wings a girl is waiting with her dad for a "shotgun" style wedding for either of the two. They escape, leaving Australia looking for any kind of available employment. It turns out deep sea diving is the sole remaining option.

Princess Lala, who is half Scottish becomes the romantic target of both suitors. The indingenous people arrange a marriage ceremony whereby both men are going to marry her, although neither realize they are sharing a bride. This plan is destroyed by another authority on the island who wants to make her his latest bride to add to his collection. It's at this point that the plot breaks down and it seems they wanted to just end the script in the alloted time.

Cameo appearances by well-known movie stars of the era are interspersed. If you don't watch carefully you'll miss them however. The most creative part is the conclusion.

Road to Bali.......2007-03-16

Got it very fast and it is a great movie. Of course with old Blue eyes and Bob Hope. It had to be.

Forgettable.......2007-02-12

The plot was OK, but the songs were forgettable--almost painful--and the dancing was amateurish. I found myself fast forwarding through a lot. However, the comedic exchanges between Bing and Bob were fun.

Slapstick with a Setting Reminiscent of Gilligan's Island.......2007-01-17

Two comedians entertain us. While traveling, one sleeps below the train (risky!). When playing on bagpipes and in Scottish suits, they kick each other. There are other humorous scenes throughout this flick.

They land on a tropical island somewhere in the southern Pacific Ocean. Each one assumes that he will be the one to marry Princess Lalah. And, similar to the characters in Gilligan's Island, they have to deal with such things as wild beasts (in this case, the affections of a gorilla), natives and their poison darts, an angry volcano, and the imminent prospect of being beheaded. So who actually gets to marry Princess Lalah? I will not spoil the ending by revealing it.

Road to Bali 1952.......2006-04-19

Bob Hope (1903-2003) and Bing Crosby (1903-1977) and Dorothy Lamour (1914-1996) team up their Sixht "Road" picture . Road to Bali , which was the only film in the series to be shot in color . Hope and Crosby stars as two out-of-work vauville performers who are on the lam . The two are hired by a South seas prince as deep-sea divers in order to recover a buried treasure .They meet beautiful Princess Lala (Lamour) and vie for hear affections . Of course,the boy run into the usual perils such as cannibals , a big squid and nomerous cameos from some of Hollywoods biggest stars . Director Hal Walker (1896-1972) was no stranger to the three actors , having directed the trio in ( Road to Etopia 1946) . The final "Road" picture (Road to Hong Kong 1962), would be released 10 years later with Lamour only making a brief Cameo appereance . This Movie are a gem and the only edition transfer in high Quality , there is several released version , this is the best ,Highly recommended

The John Wayne Adventure Collection (The High and the Mighty / In Harms Way / Island in the Sky / Hatari! / Donovans Reef)

Average customer rating:

The John Wayne Adventure Collection (The High and the Mighty / In Harms Way / Island in the Sky / Hatari! / Donovans Reef)
Starring: John Wayne , Kirk Douglas , Patricia Neal , Claire Trevor , and Robert Stack
Director: Otto Preminger , William A. Wellman , John Ford , and Howard Hawks
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

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All Titles | John Wayne Store | Stores | DVD | Video

Boxed Sets & Collections | John Wayne Store | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

John Wayne Collection, Vol. 1 (The Quiet Man / The Sands of Iwo Jima / Flying Tigers / The Wake of the Red Witch)
The John Wayne Western Collection (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance / True Grit / Hondo / McLintock! / Big Jake / The Shootist / Rio Lobo / The Sons of Katie Elder / El Dorado)
John Wayne: Screen Legend Collection (Reap the Wild Wind / Rooster Cogburn / The Hellfighters / The War Wagon / The Spoilers)
John Wayne Collection ( North To Alaska / Comancheros / The Undefeated )
Operation Pacific

ASIN: B000O179GI
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Bob Hope Tribute Collection - The Road Show Series (The Road to Morocco / The Road to Singapore / The Road to Utopia / The Road to Zanzibar)

Average customer rating:

Fine Family Vewing
OUTSTANDING - Bing is as always memorable - 5 STARS
Good quality- priceless entertainment
Ah yes....Thank you, so much....
"Patty Cake..Patty Cake...Baker's Man........"

Bob Hope Tribute Collection - The Road Show Series (The Road to Morocco / The Road to Singapore / The Road to Utopia / The Road to Zanzibar)
Starring: Bing Crosby , Bob Hope , Dorothy Lamour , Hillary Brooke , and Douglass Dumbrille
Director: Hal Walker , David Butler , and Victor Schertzinger
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Classics | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Road to Rio
Road to Bali
The Road to Hong Kong
My Favorite Blonde / Star Spangled Rhythm Double Feature
Bob Hope Tribute Collection - Monsieur Beaucaire / Where There's Life Double Feature

ASIN: B00005UMFD
Release Date: 2002-03-05

Amazon.com

Road to Singapore
Here's the first trip in what would become one of Paramount Pictures' most profitable film series of the '40s. When this comedy was released in 1940, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope had separately achieved stardom, though Crosby was an established power and Hope still a hot comedian new to movies. In fact, Hope is billed third in Road to Singapore, below Der Bingle and Dorothy Lamour. The script establishes what would be a constant in the Road series: a ramshackle plot, a handful of songs, and plenty of irreverent banter between the two boys. Crosby plays Josh Mallon, scion of a wealthy family, who prefers the vagabond life to his stuffy family; his pal Ace Lannigan (Hope) is only too happy to escape. They end up sharing a waterfront shack in Singapore and vying for the affections of a sarong-clad local (Lamour), amidst stabs at conning the natives with a dubious elixir variously known as "Spot-O" (stain remover) and "Scram-O" (cockroach killer). Singapore isn't as loose as some of the wacky subsequent entries in the series, but it already shows Crosby and Hope grooving to each other's perfectly timed burlesque rhythms in scenes that clearly depart from the script. They specialized in muttered asides, show-biz in-jokes, and gratuitous insults--and this one's got a song and dance number with an ocarina. No wonder it became a franchise. --Robert Horton

Road to Zanzibar
The second Road movie from Paramount Pictures finds barnstorming con artists Chuck Reardon (Bing Crosby) and Hubert "Fearless" Frazier (Bob Hope) at liberty after their act goes haywire. (In these movies, Crosby generally lures the suckers into the tent, while Hope is always stuck getting shot out of the cannon.) A phony map to a diamond mine brings our boys into the middle of Africa, which means there's a good chance they'll end up sitting in a cauldron while natives perform a cannibal dance around them. These stereotypes would be offensive if the movie wasn't actively parodying the kind of jungle movie popular in 1941 (just as Road to Morocco would satirize the Arabian nights picture). Dorothy Lamour is along for the ride, of course, and her scen