“THE PATTY-CAKE CHRONICLES, PART ONE”

By Raymond Benson

The Bing Crosby and Bob Hope “Road to…” series began in 1940 with this landmark musical-comedy that teamed the dueling popular radio personalities for the silver screen. Each of them had already been featured alone in Hollywood pictures prior to this, but Hope, especially, had not yet become the huge star that he would be over the ensuing years. At the time, Crosby was the bigger celebrity, and, in fact, so was Dorothy Lamour, who served as the duo’s female foil for the series (except the seventh and last title); hence, Bob Hope received third billing for the only time on Road to Singapore.

Singapore sets up the formula that would be repeated for the remainder of the series. Two playboys (Crosby and Hope, whose character names change with each movie, although their “characters” are always the same) find themselves traveling to some exotic locale in order to either escape a woman, gangsters, or pursue some con job, only to get mixed up in a farcical plot with an equally exotic woman (always Lamour, in her “sarong” era). There are a few songs performed by both men or solo or with Lamour, comic hijinks (especially from Hope), and even some action and adventure. A running gag throughout the series was a bit that Crosby and Hope did—playing “Patty-Cake, Patty-Cake,” reciting the verse and slapping their hands in front of adversaries as a distraction—and then surprising the bad guys with sudden punches, thereby starting a fight and the means to escape. Another familiar face in some—not all—of the “Road” movies is that of big-eyed, big-mustached Jerry Colonna, whose mugging and bigger-than-life voice provides much merriment.

In Singapore, Crosby is Josh, the son of a wealthy shipping magnate (Charles Coburn), but he wants nothing to do with the business. He is engaged to Gloria (Judith Barrett), but he doesn’t really want to get married and settle down. Like his bachelor best friend, Ace (Hope), Josh just wants adventure and no responsibilities. While they make an oath to swear off women (who always get them in trouble), they are still very much attracted to the opposite sex and pursue the ladies anyway. After wrecking his own engagement party, Josh escapes with Ace the wrath of the family and ends up in Singapore, which was owned by Britain at the time (didn’t Britain once own everything?). There, they rescue island girl/dancer/singer Mima (Lamour) from a cruel club performer boyfriend, Caesar (Anthony Quinn), and she becomes the boys’ “roommate.” While Josh’s family and fiancée search for him, our two heroes must deal with the on-again, off-again threesome relationship with Mima and attempt to avoid Caesar’s efforts at revenge.

The picture is usually cited as one of the best of the “Road” pictures. There are indeed some wonderful moments. The chemistry between the two leads is palpable, the musical numbers are a lot of fun, and the comedy produces many laughs. Some elements might seem embarrassingly dated to today’s audiences—such as a prolonged sequence in which Crosby and Hope don dark makeup in order to impersonate island natives—but one must place the movie within the context of when the picture was released, and 1940 was a very different societal time. It should also be noted that the film was not shot on location in Singapore—it was made in Hollywood. Once you’re past the eye-rolling at some of the sexist and racist attitudes that are present, Road to Singapore can be a nostalgic and entertaining evening at the home video theater.

Kino Lorber’s new Blu-ray release looks fine and sounds great. It comes with English subtitles for the hearing-impaired. Three previously issued supplements accompany the film: a short documentary on Hope and the Road pictures, with appearances by Phyllis Diller, Randall G. Mielke (author of The Road to Success), and Richard Grudens (author of The Spirit of Bob Hope); a short featurette on Hope entertaining the troops over the years; and a musical excerpt from the film presented as a “sing-along” with lyrics to follow.

If you’re a fan of Crosby and Hope, the Road pictures, and Hollywood pre-World War II entertainment, then Road to Singapore is for you!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM AMAZON