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90 min – view video trailer
Director: Hal Walker
Starring: Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour
IMDB 7.6 / Amazon 4.6 / Tomatometer 100%
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family
Oscars: nominated for 1, won 0
At the turn of the century, Duke and Chester, two vaudeville performers, go to Alaska to make their fortune. On the ship to Skagway, they find a map to a secret gold mine, which had been stolen by McGurk and Sperry, a couple of thugs. They disguise themselves as McGurk and Sperry to get off the ship. Meanwhile, Sal Van Hoyden is in Alaska to try and recover the map; it had been her father’s. She falls in with Ace Larson, who wants to steal the gold mine for himself. Duke and Chester, McGurk and Sperry, Ace and his henchmen, and Sal, chase each other all over the countryside, trying to get the map. IMDB 7.6 rating from over 2,287 users
Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour made seven “Road” films in total and all were great entertainment and worth seeing. However, “Road to Utopia” was one of the best and has not become dated over the years. The film is very fast moving with gag following gag, talking animals, Bob Hope’s remarks to the camera, and even has comedian Robert Benchley interrupting proceedings to give a running commentary on the film as it progresses! Dorothy Lamour provides the glamour and adds a song or two. Amazon 4.6 stars from over 16 users
The first “Road” picture in three years (the last was The Road to Morocco), Road to Utopia is set during the Alaskan gold rush. Bob Hope and Bing Crosby play a pair of third-rate San Francisco entertainers, Chester Hooton and Duke Johnson, who are obliged to skip town in a hurry. They book passage on a ship to Alaska, where they run afoul of escaped murderers Sperry (Robert H. Barrat) and McGurk (Nestor Paiva). Through a fluke, Chester and Duke overpower the killers, then get off the ship in Skagway disguised as Sperry and McGurk so that they themselves can evade the authorities. Rotten Tomatoes tomatometer 100% Audience 76%
MRQE 16 reviews – Madison Public Library
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-ON1Y_-uck]
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