I guess you had to be there . . . Third of the Bing Crosby/Bob Hope ROAD pics (generally considered best in the series) is pleasant fun, with a wacky ‘anything goes’ spirit (talking camels?) and two exceptional songs in the mix (the title tune; ‘Moonlight Becomes You’). But its euphoric reception and blockbuster biz now seem unwarranted. (No doubt, wartime jitters gave a commercial boost to the silliness.) The usual format remains: Partners on the run; Dorothy Lamour in the middle; bad guy complications (here Anthony Quinn); rivals in love/comrades-in-arms; advantage Bing; gag Fade Out. Hope shows particularly good form (perfect timing/glint in the eye). But there’s a structural flaw with the romance settled too early as Lamour opts for Bing after she sorts out a bad omen in the second act. Worse, the film gives Hope an alternate partner in annoyingly chipper Dona Drake, effectively ditching the competitive angle between the boys. We know the inevitable outcome, but you can’t remove the motor and expect a vehicle to run.
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