FuzzyTagz
If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.
Livestonth
I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible
pointyfilippa
The movie runs out of plot and jokes well before the end of a two-hour running time, long for a light comedy.
weezeralfalfa
First of the Road Series, starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour that served as escapist fare during and after WWII to supposed exotic destinations. Although Singapore is the supposed destination for the boys, they never made it quite that far, ending up on the fictional island of Kaigoon, in eastern Indonesia, south of Flores. They sit down in a restaurant where Dorothy Lamour(Mima) and Anthony Quinn(as Caesar)are a dancing floor attraction. Dorothy is a western girl who has gone native. As part of their act, Caesar wraps a whip around Dorothy's waist. When Dorothy shows some interest in the boys with her eyes, Caesar acts jealous. The boys do their first signature pat-a-cake routine, before laying Caesar out. Caesar continues to be an occasional thorn in the side of the others. When Mima is walking outside, he grabs her and pulls her into the jungle. The boys hear her screams and , after another pat-a-cake routine, lay out Caesar in a big mud puddle. Later, Caesar realizes that Hope doesn't have a passport, hence calls immigration authorities to deport him. Hope is put in a police van, from which he escapes....Quinn would play a villain in several more of the Road Series.Of course, Bing and Hope continually fight over Mima. At a yearly community festival, the boys don't know that part of its function is to allow maidens to make their choice of husband. A lovely maiden chooses Hope to dance with, but he runs away when told the custom. Meanwhile, Bing has to chose between Mima and Gloria, his girlfriend back home, who has come to the island with his father to escort him back home.Actually, the film begins with Bing and Hope disembarking from the ship they have been working on, badmouthing wives and girlfriends, swearing they are through with women. Of course, they break this vow when they get to know Mima, although they complain that her neatness standards are higher than theirs: typical of women. Charles Colburn plays Bing's father, whom we meet in the first part and again toward the end, when he comes to take Bing home to help him run his shipping business and marry Gloria.Charles Colburn didn't start in Hollywood until about 60, yet he appeared in more than 70 films and had many TV appearances until his death, more than 20 years later. He usually played fathers and other authority figures. I remember him as the father of Mabel: Bell's girl friend, in "The Story of Alexander Graham Bell"Dorothy Lamour's early ambition was to become a band and radio singer, rather than an actress. This she accomplished. She usually got a song or 2 in the Road Series. She had also played exotic women in several of her early films, thus was ideal in a series supposedly going to various exotic locals. She sure didn't look exotic to me. Don't know why she was chosen to stand in for exotic-looking women.
Uriah43
In this first movie of the "Road series" two fun-loving bachelors named "Joshua Mallon V" (Bing Crosby) and "Ace Lannigan" (Bob Hope) find themselves on the verge of being married. So rather than face that dreadful prospect the two of them take the first tramp steamer out and eventually find themselves on the remote South Pacific island of "Kaigoon". Once there they see a dancer at a nightclub named "Mima" (Dorothy Lamour) being mistreated by her partner named "Caesar" (Anthony Quinn) and naturally come to her defense. A fistfight breaks out and during the pandemonium Josh, Ace and Mima manage to escape and take up residence in a small hut. Although the three of them safe for the moment, Caesar is determined to find Mima and bring her back. Likewise, other people are also looking for both Josh and Ace and each day brings them closer as well. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a pleasant B-movie which features several songs along with a great number of gags—some better than others. But the main attraction, in my mind, was the good chemistry between Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour. Yet despite all of these positive aspects the film itself doesn't rise above its general B-movie attributes and for that reason I have rated it as about average. Followed by "Road to Zanzibar".
MartinHafer
This is the first "Road Picture" starring Bob Hope and Bing Crosby and it's a bit unlike the others because of the number of songs and the more serious nature of the story. All the Hope-Crosby films had musical numbers, but ROAD TO SINGAPORE had just too many--especially the big production numbers that studios absolutely loved during this era. Try watching the early Abbott and Costello films and you'll see what I mean! This along with less comedy make this an enjoyable film but not among the better films in the series.The film begins with Bing Crosby having an absolutely awful life. He comes from an immensely wealthy family and a hot rich lady is aching to marry him--so naturally he runs from this as fast as humanly possible! I personally thought his character was certifiably insane, but no one else seemed to think this! Anyway, he and his good buddy (Bob Hope) disappear just before Crosby's wedding and they set out for a place where they can sit around doing nothing. This search for nothing leads them to Singapore, though some of the native dress and culture seems very strangely out of place. What also seems a bit out of place is Dorothy Lamour, though she later explains that her parents were not from Singapore, so at least the producers recognized that making her Southeast Asian would not work.While Crosby and Hope are avowed bachelors who like the simple life, naturally they both soon are taken with wonderful Dorothy and her sexy ways. Just before Crosby makes his move and asks Lamour to marry him, up pop Crosby's dad (Charles Coburn) and his hottie fiancée (Judith Barrett). Considering everything, guess which one smooth ol' Bing chooses in the end? Overall, while not a great film, its simple end easy-going style is very endearing and the characters are quite likable--even if Bing is insane!! Try ROAD TO ZANZIBAR or ROAD TO MOROCCO and you'll find a similar film but with a bit wackier sensibilities and more laughs.By the way, compared to later films of the series, Bob Hope's character is a lot tougher here. In later films, he's a confirmed coward.
Scaramouche2004
Road to Singapore can in my opinion be likened to "Flying Down To Rio" as they both rather dull, insipid and forgettable films, remembered solely for the significant movie firsts they boast, the latter film being of course the first on screen pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Therefore it classifies as a movie milestone despite the fact that the film itself is pretty dire.The Road to Singapore is a milestone in movie history, and its not due to any cinematic brilliance, clever writing or Oscar winning performances. This film is classed as a milestone purely because it was the first on screen adventure for Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour in their now legendary 22 year "Road To.." series.Josh Mallon (Crosby) is the reluctant heir to an over bearing shipping Magnet and reluctant fiancé to a society heiress. Josh is a free spirit who rather than face up to his destiny as future head of the firm, prefers to run away and sail the world aboard his fathers ships with his best mate Ace Lannigan (Hope).When a shipboard fight involving the family of his perspective bride forces Josh and Ace to run away again, they decide to shy away from the rat-race forever and live anonymously on the paradise island of Kaigoon (don't look it up on the map folks because it ain't there), meeting up, befriending and finally shacking up with Mima (Lamour) an exotic dancer in a local café.Whilst the entire world is looking for the heir to the Mallon Millions, Josh is finding true happiness and true love in the arms of the beautiful Mima, but how long can is anonymity last before he is found and will his ultimate destiny destroy his chance of ultimate happiness?Although still in essence a comedy with musical interludes, this is without doubt the most serious of the Road movies.Bing, Bob and Dotty, as they have become affectionately known through the decades must have had no idea that this movie would spurn six funnier and more successful sequels, otherwise I am sure they would have injected both a little more enthusiasm for the project and more of the familiar banter and off the wall humour the later films contained and became famous for.Road to Singapore shows us little of the great triple act Bing, Bob and Dotty were to eventually become and although their is obvious screen chemistry between Bing the Crooner and Bob the Comic, they had yet to develop the double crossing, self depreciating ad libbing characters that would see them become the greatest comedy double act of the 1940's and early 1950's.Rather than squabble, swindle, con and insult each other throughout the picture, which was the mainstay of all their future screen pairings, Bing and Bob actually seem very pally indeed, and apart from five minutes of their more customary double crossings, in order to impress and ensnare Mima, they seem genuinely fond of each other.Despite this sneak preview of what was to come, great comedy moments are few and far between as although Hopes one liners are as good as ever, unfortunately Bing is relegated to the role of straight man and romantic lead, a formula they thankfully abolished in all later movies, allowing Bing to be just funny and just as zany as his friend.Road to Singapore is far from a bad film, but it is a poor representation of one of the most successful and funniest film series in history.
