Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Road to Morocco Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 15, 2019

It seems that more and more the marketing “geniuses” behind the contemporary film industry in America want to rely on so-called franchises or tentpoles in order to guarantee money paying keisters get into theater seats. In that regard, that oft quoted saying “everything old is new again” may come into play as film history buffs consider a franchise of sorts that Paramount regularly trotted out beginning in the 1940s, but with two later (and arguably lesser) appearances a decade apart in 1952 and 1962 (the final film, The Road to Hong Kong, was not a Paramount release). Road to Singapore kickstarted this series in 1940 with what became a patented blend of goofy gags, occasional musical interludes, and the almost always enjoyable bantering interplay between stars Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. Co-star Dorothy Lamour was also always on hand to provide a little romantic spark, and there were typically “exotic” locations that were supposedly being utilized (even if the films were often pretty obviously backlot bound). Kino Lorber is offering several of the Road pictures to fans now, with some appealing supplementary content.

Road to Morocco came out in 1942, completing a “hat trick” of sorts that had begun with the aformentioned Road to Singapore in 1940, which was quickly followed by Road to Zanzibar in 1941, after the first outing became a certifiable smash. Road to Morocco is often thought of as the “best” of the Road pictures, and it’s not hard to see why, since it’s a near perfect blend of lowbrow shenanigans mixed with some clever verbal wit and a “locale” which was then becoming something of the “rage” courtesy of such “Arabian” films like the Maria Montez efforts that helped sustain Universal during this same time period (Arabian Nights opened only about a month after Road to Morocco, which may suggest some kind of “cultural zeitgeist” at play).

As patently unprovocative as the Road pictures may be to most, my hunch is some in the PC police are going to find things to complain about in at least a couple of the entries. Hope appears in near blackface in one of them, and Road to Morocco kind of pillories Middle Eastern culture while also putatively making fun of being sold into slavery. That element arrives after two stowaways, Jeff Peters (Bing Crosby) and Orville “Turkey” Jackson (Bob Hope), find themselves floating on a life raft after the tanker they’ve been “hitching a ride” on explodes, probably due to Turkey’s inattention. The two of course manage to make it to safety, but Jeff ends up selling Turkey, albeit perhaps inadvertently.

Turkey is understandably miffed, until, that is, he finds out that his new “owner” is Princess Shalmar (Dorothy Lamour), who rather unexpectedly seems to want to marry the nervous American. That turns out to be for ulterior motives, motives which tie into the film’s hulking villain, Kasim (Anthony Quinn). Suffice it to say it’s all played resolutely for laughs, even if some of the now outdated cultural depictions may occasionally chafe at more modern sensibilities.

Road to Morocco Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Road to Morocco is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber's Studio Classics imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.34:1. This Paramount film is one controlled by Universal now (whose masthead also appears), and so for those still concerned about Universal's tendency to digitally scrub catalog releases, a tendency which has thankfully abated over the years, there is no sign of any noise removal here, and in fact some videophiles may feel the grain field here looks too chunky. My best guess is this was sourced from a secondary element, since the grain is so "gritty" looking, something that's perhaps exacerbated by the fact that this entire transfer looks just a tad dark to my eyes. There are also quite a few instances of age related wear and tear, though most of them are rather minimal and transitory, relegated to things like small scratches and nicks. The opening credits sequence and several of what I assume are second unit sequences done in some kind of desert locale look by far the roughest, with more scratching and other damage. Detail levels are generally fine within this context. The film does have a lot of opticals, including special effects and dissolves, all of which tend to add to the already thick grain field.

Road to Morocco Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Road to Morocco features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono mix which capably supports the film's goofy dialogue and sound effects, as well as some of the very enjoyable musical interludes (including Bing's chart topping "Moonlight Becomes You"). There's a bit of background hiss that becomes evident in the (rather few) quieter moments, but there's no real egregious damage in the form of anything like dropouts or distortion.

Road to Morocco Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary by Film Historian Jack Theakston


• Bob Hope and The Road to Success (480i; 14:13) looks at Hope and the Road pictures.


• Command Performance 1945 (480i; 5:05) is a special wartime effort by Bob Hope.


• Trailers from Hell with John Landis (1080p; 2:36)


• "Road to Morocco" Sing Along (480i; 2:08)


• Road to Singapore Trailer (480p; 2:37)


• Road to Zanzibar Trailer (480p; 2:37)


• Road to Morocco Trailer (480p; 2:12)


• Road to Utopia Trailer (480p; 2:15)

Road to Morocco Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Road to Morocco is unavoidably a product of its time, and it includes what some may feel are some un-PC elements (an early gag involves an obviously Asian news reporter who halfway through his diatribe affixes an "I'm Chinese" button to his lapel, replete with an American flag, as if to suggest to a wartime audience he wasn't an "enemy"). That said, this is one of the brisker, more consistently funny efforts in the Road series, and it provides nice showcases for its star trio. Technical merits are generally solid, if occasionally a bit problematic. Recommended.