Road to Singapore Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Road to Singapore Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 19, 2019

One wonders if the bean counters and other studio executive types at Paramount had any idea that Road to Singapore would foster one of the best remembered (and, not so coincidentally, profitable) quasi-franchises in the studio’s history. Courtesy of my long running interest in erstwhile “Paramount Player” Frances Farmer, I have a rather interesting collection of studio arcana, and among the piles of paper I’ve accrued are some large format hardback books sent to exhibitors every year, promoting Paramount’s proposed upcoming slate of films. One of these volumes for 1940 does in fact nicely feature Road to Singapore, kind of interestingly touting the pairing of Crosby and Lamour rather than Crosby and Hope (trivia buffs may know this was the only Road film where Hope was third billed), but in some ways the studio’s PR machine seemed to treat this as “just another release”, at least in this particular publication, not realizing how this film would connect with audiences and spawn a long running series of Road films.

In a way, Road to SIngapore nicely both establishes the basic template which would inform most of the rest of the Road movies, while also departing from it in at least some ways. While Hope and Crosby play best buds, they’re not really “grifters” the way they tend to be in some other films, and in fact Crosby plays the scion of a wealthy shipping magnate essayed by the always enjoyable Charles Coburn. The family wants Crosby to settle down with an appropriate society girl they’ve decided he should marry, but of course he wants more excitement out of life, which ultimately leads to a bit of an escapade with Hope where they supposedly end up in Singapore. It’s there that they meet with an “exotic dancer” played by regular Dorothy Lamour, who is kind of (shockingly) an abused woman under the thumb of bad guy Anthony Quinn.

Road to Singapore comes off as more regularly “musical” than some of the other Road pictures, and it’s frankly lacking some of the goofy comedy and fourth wall breaking that a lot of the other Road films regularly feature. It has a number of elements which will probably be at least slightly objectionable to modern day eyes, including a frankly sexist approach toward the Lamour character, and a scene with both Hope and Crosby in what amounts to blackface.

Road to Singapore Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Road to Singapore is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber's Studio Classics imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.36:1. Like several of the other Road pictures I've reviewed, this presentation has been sourced from an element that has pretty recurrent signs of age related wear and tear. There are manifest scratches, knicks, blemishes and even occasional warping that are evident. As with at least some of the other Road offerings I've reviewed, this one, too, looks just a bit dark to my eyes, something that may tend to make a fairly gritty grain field even more apparent. Detail levels are still often quite striking on things like woven basketry or fine patterns on some of the costumes.

Road to Singapore Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Road to Singapore features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track that falls pretty much in line with what is heard on several of the other Road films released by Kino Lorber on Blu-ray. There's an unavoidable boxiness to much of the sound, but the musical elements reverberate well enough, and dialogue is presented cleanly and clearly throughout. There are a couple of passing pops, and some prevalent background hiss, but no really distracting major damage.

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

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


• Entertaining the Troops (480i; 6:20) is an enjoyable retrospective looking at Hope's long association with the USO.


• "Sweet Potato Piper" Sing Along (480i; 2:40) offers karaoke like subtitles to aid in the process.


• 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 Singapore Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Due to the vagaries of how I got review product, this "first" Road film has ended up being the last I've personally reviewed, and that may have played into the fact that this one just didn't strike my "comedy" fancy as much as some of the others. This is in some ways the "straightest" of all the Road pictures, one without the nonstop array of sight gags and verbal bantering that the series later indulged in. Fans of the star trio cast will still probably get a kick out of this. Once again video can look a little rough at times, for those considering a purchase.