Paramount's First "Road" Trip

Road To Singapore (1940) Introduces Crosby-Hope

Whose idea was it to combine Bing Crosby with Bob Hope? Several took credit, books have differed on the genius that plugged them in together, and we wonder if this was something just bound to happen. To that, I say not necessarily. Crosby was a romantic singing lead, comedy not a first priority so far for him, while Hope seemed all clowning, a song or three thus far where he was part of Paramount ensemble, but C/H as a team took time to jell, even after they were combined. The duo had joshed on stage in the early 30's, an apparently spontaneous event not repeated other than for industry function to which a public was not privy. "Buddy" teaming meanwhile thrived elsewhere: James Cagney and Pat O'Brien at Warners, Clark Gable with Spencer Tracy for MGM. From such mix could come a series, popularity of the format a guarantee of gross. Look how Metro upped terms for Gable/Tracy Boom Town in 1940, admission all round that lead-man combos could be absolute surefire. This was soon enough case for the Crosby-Hopes, showmen panting anew whenever a fresh one landed.

To credit question, publicity at the time gave nod to director/songsmith Victor Shertzinger, who allegedly did golf foursomes with Bing/Bob and observed their by-play between putts. According to scribes, Road To Singapore was in production "a few weeks later," which was then-way of letting us know how serendipitous Hollywood pic-making could be. Later, and likely more accurate, account (in Richard Zoglin's excellent Hope bio) says Para production chief William LeBaron had the brainstorm, and that Road To Singapore took a year to happen after that. All this might come under heading of success having many fathers. Would, or did, Crosby/Hope themselves claim idea of pairing? And who'd argue with either if they did? Outside of DeMille, these were Paramount's supreme power players, and for simply years, Crosby over twenty, Hope just under that. Both were a smash together or separate. It's easy to watch them now and forget radio as even bigger snowball rolling in the team's favor. With weekly audience of millions they could pitch movies to, how could any fail? Road To Singapore fascinates for insight into the juggernaut at birthing, hardly like Roads we'd travel later and enjoy more, but insight to stars/staff throwing ideas at the wall to see what might stick.

Among what audiences had then from Crosby/Hope that we lost since: newness (as a team), surprise (irreverence even toward movies they were in), and grip of media so firm as to make both impossible to avoid so long as you could read or have electricity in your house. What gave them reach beyond reckoning of biggest stars was broadcast following larger than what tracked films, reason for that simple fact listening was free. All either asked was weekly submit to cheese (Crosby) or toothpaste (Hope) as side dish to fun, sponsor ribbing a means to keep mirth uninterrupted and let us know nothing was sacred to these birds. Crosby and Hope let their audience inside entertainment’s process. Hope in particular stripped masks off biz baloney. It would define him for at least as many years as he hosted radio, TV, and most prominently, the Academy Awards. Success of their features, as a team or singly, was guaranteed by reminder each week to go see whatever of features was newest. The “Road” series got twice a hypo thanks to drums beat on both broadcasts, plus guesting Crosby/Hope did on other network programs. I’d say patronage for Roads had advance message pounded harder than for anything put before them save a Gone With The Wind or other such cultural phenomena.

It’s known that comedians edited their films to conform with audience reaction, breaks built in to allow for laughter. The device worked for hundreds, if not thousands, needing to catch breath between howls, but what of dead air this left for television viewers down the line? No one considered that at first-run point --- why would they? Movies weren’t constructed to serve posterity. The Road comedies, in fact all of Classic Era comedy, must be understood in this context. Many, in fact most, would say we owe no film such allowance. If they can’t please by modern standard, then why watch, let alone spend toward preserving such antiquity? The Road-shows do drag between gags … sometimes they drag within gags. What needs to be remembered is fact this was intent, not consequence of lazy edits or faulty tempo. Before a crowded enough house, these comedies rise brilliantly to occasion, each foot cut to measure of jokes, a seeming magic act for too few occasions these shows are revived theatrically.

Such was Crosby's association with Hope that he often cameo'ed in the latter's solo comedies. Unbilled at first, Bing dropping in became less a surprise as Hope continued to use him through the 40's, but early on at least, response could be tumultuous. Writer and film history instructor Conrad Lane describes an audience he sat with at the Ritz Theatre in Alexandria, Indiana "exploding" when Crosby showed up at the end of The Princess and The Pirate, 1944 early enough for this to still be a novelty. The Ritz was a small house, seating 340, but Conrad recalls laughter intense as to drown out dialogue left before the end title. Mere sight of Crosby set cacophony.  Again, Crosby and Hope were inviting us to laugh with them at the very process of fun-making. Tight fusion between radio and movies made Bing/Bob household members as much as entertainers. Few film stars achieved this so completely, though many tried. Finish to The Princess and The Pirate is still pleasing for its cheek plus collapse of the fourth wall (Hope declares "this is the last picture I'll make for Goldwyn"). Occurs to me that Hope did not turn up in any of the solo Crosbys ... or do I err?