Here are BOB HOPE & BING CROSBY in their final 'ROAD' movie, made in England in 1962. Surprisingly, DOROTHY LAMOUR has only a cameo role as herself, with JOAN COLLINS being the main female lead. It's not the best film in the series, but Bing and Bob are always worth watching. In this scene, PETER SELLERS is doing something that he probably wouldn't be allowed to do today.
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Wednesday, 16 September 2015
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In her autobiography, Dorothy Lamour said that Crosby thought she was too old to play the leading lady in "Hong Kong," but Bob Hope refused to do the movie without her. Her cameo appearance was a compromise. BTW, she was eleven years younger than Crosby.
ReplyDeleteJoan Collins' remarks in her own autobiography indicated that she liked Hope, but that Crosby was difficult to work with. Of course, Joan was playing a seductive femme fatale on Dynasty in the 1980's, when she was older than Dorothy was in 1962.
If this movie had been made a few years later, I would say it was obviously influenced by the 1960's spy-fi fad. The villains (and their plot) are right out of S.P.E.C.T.R.E. or T.H.R.U.S.H., and Joan's character is similar to the female leads in From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, and Our Man Flint. One of the villains is even played by Walter Gotell, who later became a semi-regular in Roger Moore's Bond movies. But, oddly, "Road to Hong Kong" came out a few months before the first Bond film.
Also, TC, it was the only 'Road' movie not released by Paramount, and was made in black and white to look more like the other movies. Although, oddly, the previous one, Road to Bali, HAD been made in colour in 1952. Personally, I think they SHOULD have made RTHG in colour.
ReplyDeleteThe next time Dame Joan makes a public appearance I must ask her how she liked making this movie. If I can afford her autograph that is....
ReplyDeleteI still can't get over stars charging for their autographs, Phil. Lacks class to my way of thinking.
ReplyDeleteI'm ok with it if I get something, like a photo. I've come to realize a public appearance is them playing the part of the star to the public. Also many of the older actors got no royalties. And after all what's the incentive for Dame Joan to come to an autograph show and give away photos with her autograph for free which are going to turn up in eBay? It's different if you get her autograph after a play or on the street. But if I ever see her again I will ask if she has any stories about making this movie.
ReplyDeleteI suppose the organizers of the conventions that stars appear at are responsible for the charges, Phil. However, when I first wrote to Bob Hope (just before I met him and got his autograph in person) and asked how much it would cost for a signed photo, I received one for free in return. He sent me 3 altogether over a 10 year period.
ReplyDeleteJoan Collins is a Dame ?? You've got to be kidding - what the hell has she done to get that apart from acting more wooden than Sherwood Forest. This knighthoods malarkey makes my blood boil - my mother was a volunteer in a pensioners' day centre for 23 years from 1974 to 1997 and she got f*ck all for doing it while tax exiles like Mick Jagger and Sean Connery get awarded knighthoods. And if you give a couple of million to a political party you can buy yourself a knighthood or even a peerage, it's absolutely disgusting.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you're mother didn't do her voluntary work in order to get something 'though, CJ, do in that sense she wasn't missing out. Sadly, you have to have a public profile and be around in the entertainment world for years to get an honour, it seems. No doubt Joan got her 'Damehood' for all her 'hard work for charidee'. So called 'ordinary' people never get recognized in the main.
ReplyDeletegood for Bob Hope! Actually the autograph shows don't set fees their celebs do. Some donate to charity ( I recall Stefanie Powers did for the Willian Holden Animal rescue ). And if they need the money I don't begrudge them any more, it's no fun being famous and broke, I'm sure. On the other hand....if you aren't at a show I don't feel it's right to charge. Know what I mean? An autograph show is specifically for this purpose. A chance meeting or at film opening or play should be given gratis.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean, Phil, but there's still something about it which seems kind of sad to me. If you're so broke that the only way to make a buck from your dwindling celebrity is to charge for an autograph, then stay home and don't embarrass yourself is what I think. When I met Stan Lee in the '90s, he signed autographs freely, shook hands, put his arm 'round my shoulder, etc. Now you're not allowed to touch him, and have to pay to get your photo taken with him. Stan sure doesn't need the money, so I think it must be the organizers of these 'meet and greet' events that are calling the shots.
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