It's the kind of relaxed, enjoyable, self-referential episode we expect in the "road" series of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. It fills the usual template. Two greedy, cowardly, libidinous show-business guys get thrown out of a circus and find themselves stowing away on a ship bound for Rio de Janeiro. (Brazil, like all their other destinations, will be constructed entirely on the studio back lot and on sound stages.) They meet Dorothy Lamour. Dorothy is in trouble again. Her sinister aunt, Gale Sondergaard, is hypnotizing her and forcing her to marry a rich suitor. Depending on her trance, or its absence, Lamour is either a distressed woman in need or a blank automaton who tells Hope and Crosby, "I hate you. I loathe you. I despise you," and then slaps them. Two hoodlums are working for Lamour's aunt and the rest of the movie is basically a pursuit through the streets, night clubs, and hotel rooms of a touristy Rio.
There are some pretty funny scenes. Hope and Crosby trying to celebrate a evanescent victory by toasting it with champagne, while one of the hoods keeps shattering the glasses with a silenced rifle fired from across the street. Three comic monolingual Brazilians are taught slang phrases in order to pass as genuine American jazz musicians. Each learns one phrase -- "You're in the groove, Jackson", "This is murder," and "You're telling me." The boss catches them in the hall and, not knowing of the masquerade, admonishes them for smoking. "You're in the groove, Jackson." "You're telling me." Boss: "No, I'm telling HIM." It's really amusing.
But there are signs that the writers' imaginations are flagging as well. The musicians, who take up quite a bit of screen time, are too cute by half. The narrative seems padded out with more musical numbers than usual, though they're not bad and at least two songs (by Burns and van Heusen) became popular hits -- "You don't have to know the language," and "But beautiful." The gags don't seem to come quite as fast as they have in the past. Some are borrowed openly from Laurel and Hardy routines (even the L&H theme is used) and some are reminiscent of The Three Stooges.
Still, it's fun to watch the kids romping around once more. Hope, Crosby, and Lamour -- all look fine, not having seemed to age much since their initial outing some years earlier. Relax and enjoy it.
There are some pretty funny scenes. Hope and Crosby trying to celebrate a evanescent victory by toasting it with champagne, while one of the hoods keeps shattering the glasses with a silenced rifle fired from across the street. Three comic monolingual Brazilians are taught slang phrases in order to pass as genuine American jazz musicians. Each learns one phrase -- "You're in the groove, Jackson", "This is murder," and "You're telling me." The boss catches them in the hall and, not knowing of the masquerade, admonishes them for smoking. "You're in the groove, Jackson." "You're telling me." Boss: "No, I'm telling HIM." It's really amusing.
But there are signs that the writers' imaginations are flagging as well. The musicians, who take up quite a bit of screen time, are too cute by half. The narrative seems padded out with more musical numbers than usual, though they're not bad and at least two songs (by Burns and van Heusen) became popular hits -- "You don't have to know the language," and "But beautiful." The gags don't seem to come quite as fast as they have in the past. Some are borrowed openly from Laurel and Hardy routines (even the L&H theme is used) and some are reminiscent of The Three Stooges.
Still, it's fun to watch the kids romping around once more. Hope, Crosby, and Lamour -- all look fine, not having seemed to age much since their initial outing some years earlier. Relax and enjoy it.