Don't listen to the negative reviews

An action-packed slog

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Yes, a most enjoyable romantic comedy, with an accent firmly on music and song. Skilfully directed from a most entertaining script with a roster of extremely likeable players (except of course for heavies Quinn and Pendleton), it's no wonder the film proved such a box-office bonanza for Paramount. Four of the five songs especially composed for the film (the exception of course is "Kaigoon" which is okay as a native dance number but is not a patch on the zippily witty "Captain Custard" or the charmingly off-beat "Sweet Potato Piper" or the agreeably romantic "Too Romantic" or the beautifully balladic "The Moon and the Willow Tree") deserved nominations for the "Best Song" Oscar, but none did receive that honor. Who remembers the actual winners, "It's a Blue World" or "Waltzing in the Clouds"?Lamour of course provides the film's romantic focus, whilst Hope and Crosby (joined briefly by Colonna) supply the slapstick, the clever banter and the perfectly timed repartee. So well do the principals play in tandem, you'd think they'd been acting together for years. It's hard to credit this is the first film in the series. True the humor is not quite as crazy as in some of the other entries, but is that a disadvantage?Beautifully photographed with excellent production values, The Road to Singapore adds up to exceptional entertainment.Although the critics were lukewarm, the public found this initial teaming of Crosby, Hope and Lamour impossible to resist. And no wonder. The film has a joy, a carefree spirit, an anti-materialistic edge, and yet is so glossily and expertly presented that there don't seem to be any categories of picturegoer to whom the film would not appeal. The melodious Crosby, the quippy Hope, the alluring Lamour, and all set in rich and/or exotic locales, teeming with favorite support players like the lovably irascible Charles Coburn or the lovely if demanding Judith Barrett.

The first Road movie of seven. Bob Hope and Bing Crosby are low level officers on a ship. Bing is the heir to a shipping line but has no interest in taking the helm. He just wants to be fancy free to do as he pleases and he has a high maintenance fiancée that seems a bit off putting. She is extremely controlling and also very understanding about his peccadilloes. The two run out after starting a brawl on a posh yacht and to avoid Bing's impending marriage. They end up on a tramp steamer and land on a French ruled south pacific island. Here they meet Dorothy Lamour who is part of an act with Anthony Quinn. They take her away and she sets up housekeeping with them although they do not get the fringe benefits. Daddy and fiancée track them down to the island where they then get returned to civilization. It is a funny movie especially for that time period. No real sex stuff and plenty of jokes and humor.

Bob Hope & Bing Crosby team up here for what was the start of a musical comedy franchise that would yield seven movies in total. Six of which would also feature Dorothy Lamour. This first outing finds the boys and Dorothy on the island of Kaigoon, where the lads are escaping from scandal and romantic entanglements and she tied to an abusive partner played by Anthony Quinn. With no money and trouble coming thick and fast, the three of them will do well to survive the week together, especially since love is once again in the air!.It's probably (in a good way) the simplicity of the plotting's that made it such a popular franchise. For the "Road" movies are in truth simple frameworks on which to hang the charming comedy contrasts of Hope & Crosby. Tho Crosby is not the straight man as such, he's the more reserved part of the duo, his mannered delivery of the lines and his casual approach to the scrapes they get in blends delightfully with Hope's more crash bang characterisations. And of course they are aided by Lamour who acts as not just as a catalyst for some play off shenanigans, but also as the rose between two spiky hormonal thorns. Road To Singapore is far from the best of the series and far from being the worst, but it holds up very well and harks back to a time when harmless innuendo, breezy pacing and a willingness to let the actors ad lib situations made for good wholesome comedy. Good songs dot themselves throughout the piece too, with the stand out being "Too Romantic" performed by Crosby & Lamour.A lovely little piece that serves as a foundation for a much loved series. 6.5/10

Road to Singapore can in my opinion be likened to "Flying Down To Rio" as they both rather dull, insipid and forgettable films, remembered solely for the significant movie firsts they boast, the latter film being of course the first on screen pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Therefore it classifies as a movie milestone despite the fact that the film itself is pretty dire.The Road to Singapore is a milestone in movie history, and its not due to any cinematic brilliance, clever writing or Oscar winning performances. This film is classed as a milestone purely because it was the first on screen adventure for Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour in their now legendary 22 year "Road To.." series.Josh Mallon (Crosby) is the reluctant heir to an over bearing shipping Magnet and reluctant fiancé to a society heiress. Josh is a free spirit who rather than face up to his destiny as future head of the firm, prefers to run away and sail the world aboard his fathers ships with his best mate Ace Lannigan (Hope).When a shipboard fight involving the family of his perspective bride forces Josh and Ace to run away again, they decide to shy away from the rat-race forever and live anonymously on the paradise island of Kaigoon (don't look it up on the map folks because it ain't there), meeting up, befriending and finally shacking up with Mima (Lamour) an exotic dancer in a local café.Whilst the entire world is looking for the heir to the Mallon Millions, Josh is finding true happiness and true love in the arms of the beautiful Mima, but how long can is anonymity last before he is found and will his ultimate destiny destroy his chance of ultimate happiness?Although still in essence a comedy with musical interludes, this is without doubt the most serious of the Road movies.Bing, Bob and Dotty, as they have become affectionately known through the decades must have had no idea that this movie would spurn six funnier and more successful sequels, otherwise I am sure they would have injected both a little more enthusiasm for the project and more of the familiar banter and off the wall humour the later films contained and became famous for.Road to Singapore shows us little of the great triple act Bing, Bob and Dotty were to eventually become and although their is obvious screen chemistry between Bing the Crooner and Bob the Comic, they had yet to develop the double crossing, self depreciating ad libbing characters that would see them become the greatest comedy double act of the 1940's and early 1950's.Rather than squabble, swindle, con and insult each other throughout the picture, which was the mainstay of all their future screen pairings, Bing and Bob actually seem very pally indeed, and apart from five minutes of their more customary double crossings, in order to impress and ensnare Mima, they seem genuinely fond of each other.Despite this sneak preview of what was to come, great comedy moments are few and far between as although Hopes one liners are as good as ever, unfortunately Bing is relegated to the role of straight man and romantic lead, a formula they thankfully abolished in all later movies, allowing Bing to be just funny and just as zany as his friend.Road to Singapore is far from a bad film, but it is a poor representation of one of the most successful and funniest film series in history.