- Directed by Norman Panama
- March 29, 1962 (UK) / May 22, 1962 (US)
After stealing a rare Tibetan herb, two con men find themselves involved with a secret organization geared toward world domination.
After going full color in Road to Bali, The Road to Hong Kong switches back to black and white for the final film. This is also the only movie that did not feature Dorothy Lamour in a central role. Instead it’s just a glorified cameo. Reportedly you have Bing to thank for that. After being central in six movies, it’s really questionable to sideline a main player.
This predates films like Dr. No and the spy craze which birthed it yet contains the involvement of a few Bond notables like Walter Gotell as 3rd Echelon scientist Dr. Zorbb and Bob Simmons as an astronaut. If anything it is very much rooted the popularity of science-fiction of the time and tapping into excitement over the very early days of the space race.
Like the previous movie there is a selection of celebrity cameos with the first being Peter Sellers as an Indian physician in a performance though funny would not be acceptable today. Other cameos include David Niven, Roger Delgado, Jerry Colonna, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Not all are household names now but they are all familiar faces from then.
With six films behind them there’s plenty to reference and Bob-as-Chester Babcock makes note of what happened to his previous characters when Bing-as-Harry Turner is once again trying to set them up as yet another novelty act for some quick cash. That made me laugh but the Patty cake moment with the guards was maybe a touch better.
The story centers around the mechanizations of independent SPECTRE-like spy organization the 3rd Echelon and is told as a flashback by their agent Diane (Joan Collins) who has taken a shine to the duo. Collins is not bad but even in a comedy I would have bought Lamour in the part much more easily than Bing’s choice. Collins acts like a young secretary. Could be the writing or just the era.
The absence of Lamour is felt. Once you do six films with a certain person you can’t switch them out for a new one in the seventh, unless that person is dead and Lamour was most certainly not dead. The chemistry between Hope, Crosby, and Collins is good but lacks the polish that comes from years of working together. Lamour’s reduction to glorified cameo actually benefits her. Before she was often the straight woman of the trio but here gets some quite funny jokes of the dad variety. You will laugh.
She also gets a glorious solo song number because she doesn’t have to share the time with Bing or Bob. It’s all her and she is absolutely amazing at it. Kudos to Bob for fighting to get her inclusion in this movie. It’s not as much as I think she should’ve had but it certainly is of better substance than she had before.
The banter between Bing and Bob is excellent. The film itself is fully aware of the formula which has been used in the previous six movies and doesn’t shy away from it. Perhaps it’s just me, but I found it a touch funnier than some of the others. Then again through its more recent nature, The Road to Hong Kong was put squarely into the realm of movies/pop culture I am much more felt familiar with.
Robert Morley as Leader of the 3rd Echelon was a bit of an inspired choice. As an actor between his physical appearance and general performance he was gifted at pompous and with a twist could make it enjoyable evil. Initially I was left thinking he was gonna be some type of good guy but as THE villain he perfect for the part of a megalomaniacal baddie with delusions of grandeur.
I must say found the ending…questionable. Bob, Bing, and Joan get in a rocket and find themselves stranded on an uncharted planet. The two guys divvy her up and generously give her Sundays off while Joan-as-Diane takes it all quite humorously. Not even a bit of comedic pushback with her having a preference of one over the other.
Previously a gag had been used where they call out to the special effects guy for a clothing change in order to avoid depicting a scene where they steal clothes from some pedestrians. It was recycled here to get rid of the cameo appearances by Sinatra and Martin but why couldn’t it have also been used to bring in Dorothy Lamour? No need to explain how she got there since it’s a comedy that plays loose with reality. Ick factor aside, it would have just been appropriate to have her show before the credits.
Ending aside I enjoyed The Road to Hong Kong. I laughed and I smiled and it has great music. Not the finest of them but it’s an entertaining movie that you’ll revisit.
Warren Watched A Movie 