Mad Love [Bob Hope & Bing Crosby]

Edited by Laura
Made for Fun, not Profit
**Program Used: Sony Vegas 13
•• Watch in 720p ••
Follow me on Twitter @ / editedbylaura
DESCRIPTION //
A tribute to the on-screen partnership between Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.
\\ FILMS USED IN THIS VIDEO
"ROAD TO..." FILMS //
Road to Singapore (1940)
Road to Zanzibar (1941)
Road to Morocco (1942)
Road to Utopia (1945)
Road to Rio (1947)
Road to Bali (1952)
The Road to Hong Kong (1962)
OTHER FILMS FEATURING HOPE & CROSBY CAMEOS //
Star Spangled Rhythm (1942)
Variety Girl (1947)
The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
Scared Stiff (1952)
BOB HOPE FILMS //
My Favorite Blonde (1942)
You Got Me Covered (1943)
The Princess and the Pirate (1944)
My Favorite Brunette (1947)
The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)
Off Limits (1953)
Cancel My Reservation (1972)
"A part of my life went with Bing. I still miss him and always will, just like the rest of the world. I remember the good times with him, and they'll be with me always" - Bob Hope
HOPE AND CROSBY!! I can't put into words how much I love them and their incredible "Road To..." film series. Beginning with "Road to Singapore", all seven films are incredibly innovative and unlike anything else that was being made at the time. I mean, the "Road To" films were meta before the term "meta" even existed! I like to say when I watch a really great classic film that "they don't make anything like this anymore"- but that isn't necessarily true with the "Road To" series. The influence of the Hope & Crosby films is far-reaching and has paved the way for television shows like "Community" and "Family Guy" (who even have several "Road To" installments of their own). You'd be hard pressed to find a modern day comedy "buddy" act in film and television that weren't in some way influenced by the partnership of Hope and Crosby, such is the legacy of this unlikely (but nonetheless dynamic) duo (for example, the 1985 film "Spies Like Us" was an homage to the "Road To" films).
"Bing Crosby and I weren't the types to go around kissing each other. We always had a light jab for each other. One of our stock lines used to be 'There's nothing I wouldn't do for Bing, and there's nothing he wouldn't do for me. And that's the way we go through life - doing nothing for each other!'" - Bob Hope
The style of comedy in the "Road To" films actually became the hallmark of Bob Hope's film career post-1940 and, as you'll see in the video, Bing Crosby had a huge presence in Hope's filmography after "Road to Singapore" (1940) was released. Bing had cameo appearances in several of Bob Hope's films and Hope would continually break the 4th wall by taking a jab at his frequent co-star. While both Hope and Crosby forged their own legacies away from one another, their names will be forever linked together in cinematic history. Considering how haphazardly they were thrown together, it truly is remarkable the legacy their partnership has left behind. They weren't a comedy team like Martin and Lewis or Abbott and Costello or Laurel and Hardy, spending years together perfecting their act in Vaudeville, Nightclubs, on the radio or in silent films. In 1940 when they were paired together for "Road to Singapore", Bing Crosby was arguably Paramount's biggest star, while Bob Hope was simply a contract player on the rise. "Road to Singapore" was not intended to be the first installment in a long-running film series, rather a modest comedy starring one of Paramount's most reliable box office draws. But they struck comedy (and box office) gold- all because of the on-screen chemistry between Hope and Crosby! It's hard to conceive they hadn't been working together for 20+ years when you watch their films, such is the way they play off one another. It's brilliant and I hope I captured that with this video.
I always like to leave off with a few film recommendations for the videos I make. My favourite of the "Road To..." films are probably "Road to Rio" (1947), with "Road to Utopia" (1945) and "Road to Morocco" (1942) a close second and third favourite. I also love "Road to Zanzibar" (1941). To be honest, they're all incredibly enjoyable films and I'd highly recommend, if you're going to start watching these films, start with "Road to Singapore" (1940) and watch them all chronologically. There are recurring jokes throughout that are so much more satisfying if you watch the entire series in the order they were made.