Road to Morocco (1942)

92% of critics liked it
(12 reviews)
78% of users liked it
(5,203 ratings)

Having accidentally caused a merchant ship to blow up, stowaways Bob Hope and Bing Crosby are shipwrecked on the African coast. Commandeering a convenient camel (who takes time to ad-lib a spit in Hope's eye!), Bob and Bing are off on the road to Morocco, an event they celebrate in song. With nary a… More Having accidentally caused a merchant ship to blow up, stowaways Bob Hope and Bing Crosby are shipwrecked on the African coast. Commandeering a convenient camel (who takes time to ad-lib a spit in Hope's eye!), Bob and Bing are off on the road to Morocco, an event they celebrate in song. With nary a penny in their pockets, the boys try various methods to scare up a meal. Old reliable Bing shows up with the necessary funds; when Bob asks where the money came from, Bing calmly informs his pal that he's been sold into slavery. Bob is dragged off to parts unknown; later, Bing, his conscience bothering him, scours the town in search of his buddy. He stumbles into a luxurious palace, where Bob is being treated like a rajah. Even more puzzling, Bob is being kissed and cosseted by Moroccan-princess Dorothy Lamour, who announces plans to marry him in a few days! Neither Bing nor Bob can figure this out, but the audience knows that Dorothy has been advised by her astrologers that her first husband will suffer a violent death, and that her second marriage will be long and happy. Since Dorothy is affianced to desert sheik Anthony Quinn, ol' buddy Bob is once more set up as a dead duck. But Dorothy finds herself attracted to Bing, and forgets all about her pre-arranged marriage to Quinn (just as well, since Quinn is the heavy of the piece). On the eve of the wedding, the astrologers find they've made a mistake, and that Dorothy is now free to marry the man of her dreams-who, by this time, is Bing. Bob must console himself with handmaiden Dona Drake, who's some looker herself. As the wedding procession proceeds, Quinn comes riding into town, kidnaps Dorothy, and leaves Bob and Bing trussed up in the desert. Freeing themselves, Bob and Bing make their way through the desert wastes ("This must be where they empty the old hourglasses") in search of Quinn's camp. After an amusing series of mirages, the boys sneak into camp and attempt to rescue Dorothy and Dona. Imprisoned by Quinn, the boys muff an opportunity to use a magic ring, but still manage to escape. Using exploding cigars and hotfoots, our heroes sabotage a peace conference between Quinn and rival sheik George Givot, prompting a talking camel to remark "This is the screwiest picture I've ever been in." Bob, Bing and the girls escape to New York, but not before Crosby spoils Hope's chances at getting an Academy Award by interrupting Bob's "mad scene." Generally regarded as the best of the "Road" pictures, Road to Morocco is as fresh and funny today as it was back in 1942; even in repeated viewings, the rapid-fire one liners and comic setpieces result in boffo bellylaughs. An Oscar was bestowed upon Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen's ballad "Moonlight Becomes You". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 22 min.
Directed By: David Butler
Genres: Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 1, 2000 Wide
On DVD: Mar 5, 2002
Studio: MCA Universal Home Video

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
The third in the popular Paramount series, starring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour, is considered by some to be the most entertaining.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
More Republican zany than Democrat zany.
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Always fun to be off on this road w/Hope and Crosby
Steven D. Greydanus, Decent Films Guide
Lighthearted and nonsensical, sophisticated but not overplotted, Road to Morocco represents the point at which the Road-movie formula had hit its stride but hadn't yet descended into self-parody.
Bob Bloom, Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)
Crosby, Hope and Lamour at top form; still funny 60 years later.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Bing, Bob, Dottie, a talking camel, and great songs

Read all 6 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

First L

Crosby gets Hope to pretend he's retarded so that he might beg for some food, but wouldn't you know it, the first guy they try it out on has a speech impediment and thinks they're making fun of the way he talks. So then, in order to pay for a meal, Crosby sells Hope… More
Crosby gets Hope to pretend he's retarded so that he might beg for some food, but wouldn't you know it, the first guy they try it out on has a speech impediment and thinks they're making fun of the way he talks. So then, in order to pay for a meal, Crosby sells Hope into slavery. But when your new owner is Dorothy Lamour... ooh la la, who minds getting sold? It's a very cheesy film, even by 1940s standards, but at least Hope and Crosby are letting the audience know that they know that we know, by breaking down the 4th wall and giving us the inside jokes, gags and puns. It probably pays to be in a certain mood when watching this movie, and I don't think I was in it.
AJ V

Not a great movie, but it is pretty funny. If you love Crosby and Hope, you'll enjoy this movie.
xGary X

The third and best of the Road series sees Hope and Crosby wooing desert princess Dorothy Lamour away from the clutches of Sheik Kassim, played by Anthony Quinn who returns from the first film. Three is most definitely the charm for this series as the formula attains the perfect… More
The third and best of the Road series sees Hope and Crosby wooing desert princess Dorothy Lamour away from the clutches of Sheik Kassim, played by Anthony Quinn who returns from the first film. Three is most definitely the charm for this series as the formula attains the perfect balance of surreal sight gags, post-modern self deprecation and fast paced wise cracking. It has the best story, best songs and the jokes flow thick and fast in one of the best examples of wartime escapist entertainment. Hope and Crosby's partnership has an ease and sense of fun that is rarely matched and everyone involved clearly had a fantastic time making it. A minor comedy classic from the golden age of Hollywood.
Barry L

Very silly..but a great comedy

Cast

            Bing Crosby as Jeff Peters

            Bob Hope as Turkey Jackson

            Dorothy Lamour as Princess Shalmar

            Anthony Quinn as Mullay Kasim

            Vladimir Sokoloff as Hyder Khan

            Dona Drake as Mihirmah

            Mikhail Rasumny as Ahmed Fey

            Jamiel Hasson as Aide to Mullay Kasim

            Monte Blue as Aide to Mullay Kasim

            Louise LaPlanche as Handmaiden

            Theo de Voe as Handmaiden

            Brooke Evans as Handmaiden

            Suzanne Ridgway as Handmaiden

            Patsy Mace as Handmaiden

            Yvonne De Carlo as Handmaiden

            Poppy Wilde as Handmaiden

            Ralph Penney as Arabian waiter

            Dan Seymour as Arabian Buyer

            Leon Belasco as Yusef

            Sara Berner as Female Camel

            Dick Botiller as Warrior

            Jerry Colonna
            
            Harry Cording as Warrior

            Edward Emerson as Bystander

            George Givot as Neb Jolla

            Brandon Hurst as English Announcer

            Cy Kendall as Fruit Stand Proprietor

            Victor Laplace as Handmaiden

            George Lloyd as Guard

            Richard Loo as Chinese announcer

            Michael Mark as Arab Pottery Vendor

            Leo Mostovoy as Russian announcer

            Nestor Paiva as Arab Sausage Vendor

            Sammy Stein as Guard

            Andrew Tombes as Oso Bucco

            Blue Washington as Nubian slave

            Stanley Price as Idiot

            Rita Christiani as Specialty dancer

            Victor Groves
            
            Sylvia Opert as Dancer

            Kent Rogers as Male Camel

            Robert Barron as Gigantic Bearded Arab

            Donna Drake
            
See full cast