This was the sixth Hope/Crosby Road Picture in thirteen years. The first one Road to Singapore was filmed in 1939. All of them, including this one, made money but by the time Road to Bali came out it was 1952 and the Golden Age of the Hollywood studio system was entering its last years. The two would reunite to make one final movie in the franchise a decade later with the poorly received Road to Hong Kong. Road to Bali was the first movie of the series to be filmed in color.
The plot follows the tried and true formula of the first five movies. Bing and Bob play entertainers on the lam who meet a beautiful princess (Dorothy Lamour) and find themselves facing danger in a far off exotic land in order to win the girl and get the treasure. There is always a treasure, a villain and Bing always gets the girl.
Another routine aspect of these movies is Bing and Bob breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the audience. In one scene on a boat Bob Hope tells the audience, "He's gonna sing now, so this is the perfect time to get some popcorn." Cameos by other Paramount stars were also common. Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis and Jane Russell all show up in this one.
For light-hearted, escapist fare featuring a couple of giants of 20th Century entertainment (and Dorothy Lamour in a sarong) you need look no farther than Road to Bali.
