ROAD TO ZANZIBAR (1941)
Article #1599 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 7-31-2005
Posting Date: 12-28-2005
Directed by Victor Schertzinger
Featuring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour

Two carnival performers find themselves on the run after setting fire to a carnival tent and trying to sell a fake diamond mine.

This is the second of the Road movies I’ve covered for this series, and the fantastic content this time is mostly limited to the appearance of certain jungle motifs; in particular, a tribe of cannibals and a wrestling match with a gorilla provide the main elements of fantastic content. Though I like the road movies, I’m a little disappointed with this one. I suspect it’s because it’s one of the earlier ones in the series; the series seemed to get weirder and more outlandish as it progressed, and that’s the way I like it. My favorite moments in this one occur towards the end, when Hope and Crosby become guests of cannibals who think they are white gods only to undergo a test to make sure that they are, which involves Hope wrestling a gorilla (Charles Gemora in a gorilla suit). It also includes my favorite variation on the patty-cake gag (it pops up twice in this movie, and it’s the second one that’s the favorite).