Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954), Saturday 2 March 1946, page 3


FORSAKING the tropics for the frozen wastes of * Alaska, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy

Lamour have been teamed for their fourth excur-sion to distant places. This is in Paramounts "The Road to Utopia,' which is to have an early Hobart

season.

The "Road" shows have earned the reputation of being the zaniest that have ever come out of Hollywood. Earlier productions in the Crosby-Hope-Lamour "Road" series were "Road to Morocco" and "Road to Zanzibar."

Hope and Crosby are cast in

"Road to Utopia" as a pair of swindlers, who double-cross each other when nobody is about.

The story deals with their plot to steal an Alaskan mine belonging to Sal (Dorothy Lainour).

Bing Crosby returns to this type of role somewhat chastened after his portrayal of a priest in Leo Mc-Carey's sensational "Going My Way."

He has three songs to sing In the picture, wears a bear coat three sizes too large, is a confidence man of undoubted skill, and in the end proves that when he reaches the

age of 70 he will be one of the handsomest men alive.

Tlic film provides Bob Hope with the chance to get back on the highways and byways, after his tour of Army camps through-out the world. Hope does a song and dance routine with Bing, sings a duet with Bing, and an-other with Dorothy.

Miss Lamour, who must by now have become experienced in flip quips and insults since tangling with the Crosby-Hope combination, is given a torrid solo.

Hillary Brooke, rapidly becoming Hollywood's "bad girl," is the heavy

in the film.

Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke wrote the songs. They are "Good Time Charlie," a duet with Bing and Bob officiating; "It's Any-body's Spring," sung by Crosby; "Would You" and "Personality," in-troduced by Miss Lamour; and "Put It There, Pal," another novelty duet featuring the song and dance team of Crosby and Hope.

Eric Portman, normally as strong a draw as Mason, is 10th. It says much for Portman that having been seen in only one picture during the year he should have obtained even that rating. He retained' his hold by his appearance in "The Invad-

ers."

* ANOTHER interesting fact

revealed in the poll is that Margaret Lockwood, Phyllis Calvert, and Anna Neagle are the only actresses in the first 10. They are third, fifth, and eighth respec-tively.

Margaret Lockwooa, although seen in Tasmania in only one film during the year, proved her worth as a dramatic actress in her exact-ing role in "The Man in Grey."

On the other hand, Phyllis Cal-vert has been seen here to advan-tage on a number of occasions. Her remarkable performance as the split personality in "Madonna of the Seven Moons"; her charming Fanny in "Fanny by Gaslight"; and her hard-boiled reporter in "2,000 Women"-each of these character-isations helped her towards recogni-tion as a star of considerable abil-ity.

Chosen in 1942 by the "Motion Picture Herald" in a nation-wide ballot of exhibitors as Britain's No. 1 woman star, Anna Neagle has since contributed more good work.

1 Crosby, Bob

i Hope, and Dorothy

I La mou r in scenes from I their forthcoming film, i "The Road to Utopia."

Among her outstanding picture.1 have been "Nell Gwyn," "Peg of Ole Drury," "Victoria the Great," "No No, Nanette," and, more recently the Herbert Wilcox production, "j Live in Grosvenor Square."

Stewart Granger's ascent to sec-ond position on the list demonstrate: his growing popularity. Granger wil be remembered for his convincing portrayal as Harry Somerford, ii "Fanny By Gaslight," Swinton Roke-by in "The Man in Grey," and foi the lead in "Madonna of the Sever Moons."

To Laurence Olivier, who need; little recommendation, goes seventf place.