330:. Hooton wants to go to New York. They part at the embarkation quay, but Johnson cheats Hooton out of money and when he runs back to challenge him he gets stuck on the ship going to Alaska. They have to work for their passage. While doing housekeeping duties in a cabin, Chester finds a map to a gold mine. McGurk and Sperry enter behind them, but Duke and Chester overpower the thugs and take their place (and their beards) to get off the boat.
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Duke and
Chester are confronted by the real McGurk and Sperry and they realize the girls had stolen the map. They still manage to escape and, after a merry chase through the mountains, head back to town. They readopt their McGurk and Sperry personas but are distressed to find the latter are likely to
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Arriving in Alaska, Chester and Duke find that the entire town is terrified of their personas. They see Sal's singing routine and are both instantly smitten. Sal plays up to both of them in turn: first
Chester, then Duke. She invites each to her room at midnight. She doubts they are the real killers,
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summed it up writing: "The highly successful Crosby-Hope-Lamour “Road” series under the
Paramount banner comes to attention once again in “Road to Utopia,” a zany laugh-getter which digresses somewhat from pattern by gently kidding the picture business and throwing in unique little touches, all with
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Sal, now realizing how much she loves Duke, refuses to go along with the plan. But Kate warns her that only Ace can keep them from being killed and the only way to get to him is to give up the map. Sal reluctantly agrees to steal the map while the men sleep, and does so. The two girls leave the next
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Duke and
Chester manage to escape by dog sled; initially pulling the sled themselves with the large dog they found acting as passenger. En route, they meet Santa Claus on his sled going in the opposite direction. They find Sal in the snow. She and Kate have a cabin nearby and all four stay together.
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Meanwhile in Alaska, Sal van Hoyden goes to see the owner of the Last Chance dance hall, Ace Larson. She has a story of a map of a gold mine stolen by two men: McGurk and Sperry. Instead of going to the police, Larson assures Sal that he will take care of things. He gives her a job performing in his
360:
The movie flashes forward into the films present, with aged Duke telling Sal and
Chester how he escaped the mob. He is then surprised to hear that Chester and Sal have a son. They call for him, and he bears a striking resemblance to Duke. Chester looks into the camera and says, "We adopted him."
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be hanged. They scare off the posse with a stick of dynamite and rescue Sal who is tied in a back room. They leave the lit dynamite in a candlestick just as the real McGurk and Sperry arrive, and they get blown up while the three escape. They escape by dog sled, but the sled overturns.
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The film flashes back to the turn of the century. Hooton and
Johnson are doing a variety act as "Prof Zambini and Ghost-O". Their trick cons people out of money and they run when the hall is raided by the police. They escape and Johnson wants to head for
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The ice splits with Duke and
Chester each having one leg on each side as the gap widens. Eventually, this leaves Sal and Chester on opposite sides, with Duke on the side of the mob. He throws the map, wishes them well, and turns to face the mob.
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wrote: "Not since
Charlie Chaplin was prospecting for gold in a Hollywood-made Alaska many long years ago has so much howling humor been swirled with so much artificial snow as it is in “Road to Utopia,” which came to the Paramount yesterday."
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starred, as they did in all but one of the series. The film is also the only "Road" film that did not take place in modern times though the film begins and ends with the cast made up to look older to frame the
509:" and general wackiness. During Crosby's fake incantation at the beginning of the film include the phrase "presto-sturgando", which is a reference to Paramount writer-director Preston Sturges.
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Sal and
Chester Hooton, an old married couple, are visited by their equally old friend Duke Johnson, and the three reminisce about their previous adventure in the Klondike.
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saloon, an act which infuriates Larson's girlfriend, Kate. Larson tells Kate how he really plans to take Sal's gold mine for the two of them and passionately kisses her.
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provides some wry commentary that is interspersed throughout the movie (Benchley died several months before the film's release). There are also jabs at
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performers at the turn of the twentieth century who go to Alaska to make their fortune. Along the way they find a map to a secret gold mine. In 1947,
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introduces the film, explaining that “the front office” has charged him with explaining the plot “and other vague portions of the film.”
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film without a real place in its title, though Alaska with its gold mines is referred to as "Utopia" several times in the film.
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Chester and Duke argue over who gets to hold the map and decide to tear it in half and each man keep his for safekeeping.
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She chats up first
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In her autobiography, Dorothy Lamour said that Paramount may have delayed the release of
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a view to tickling the risibilities. Very big boxoffice results assured...
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charts reaching the No. 9 spot. Crosby's songs were also included in the
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750:"Hollywood Sneaks In 15 Films on '25 Best' List of Arty Britain".
501:(the studio that originally released the film) and a reference to
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but Ace's lackey, Lebec, reminds her to get the map at all costs.
626:"Put It There, Pal" by Bing Crosby and Bob Hope (on the dog sled)
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This article is about the 1946 film. For the Hawkwind album, see
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It was the biggest hit at the British box office in 1946 after
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Filmed from December 1943 to March 1944, the film is the only
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1946 American semi-musical comedy film directed by Hal Walker
623:"Welcome to My Dreams" by Bing Crosby (to Sal in Sal's room)
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committee's—acceptance of Crosby in the role of a priest in
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Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay
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907:. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p.
874:. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p.
620:" by Dorothy Lamour (in the Alaska dance hall)
516:for fear of jeopardizing the public's—and the
277:. Filmed in 1943 but not released until 1946,
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530:for his portrayal of Father “Chuck” O'Malley
633:Bing Crosby recorded four of the songs for
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681:. 8 January 1947. p. 8 – via
651:had a No. 1 hit with "Personality" and
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767:Crowther, Bosley (February 28, 1946).
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505:, not to mention many instances of "
828:University of North Texas Libraries
439:as Tough Ship's Purser (uncredited)
13:
740:. New York: Prentice-Hall. p. 142.
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538:The film was 10th in the list of
712:"The 19th Academy Awards | 1947"
493:As a “narrator”, humor essayist
1278:American romantic musical films
1248:American adventure comedy films
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1273:American romantic comedy films
1253:American black-and-white films
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1318:Films scored by Leigh Harline
1263:American musical comedy films
756:. 15 January 1947. p. 2.
700:. 8 January 1964. p. 69.
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373:as Duke Johnson/Junior Hooton
1328:1940s English-language films
1323:Films about treasure hunting
1288:Films directed by Hal Walker
1228:1940s adventure comedy films
987:AFI Catalog of Feature Films
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427:as Banjo Player (uncredited)
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1268:American comedy road movies
1258:American buddy comedy films
842:"A Bing Crosby Discography"
281:is the fourth film of the "
199:February 27, 1946
10:
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1233:1946 romantic comedy films
598:All songs were written by
18:
1283:Road to ... (film series)
1238:1946 musical comedy films
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846:A Bing Crosby Discography
696:"All-Time Top Grossers".
673:"60 Top Grossers of 1946"
655:'s version also charted.
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433:as Policeman (uncredited)
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26:. For the 1979 song, see
1308:Paramount Pictures films
1243:1940s buddy comedy films
1061:My Friend Irma Goes West
736:Lamour, Dorothy (1980).
507:breaking the fourth wall
403:as LeBec (as Jack LaRue)
295:, the film is about two
254:is a 1946 American semi-
243:$ 5 million (US rentals)
899:Whitburn, Joel (1986).
866:Whitburn, Joel (1986).
364:
310:
1298:Films set in the 1900s
903:Pop Memories 1890-1954
870:Pop Memories 1890-1954
572:The critics loved it.
1200:The Road to Hong Kong
554:The Bells of St Marys
528:1944 Best Actor Oscar
526:. Crosby did win the
315:Academy-Award-winner
287:" series. Written by
1333:1940s American films
1313:Self-reflexive films
1069:At War with the Army
454:Ferdinand Munier as
349:morning with Lebec.
29:Adventures in Utopia
1293:Films set in Alaska
799:. December 5, 1945.
753:The Washington Post
738:My Side of the Road
560:Piccadilly Incident
540:top-grossing movies
1303:Films about mining
1023:Films directed by
975:TCM Movie Database
795:"Road to Utopia".
774:The New York Times
579:The New York Times
499:Paramount Pictures
395:Douglass Dumbrille
186:Paramount Pictures
176:Paramount Pictures
1210:
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1152:Road to Singapore
1103:
1102:
1053:Out of This World
566:The Captive Heart
385:as Sal Van Hoyden
379:as Chester Hooton
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1160:Road to Zanzibar
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718:. 4 October 2014
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849:. Retrieved
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780:February 21,
778:. Retrieved
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722:February 21,
720:. Retrieved
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443:Snub Pollard
413:Nestor Paiva
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303:received an
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289:Melvin Frank
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261:directed by
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215:Running time
192:Release date
77:Melvin Frank
28:
21:
1184:Road to Rio
1138:Road to ...
851:January 22,
653:Dinah Shore
618:Personality
479:Bing Crosby
456:Santa Claus
437:Paul Newlan
431:Al Ferguson
421:as Narrator
401:Jack La Rue
371:Bing Crosby
284:Road to ...
267:Bing Crosby
259:comedy film
127:Narrated by
108:Bing Crosby
91:Produced by
60:Directed by
1223:1946 films
1217:Categories
1025:Hal Walker
716:oscars.org
659:References
594:Soundtrack
463:Production
297:vaudeville
263:Hal Walker
240:Box office
219:90 minutes
203:1946-02-27
168:Production
95:Paul Jones
64:Hal Walker
815:"Show 15"
639:Billboard
606:(music).
542:of 1946.
534:Reception
488:flashback
470:Road to …
415:as McGurk
409:as Sperry
147:Edited by
964:AllMovie
813:(197X).
645:series.
475:Bob Hope
377:Bob Hope
271:Bob Hope
232:Language
157:Music by
113:Bob Hope
101:Starring
35:Side one
984:at the
973:at the
818:(audio)
797:Variety
698:Variety
678:Variety
586:Variety
391:as Kate
256:musical
235:English
224:Country
201: (
170:company
24:(album)
1203:(1962)
1195:(1952)
1187:(1947)
1179:(1946)
1171:(1942)
1163:(1941)
1155:(1940)
1141:series
1096:(1952)
1088:(1952)
1080:(1951)
1072:(1950)
1064:(1950)
1056:(1945)
1048:(1945)
1040:(1945)
915:
882:
328:Alaska
273:, and
33:
942:IMDb
913:ISBN
880:ISBN
853:2016
782:2023
724:2023
563:and
481:and
365:Cast
311:Plot
291:and
962:at
951:at
940:at
909:567
876:110
576:of
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557:,
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307:.
269:,
1129:e
1122:t
1115:v
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784:.
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205:)
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31:§
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