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Road to Singapore

Alternate Title: Follow the Sun Director: Victor Schertzinger (Dir) Release Date: 22 Mar 1940 Premiere Information: New York opening: week of 14 Mar 1940 Production Date: began 25 Sep 1939 Duration (in mins): 84-85 Duration (in reels): 9			Print this page Display Movie Summary

Cast:	Bing Crosby	(Josh Mallon)
	Dorothy Lamour	(Mima)
	Bob Hope	(Ace Lannigan)
	Charles Coburn	(Mr. Mallon [Josh Mallon IV])
	Judith Barrett	(Gloria Wycott)
	Anthony Quinn	(Caesar)
	Jerry Colonna	(Achilles Bombanassa)
	Johnny Arthur	(Timothy Willow)
	Pierre Watkin	(Morgan Wycott)
	Gaylord Pendleton	(Gordon Wycott)
	Miles Mander	(Sir Malcolm Drake)
	Pedro Regas	(Zato)
	Greta Granstedt	(Babe)
	John Kelly	(Sailor)
	Ed Gargan	(Bill)
	Kitty Kelly	(Sailor's wife)
	Roger Gray	(Cherry's father)
	Benny Inocencio	(Native boy)
	Gloria Franklin	(Ninky Poo)
	Carmen D'Antonio	(Pinky Noo)
	Paula De Cardo	(Native dancing girl)
	Don Brodie	(Fred)
	Harry C. Bradley	(Secretary)
	Richard Keene	(Cameraman)
	Jack Pepper	(Columnist)
	Belle Mitchell	(Native shopkeeper)
	Fred Malatesta	(Native policeman)
	Bob St. Angelo	(Native policeman)
	Monte Blue	(High Priest)
	Robert Emmett O'Connor	(Immigration officer)
	Cyril Ring	(Ship's officer)
	Richard Tucker	(Ship's officer)
	Margarita Padula	(Proprietress)
	Grace Hayle	(Chaperone)
	Elvia Allman	(Homely girl)
	Arthur O'Brien	(Bartender)
	Bobby Barber	(Dumb looking little man)
	Helen Lynd	(Society girl)
	Larry Harris	(Boy)
	Payne Johnson	(Boy)
	Jack Chapin	(Man)

Summary:

Josh Mallon, the scion of a straightlaced shipping magnate, and his free-spirited pal, Ace Lannigan, ridicule the institution of marriage. Josh's wishes are overruled, however, when his father, disgusted with his son's irresponsible antics, commits Josh to an office job and a marriage to socialite Gloria Wycott. The wedding is postponed, though when, on the eve of Josh and Gloria's engagement gala, Ace and Josh skip town after a brawl with Josh's future brother-in-law, Gordon. Although bound for Singapore, the pair land in Kaigoon, poor yet happy, and resolve to remain bachelors forever. Their resolution is short lived when they meet Mima, a dancer in a local dive, a meeting which ends in a fight with Mima's jealous dancing partner, Caesar. That night, Mima leaves Caeser to move in with Josh and Ace, and promptly begins to domesticate the boys, who both fall in love with her, although neither will admit it. Meanwhile, Timothy Willow, the Mallon representative in Kaigoon, wires Mr. Mallon that his missing son is in town, and while Mima falls in love with Josh, his father and fiancé fly down to Kaigoon to retrieve him. Josh resists Gloria's pleas to return until Mima, in an act of self sacrifice, sends him home by accepting Ace's marriage proposal. After Josh departs, Ace and Mima are forced to flee the authorities, and Ace realizes that Mima loves Josh. The lovers are reunited when Josh's ship docks on the way home and, recognizing from a distance one of Ace's get rich schemes, he knows that Mima must be there, too and rushes ashore to be with her.

Production Company:	Paramount Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company:	Paramount Pictures, Inc.
Director:	Victor Schertzinger	(Dir)
	George Templeton	(Asst dir)
Producer:	Harlan Thompson	(Prod)
	William LeBaron	(Exec prod)
Writer:	Don Hartman	(Scr)
	Frank Butler	(Scr)
	Harry Hervey	(Story)
	Ray Golden	(Contr writer to special sequences)
	Sid Kuller	(Contr writer to special sequences)
Photography:	William C. Mellor	(Dir of photog)
	Farciot Edouart	(Process photog)
Art Direction:	Hans Dreier	(Art dir)
	Robert Odell	(Art dir)
Film Editor:	Paul Weatherwax	(Ed)
Set Decoration:	A. E. Freudeman	(Int dec)
Costumes:	Edith Head	(Cost)
Music:	Victor Young	(Mus dir)
Sound:	Earl Hayman	(Sd rec)
	John Cope	(Sd rec)
Dance:	LeRoy Prinz	(Dances staged by)
Country:	United States
Series:	Road to...

Songs:	"Too Romantic," "Sweet Potato Piper" and "Kaigoon," music by James V. Monaco, lyrics by Johnny Burke; "The Moon and the Willow Tree" and "Captain Custard," music and lyrics by Victor Schertzinger and Johnny Burke.
Composer:	Johnny Burke
	James V. Monaco
	Victor Schertzinger

Copyright Claimant	Copyright Date	Copyright Number	Passed By NBR:
Paramount Pictures, Inc.	22/3/1940 dd/mm/yyyy	LP9497	Yes

PCA NO:	5839
Physical Properties:	b&w:
	Sd:	Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording


Genre:	Comedy
	Comedy
Sub-Genre:	Road
	with songs

Subjects (Major):	Friendship
	Playboys
	Romantic rivalry
	Self-sacrifice
	South Sea islands

Subjects (Minor):	Confidence men
	Dancers
	Engagements
	Fathers and sons
	Shipping
	Socialites

Note:	The working title of this film was Follow the Sun . It was the first in the "Road to" films produced by Paramount starring Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour and Bing Crosby. The series was very successful at the box office and was characterized by a tongue-in-cheek, self-parodying style. All seven films in the series featured Hope, Crosby and Lamour, but Lamour was relegated to a minor role and Joan Collins took over the female lead in the last film, The Road to Hong Kong , which was produced in 1962 (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1961-70 ; F6.4134). According to materials contained in the MPAA/PCA files at the AMPAS Library, Columbia protested that the title of this film was too similiar to their film Singapore , and a controversy erupted over the Ohio Censorship Board's demand that the studio make extensive cuts in the native dancing girl sequence.

Bibliographic Sources:	Date	Page
Daily Variety	21 Feb 40	p. 3.
Film Daily	26 Feb 40	p. 8.
Hollywood Reporter	28 Sep 39	p. 6.
Hollywood Reporter	30 Sep 39	pp. 6-7.
Hollywood Reporter	21 Feb 40	p. 3.
Motion Picture Daily	27 Feb 40	p. 12.
Motion Picture Herald	9 Dec 39	p. 80.
Motion Picture Herald	24 Feb 40	p. 36.
New York Times	14 Mar 40	p. 29.
Variety	28 Feb 40	p. 16.

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The American Film Institute is grateful to Sir Paul Getty KBE and the Sir Paul Getty KBE Estate for their dedication to the art of the moving image and their support for the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and without whose support AFI would not have been able to achieve this historical landmark in this epic scholarly endeavor.



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