The Road to Singapore

source: The Road to Singapore

Moviecut—The Road to Singapore

The Road to Singapore

The Road To Singapore is without question a Pre-Code Movie, the scenes involving Philippa Crosby March (Doris Kenyon), and her Sister In-Law, Rene (Marian Marsh) in Hugh Dawltry's (William Powell)home (as well as the ending, which I will not spoil), would not be allowed a few years later. The thing that is interesting is seeing Powell playing Dawltry who although is a cad, essentially is an early version of Nick Charles (complete with his dress, mannerisms, and of course drinking) without the crime aspect to it. When you take Dawltry, and combine him with Philo Vance, you get Nick Charles. The biggest problem with this movie, is something unnecessary.. the drums. I have no idea why Warner Brothers chose to constantly play them in the movie, but they did, and it very much ruins the movie for me. 7 of 10 Stars

Early talkie melodrama about a man (William Powell) whose reputation is tarnished for having an affair with a married woman. So he relocates to a tropical island. Turns out they have married women there, too. Who knew? Powell's charismatic as usual but he can't breathe much life into this tired script. It's a clichéd story, even for the time. Not exciting or particularly interesting, at least for my tastes. Reading the other reviews here, I'm kind of blown away by the praise. I had to check my TV to make sure we're all talking about the same movie. I like William Powell as much as the next person but this is mediocre stuff.

Not-especially-interesting romantic melodrama, from a play, of a triangle in the tropics. But it's one of the earliest demonstrations of William Powell in full William Powelldom. As a rich, unscrupulous playboy living a hedonistic existence in Khota (why Khota is never made clear), he's all polished consonants, dapper clothes, and upper-class charm. You can see why Doris Kenyon, unhappily married to dull, work-obsessed doctor Louis Calhern, would respond to his flirtations. And you can see why her younger sister, Marian Marsh, would be similarly captivated. It's a bit clichéd and more than a bit casually racist (when displeased with a servant, kick him), but it's lifted up by a) some spiffy early-talkie camera-work--love the long take panning from Calhern's to Powell's bungalow!--and b) engagingly pre-Code morality, where the callow hedonist isn't entirely punished for his devil-may-care attitude. It's swift, and the ending may surprise you a little.