Road to Rio

A bit of a slump in the series here. It’s funny, and has the usual gags and inside jokes and asides, but some of the spirit seems to be missing. There’s a nice guest appearance by the Andrews Sisters, their last time in a movie. And there’s one joke that reminded me of—if you can believe it—Pulp Fiction. All through the picture people are talking about “the papers.” Dorothy Lamour must be made to sign “the papers.” They are contained in an ordinary envelope, and we have no clue as to what might be in them. Then, near the end, Crosby opens the envelope and reads them. Hope asks what they say. Crosby looks at the camera and says “The world must never know!” It’s an example of a McGuffin (Hitchcock’s term for the thing everyone is trying to get) whose real nature is never revealed, like the glowing briefcase Samuel L. Jackson opens.