FRIDAY

Nobody unleashed a whistle solo like Bing Crosby. Nobody. And smack-dab amidst the rat-a-tat-tat madness of 1942’s Road to Morocco (the third installment of the popular Crosby-Bob Hope “Road” movies) the Binger puckers up for a doozy: Strolling along the corridors of a cardboard castle, shipwreck survivor Crosby serenades the supposedly exotic Princess Shalimar (the extremely white Dorothy Lamour) with “Moonlight Becomes You”—then seals the romantic deal by putting his lips together and blowing. I tell ya: The man made it look easy. And no matter how you feel about Hope—my 93-year-old grandmother will boot you out of her house if you even utter his foul, foul name—the legendary showman, in his younger days, could zing the one-liners with the best of ’em. Road to Morocco’s plot is muddled and often cringe-inducing—something about Bing selling best-pal Bob into slavery—and the supporting roles are decidedly un-PC—Anthony Quinn plays a surly (but knuckleheaded) Sheik Mullay Kassim—but the insult-comedy chemistry between Hope and Crosby is infectiously fun to watch, and surprisingly modern to boot. Odd little footnote?: Somehow this goofy flick was nominated for two Academy Awards, including Best Original Screenplay. At 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25, at the Library of Congress’ Pickford Theater, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. For reservations call (202) 707-5677. (Sean Daly)