Carioca

As a lifelong fan of musicals, and who tries to find merit in even the lesser/worst ones, 'That Night in Rio' is a more than worthwhile one. No classic, hardly a stinker, instead very entertaining.

Its weak point is the story, which is not much of one and is more an excuse to string along the songs and production numbers together. When there is signs of a story, there is a constant recycled feel and plausibility is cast to the wind and thrown out the window. People always argue about whether one should see musicals for the story, there are numerous times where it doesn't but it does depend on how well done everything else is.

There is actually very little to dislike about 'That Night in Rio' and everything else is done very well indeed, and more, but with so much effort put into everything else it was a shame that the effort doesn't really translate in the story and it sticks out like a sore thumb. SZ Sakall and J Carroll Naish, while still good, deserved more to do in quite limited and clichéd roles, Sakall especially is very close to wasted.

However, 'That Night in Rio' looks great, with beautiful production values and costumes, luminous photography and lavish colour. The sets are obviously back lot-bound and the lack of evocative Rio locations to lust after is somewhat of a disappointment, the good news is that the sets are still very handsomely constructed, colourful and pleasing. The songs are lively, full of energy and truly lovely to listen to, "Boa Nite" is a beautiful romantic song but Carmen Miranda's exuberant and riotous "I, Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi (I Like You Very Much)" and "Chica Chica Boom Chic" stand out the most.

Script-wise, 'That Night in Rio' is witty and the romantic aspects are adorable and charming, always on the right side of charm and sweetness without laying it on too thick with the sugar and sentiment. The film never loses its energy thanks to the songs, production numbers and the cast, despite the story threatening to grind things to a halt which luckily it never quite does.

Don Ameche plays his two roles with dashing charm, elegance and witty bravado, and Alice Faye has energy and substance. Shining brightest is none other than "The Brazilian Bombshell" or "The Chiquita Banana Girl" (the one and only) Carmen Miranda, whose delightful presence is the bees knees and makes the jaw drop.

All in all, a very worthwhile night in Rio especially for Miranda. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Poor Don Ameche must have felt like something of a doormat. In her first film Carmen Miranda stole the film from him and Betty Grable in Down Argentina Way. Now Ameche with new co-star Alice Faye got upended again by Miranda in That Night In Rio. Don Ameche if nothing else was a gentleman and one of the classiest men in Hollywood. He got his licks in That Night In Rio playing a dual role.

If this plot seems familiar it was previously done as Folies Bergere with Maurice Chevalier and afterward by Danny Kaye in On The Double. Ameche is a prominent Brazilian financier who is married to Alice Faye and something of a cold fish. He's also a visiting American entertainer who is going out with Carmen Miranda and as part of his act does a dead on impersonation of the financier with a little more pizazz.

Circumstances have Curt Bois and S.Z. Sakall come to the entertainer to have him impersonate the financier for 24 hours while the financier goes out of town for some really delicate business negotiations. The entertainer succeeds in arousing the sleeping woman in Faye and the sleeping tiger in Miranda with the impersonation. I think you can figure the rest out.

Harry Warren and Mack Gordon wrote the score, but the songs that Faye and Ameche sing are barely noticeable. But I Yi Yi Yi I Like You Very Much and Chica-Boom-Chic became a staple of Carmen Miranda's nightclub act for the rest of her life. And the way she sings them, hey no one else has ever even tried to do those numbers, you can't possibly imitate that style.

For Carmen Miranda fans who are still legion, the world over.

During a nice night out with his wife, Cecilia (Alice Faye), Baron Manuel Duarte (Don Ameche) watches a performance by entertainer, Larry Martin (also played by Don Ameche), who impersonates him...and he does it very well. Impressed by the performance, the baron goes backstage to meet the young actor. Little does the baron know that the actor chats with is wife. When the baron is missing for work, his associates hire Larry to impersonate the baron (and has no idea what he's doing either). And the rest is history.

A comical 1940's film this is, also starring the one and only Carmen Miranda, who plays Larry's hot-tempered girlfriend, Carmen, who of course is also a singer at the club where Larry performs.

What I love about the old films from the 1940's is the old fashion Hollywood glamour with the fancy dresses and evening gowns, etc., and not to mention, the fine jewelry the women wear (i.e. the baronesses anniversary gift from her husband). But it's a far cry from what you see today: Lack of long term kissing, sex, violence, and of course, swearing. Lots of music and ditsy characters.

I found "That Night In Rio" quite delightful when I watched it on AMC. It was bubbly with a lot of really lighthearted music and comedy, and sophisticated fashions worn by Carmen Miranda and Alice Faye. I got a kick out of Carmen's hot-tempered character, who kept on throwing her shoes at Larry when he made her angry. Not to mention, Don Ameche was a brilliant actor who could play two different characters quite well, and can compare each of them onscreen. :)

Good film...enjoyable for anyone who likes old movies! :)

The one thing that has stood the test of time for "That Night In Rio" is the great Technicolor - it is quite outstanding. The story has been done to death many times, but probably not much better than this, and the cast are a lot of fun - Carmen Miranda was really the Brazilian Bombshell as the ads said, and had the best lines, and the best songs of the time (pretty terrible to listen to now!), Don Ameche was a charmer and his "Boa Noite" was very good, while Alice Faye looked decidedly overweight, but it may have been caused by all the jewellery she had to wear!! The supporting cast were as usual excellent, with all the old stagers in it - a quick glimpse of Maria Montez came as a bit of a surprise. All in all , very light entertainment, but harmless.

MGM musicals may have been more extravagant, but 20th Century Fox musicals are the most fun. In "That Night in Rio," in order to save a business deal, a look-alike actor (Don Ameche) is hired to impersonate a baron (Don Ameche) who is out of town trying to raise money. The Baron is married to Cecilia (Alice Faye) but in name only; they go their separate ways. When the actor takes over, with Faye's knowledge, he is extremely attentive, to the consternation of his girlfriend (Carmen Miranda).

This is a cute story, nothing new about it, but it is done in an amusing way. At one point, the Baron returns from his trip early, and the two Barons are in a room at the same time. They keep switching back and forth while talking to a businessman. The businessman, convinced someone else is in the room after hearing noises behind a screen and seeing the screen move, decides to continue the conversation in French. The actor, of course, can't speak it, so has to say oui, oui throughout. It's very funny. Also, the businessman searches behind the screen - the actor walks from behind the screen and into the room while the Baron goes the opposite way meets the businessman behind the screen and says, "See?" indicating there is no one there.

The cast is the typical Fox musical cast - by 1941, Tyrone Power was no longer doing musicals, so it's Ameche, Faye, and Carmen Miranda. Miranda is very funny and outlandishly dressed as usual; Faye sings well and looks lovely, although she seems stuffed into a gold gown.

There is plenty of music - in fact, the whole beginning is one number after another. Miranda sings a couple of her standards: "I, Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi (I Like You Very Much)," and "Chica Chica Boom Chic." Ameche and Faye sing "Boa Noite" and "They Met in Rio" - and there are plenty of production numbers.

Wonderfully entertaining.