Une nuit à Rio

With the success of "Down Argentine Way', came 'That Night in Rio',a better film. Historically, the US is wooing our neighbors to the South, who found some elective affinity with Europe fascism--especially the Argentina of Peron and the Brazil of Vargas. So, Hollywood armed with all the soft power it could command and came up with the time honored conceit of mistaken identity: Don Ameche plays Baron Durate the very rich banker man about town, skirt chaser who neglects his wife (Alice Faye) and the night club headliner Larry Holmes who has a hot tempered girl friend (Carmen Miranda). The film's opening number 'Chica, Chaca Boom Chic' explodes in the opening scenes with the vivacious Miranda, her alluring green eyes, her exotic hats and bare midriff and undulating hips. It sets the zest and good fun of the film. Jealous, suspicious that her man was cheating on her, she breaks out into rapid fire Portuguese that adds spice to the dialogue and enlivens a heavy handed script. Those blue bedroom eyes of Faye is as effective in conveying sexuality and emotion. And of course Ameche is in top form as the fashionable socialite Duarte and the crooner Holmes. CZ Sakail and the standard gold digger Leonid Kinsky and the old imitator of perceived accents of Latins J. Carroll Nash are on hand for laughs and dirty tricks. And if 'Chica, Chica Boom Chic' does set the toe taping there 'I Yi Yi Yi (I like you very very much) to set the body swaying or Cai Cai and Faye's plaintive song Boa Noite 'good night'. Like 'Down Argentine Way', in our age of incessant war and dumb down political despair, 'That Night in Rio' is a good temporary breath of mirth and merry making.

"That Night in Rio" is a good comedy musical with Don Ameche as an American entertainer who is a look-alike for a prominent Brazilian. When he does an impersonation of Baron Manuel Duarte at the nightclub, he sets the stage for a later engagement when the baron's associates will require a stand-in while the baron is away.

That's the gist of this story, but much of the film is filled with song and dance numbers, with Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, and Ameche singing. Miranda's numbers often include short but elaborate choreographed routines with several dancers in costume. The comedy occurs on two fronts, but there isn't much of it. The first is in the lover's feuding between Ameche's Larry Martin and Carmen. The second is in Ameche's substitute role as the baron, with Alice Faye, the Baroness Cecilia Duarte, and a business rival of the baron's, Machado (played by J. Carrol Naish).

This may be a familiar theme to movie buffs - it was in "Folies Bergere de Paris" of 1935 with Maurice Chevalier and Merle Oberon, "On the Riviera" of 1951 with Danny Kaye and Gene Tierney, and "Let's Make Love" of 1960 with Yves Montand and Marilyn Monroe. The plot is essentially identical for all of these films but the last. And, the original was the best one going into 1951 when "On the Riviera" was made. That is by far and away the best of all of these. It received two Academy Award nominations, and Danny Kaye won the best actor Golden Globe for his performance.

While this film can't hold a candle to either the 1935 or 1951 versions, it is entertaining. Those who especially like the beat and rhythm of South American music should enjoy this film. That overpowers the comedy and takes up much of the story.

Here's the best line in this film. Arthur Penna (S. Z. Sakall) is watching Larry Martin as he's impersonating the baron with the baron's wife, played by Alice Faye. Penna says to Felicio (played by Curt Bois), "It's hard to tell when he leaves off and she begins."

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! :)

Don Ameche is wonderful in this surprisingly fun dual role as both American entertainer and impersonator Larry Martin and the Latin Baron Manuel Duarte. As Larry he has a fiery sweetheart, his fellow entertainer Carmen (played by Carmen Miranda) whose English seems to disappear when her temper is in charge...which happens a lot as she is very jealous. As The Baron, he has a lovely but somewhat estranged wife the Baroness Cecilia Duarte.

This is a bit of a mad farce...but it's story, actors and romance really hold it together and in the end brought me pleasure and take this from a watch and delete to a fun must see. The story involves the Baron and his two business partners seeing Larry's impersonation of the Barron and coming up with the inspired idea to have him impersonate the Barron for real as he desperately tries to save his airline business. Inadvertently, Larry ends up providing more that one kind of help to the Barron and everything ends as it should.

This is a wonderful feel good movie that was a bit of a surprise to me. Initially, I wasn't sure that I was going to enjoy this film but the romantic storyline really won me over. I recommend this to all those romantics out there like me and to classic film fans this is a colorful and real look at a time period when Americans and Hollywood had an interest in the "exotic" or Latin. Oh! And did I mention it also has S. Z. Sakall?

This is one of my absolute favorite Fox musicals, photographed in the studio's idiosyncratic garish Technicolor, featuring Carmen Miranda in her second American appearance; Alice Faye and Don Ameche in their last pairing. Ameche is in a double role: playing a Rio nightclub entertainer Larry Martin and a rich airline businessman Baron Duarte.

"That Night in Rio" starts explosively with Miranda's entertainingly flashy number "Chicka Chicka Boom Chick" in Rio. Then Carmen's boyfriend Martin enters while riding a car. After hordes of couples dance to Carmen's colorful spectacle, Baron Duarte and his wife Baroness (Alice Faye) arrive. Martin announces he is going to impersonate the Baron. In a musical number, he does it brilliantly. The Baron is very impressed and goes off to backstage to meet him and Carmen. While he is in backstage, Martin courts the Baroness and does another fine Duarte impression. But Martin doesn't know the Baron is in real financial trouble. A few days after that night in Rio, the Baron leaves for Buenos Aires. Martin is secretly hired by the Baron's associates to replace him, so his rivals in the airline business won't notice his absence. Martin not only replaces the Baron, he again courts and romances the Baroness. Many funny and ingenious complications follow.

"That Night in Rio" continues the trend started in "Down Argentine Way" - pleasant romancing in exotic Latin locales, galvanized by Technicolor and Carmen Miranda. Alice Faye was supposed to star "Down Argentine Way" but due to illness, the lead role went to Betty Grable. Now, Faye got her lead in "That Night in Rio". I don't think it is near "Hello, Frisco, Hello" (my favorite Faye musical) but there are a lot to enjoy in "That night In Rio".

Miranda especially is very funny. Her quarrels with Ameche, her Brazilian accent ("You is a low down, no good ham!"), and her dance numbers (particularly "Ay, yai, yai, yai, yai, I like you very much") are entertaining & rapturous.