Alegria, Rapazes!

I saw this film in 2001 on American Movie Classics (when that channel was still showing commercial-free classic films). The middle section of the film as shown had three ten minute sections which were scrambled and not shown in the proper order. It was confusing to watch the film as a result. With the aid of two VCRs, I painstakingly copied the film and edited the sections into correct order so that I could view the film properly.

Fox Movie Channel showed the film on Monday (Memorial Day) and I was surprised to see that the same scrambled version that was shown on AMC was shown on the Fox Channel. I would have thought that they would have corrected it by now, seven years later!

The film is being released on DVD next month as part of the Carmen Miranda Collection. I'm wondering whether the DVD will have a correct version or whether it will still be the messed up version.

I first seen this movie when I was a boy during the 1940's and liked it very much. I liked it both as a comedy and for the musical numbers. Vivian Blaine was superb, as normal. Too bad Perry Como didn't sing more. I then seen this movie on Turner Movie Classics and now found it to be an okay movie but not one Carmen Miranda's best. Miranda is still very good in it but should of had more to do. Phil Silvers stole the movie and was great. Why would they give the name "Chiquita" to a Brazilian? In Brazil they speak Portuguese not Spanish. Chiquita is Spanish for Petite and sometimes used to mean Girlfriend. In most of Miranda's movies they even give her words to say and though she spoke Spanish. Still a very enjoyable movie. It was also fun to see Judy Holiday, June Haver and Cara Williams who were uncredited at the time.

Another film found on the Carmen Miranda DVD Collection, this reunites her with Vivian Blaine and Phil Silvers, and adds actor, Michael O'Shea. Vivian, Phil, and Carmen! are cousins who inherit a grand estate; the trouble - there's no grand to be found, not a cent. Then, the old mansion gets renovated with the help of soldiers, who are based nearby.

Right off the bat, I'll say this would have been more enjoyable (for me, anyway) if there had been a more believable love interest for Vivian other than Michael O'Shea. He doesn't seem to add that extra kick that Power, Ameche, or even Payne, could do with their leading ladies. It's not that O'Shea's not likable; he's just kind of bland and uninteresting. That really factors a lot in my rating of this movie.

Miranda does have a colorful song at the end of the movie, but getting there through some tedious goings-on does get on one's nerves. Carmen and Phil make the most of their roles and make the film as good as can be. This may not be Carmen's best film, but it does have some redeeming moments. Just watch something else first.

One thing I'll mention now, as this is my last review of the Carmen Miranda set, is that I didn't like how they make Carmen Miranda talk badly: not using correct English, mixing up catch-phrases, like it's funny to see her being ignorant, like it's endearing or something. I know I don't write or talk well or correctly all the time, but it gets old and feels somehow demeaning to treat her characters that way.

If you want to see Carmen Miranda and/or discover her for the first time and enjoy her larger-than-life and electrifying performances, buy her DVD set. "Something for the Boys" and "Doll Face" are the weakest of the bunch. But they all showcase a talent and star Hollywood will never see the likes of again.

This is a Carmen Miranda movie, and she's is the main reason to endure the rest of it. For instance: the manic-anything-for-a-laugh humor of Phil Silvers only occasionally raises above annoyance, the lead Michael O'Shea is singularly charmless, the meandering plot poorly peeled off the Cole Porter Broadway success is pretty silly--and only one Porter song makes an appearance in the first ten minutes. So why watch it at all? Miranda dazzles and sparkles and plays with the King's English in full Fox Technicolor drag, and there's a chorus number in pink polka dot aprons that is great top-tapping fun; Vivian Blaine sings a few forgettable numbers in the wistful Alice Faye style, and if you look closely, you can see Judy Holliday in a bit role. Verdict: Fun for patient Miranda fans or fans of World War II patriotic flag-wavers; perhaps a bit silly for most modern viewers. Major bonus: Extras include an hour-long near-definitive biography of Carmen Miranda, which, in some ways, is better than the film

Mild musical boosted by Miranda's sheer pizazz. I love that wacky part where her tooth tunes into a radio station. Heck, that's even better than an iPhone. It's a TCF production, which means well-stocked production numbers with lots of girls kicking up their heels. I guess that's what they mean by the title. Then there's Phil Silvers doing an early version of Sgt. Bilko and talking faster than a machine gun spits bullets, along with a fetching Vivian Blaine as eye candy. And catch a young Perry Como doing his tunes in typically sleepy time fashion.

But a chuncky O'Shea seems an odd choice of leading man for a musical. Nonetheless, this was wartime, so the leading man pool was limited. All in all, the songs may not be memorable, while, the script underplays the promising premise. Still, there's Miranda doing her wacky bit, plus lots of colorful stage bits, and a share of chuckles. So the musical may not be front-rank, but does have its compensations, and even now, remains 'something for the boys'.