That Night In Rio (1941)

That Night In Rio - 1941

Our first film is one that I was recently introduced to.  It happens to now be one of my favorites.

"That Night In Rio", released in 1941, stars Alice Faye, Don Ameche, and Carmen Miranda.  In this film, Ameche plays a dual role.  First, he is American nightclub entertainer, Larry Martin.  Martin is famous for his impersonation of Baron Manuel Duarte (also Ameche).  One night the Baron comes to the nightclub with his wife (Alice Faye) and two business associates, and he enjoys the performance very much.  Financial problems necessitate the Baron and Martin switch places to hilarious results.  Martin's girlfriend (Carmen Miranda) is the jealous type and isn't at all happy with him being so close to the Baron's glamorous wife.

Others in the cast include S.Z. Sakall, J. Carrol Naish, Curt Bois, Leonid Kinskey, Frank Puglia, and Fortunio Bonanova.  All are effective in making this light musical comedy highly enjoyable.

"Don't get excited!"

The film is full of funny lines, too.  In one scene, Carmen Miranda is busy berating Ameche in rapid-fire Portuguese.  Wanting to calm her down, Ameche says: "I’ve been tryin’ to teach you English for six months.  Now, you’ll never learn unless you speak it, and you can’t speak it when you get excited.  English isn’t that kind of a language.  So, don’t get excited!"

In another scene, Leonid Kinskey's "Pierre" says, "Cecilia, if I cannot be happy with another man's wife, how can I be happy with my own?"

"Is this all we do here, just stand around and grin?"

Of course, one of the greatest scenes of the film takes place at the Rio Stock Exchange.  Larry Martin (as the Baron) is under the strictest orders not to say anything.  Little does he realize that just by waving, company stocks are bought and sold.  Ameche turns to S.Z. Sakall and says, "Is this all we do here, just stand around and grin?"  Sakall replies, "That's all.  And that's hard enough."

Alice Faye as Baroness Cecilia Duarte

One of the greatest pleasures of this film is just to experience Alice Faye in Technicolor glory.  This film showcases her to full advantage.  And to hear her sing "They Met In Rio" in her rich, velvety voice is a wonderful experience.

Another fantastic musical moment is when Carmen Miranda takes to the stage to sing a very catchy "I Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi (I Like You Very Much)".  It's pure joy to watch her and her band Bando da Lua sway with Latin American rhythm.

Cast rundown:

   Alice Faye.........................................Baroness Cecilia Duarte

   Don Ameche.....................................Larry Martin/Baron Manuel Duarte

   Carmen Miranda................................Carmen

   S.Z. Sakall........................................Arthur Penna

   J. Carrol Naish...................................Machado

   Curt Bois..........................................Felicio Salles

   Leonid Kinskey..................................Pierre Dufond

   Frank Puglia......................................Pedro

   Fortunio Bonanova.............................Pereira

The Finale - Boa Noite (Good Night)

That's a wrap on That Night In Rio.  According to IMDb, Don Ameche considered this his favorite film role.  While I definitely haven't seen all of his films, I can agree that it's my favorite of the ones I have seen.

I hope you enjoyed this look at the film.  If you feel inclined to comment, please remember our posting rules.