Week-End In Havana (1941)

Week-End In Havana - 1941

Let's take a trip to Cuba, shall we?  1941's "Week-End In Havana" is the perfect getaway.  When a young lady on a cruise is given the royal treatment, she must make the most of the opportunity before she heads back to her mundane existence.  Can she find love in Havana?

The film's cast includes Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, John Payne, Cesar Romero, George Barbier, Sheldon Leonard, and Leonid Kinskey.

Right away Carmen Miranda and her band delight us with the lively title song, "Week-End In Havana".

And we get into the story.  When her cruise ships runs aground on its way to Havana, Cuba, working girl Nan Spencer is asked to sign a waiver releasing the cruise company from any liability.  She doesn't want to sign it, because she's being cheated out of the good time she was going to have.  The company representative tells her that if she'll sign the waiver, the company will pay her way to Havana, including all of her expenses.  Nan agrees.

And so we arrive in Havana.  Once again this film showcases some lovely scenes of the city and its surrounding area.  My only complaint is that many of the images were superimposed over each other, which makes for not very clear pictures.

Nan is taken to the very best hotel and given the Presidential Suite.  She's thrilled with the treatment she's getting from the cruise line.  The cruise representative, Jay Williams, volunteers to take her sightseeing, but what Nan really wants to do is hit the local nightclubs.

They head to a nightclub, where the headliner is the spicy Rosita Rivas, who entertains to the guests' delight.

Nan is looking for more than just a good time, though.  She wants a little romance thrown into the mix as well.  Jay is being very professional, so Nan decides to see if there are any guys who want what she wants.

She heads outside and sings the lovely "Tropical Magic."  Unbeknownst to Nan, she's being watched as she sings the song.

Watching her is the dashing Monte Blanca, who sweeps her off her feet.  Her escorts her back into the nightclub.

Seeing the two of them together worries Jay, who is a bit disconcerted that Nan found someone so quickly.

And he's right to be worried.  Monte is heavily in debt, and we learn that he's only paying attention to Nan because he thinks that she's rich.  Monte makes plans to spend more time with Nan the next evening.

They head to the casino, where Monte has made a deal with the casino boss that will help clear his debt.  The more Nan loses, the more Monte's debt is canceled.

Sadly for him, Nan just keeps on raking in the money.  She's thrilled, but Monte isn't exactly excited.

He's also got a jealous girlfriend.  We find out that he and Rosita are involved, and she is being ever watchful.

Rosita even comes to Nan's hotel so that she can confront Nan and "rip her hair out".  Jay is quick to defuse the situation and puts Rosita off.

Jay even offers to become Rosita's manager, and she's quick to accept.  She likes him, and he demands less in percentage than her previous manager, Monte.

Things fall apart, though, when they are out for the evening and run into Monte and Nan.  While Rosita has it out with Monte, Nan storms off.  Jay follows her.

The two bond on a moonlit walk to the hotel, and they fall in love.  Nan sings "Tropical Magic" all night long.

Of course, before everything can work out, there is one more complication.  I won't spoil that surprise for you.

A humorous moment comes at the end of the film.  Monte finally wins a lot of money (thanks to Nan) and he and Rosita make all sorts of plans.  "Maybe I could own all of Cuba!" he thinks.  "I could have two suits!"

All's well that ends well, and our cast sings about how wonderful it is to spend a "Week-End In Havana".

Cast rundown:

   Alice Faye...........................Nan Spencer

   Carmen Miranda..................Rosita Rivas

   John Payne.........................Jay Williams

   Cesar Romero......................Monte Blanca

   George Barbier.....................Walter McCracken

   Sheldon Leonard..................Boris

   Leonid Kinskey.....................Rafael

And that's all for Week-End In Havana.  Betty Grable was originally supposed to play Nan Spencer, but was replaced by Alice Faye, who was expecting a child throughout the duration of the filming.

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Another Thin Man (1939)

Another Thin Man - 1939

Coming up next is 1939's "Another Thin Man", the third of six films that feature Nick and Nora Charles and their dog Asta as they try and solve a murder that hits close to home.

The film's cast includes William Powell, Myrna Loy, Virginia Grey, Otto Kruger, C. Aubrey Smith, Ruth Hussey, Nat Pendleton, Patric Knowles, Tom Neal, Phyllis Gordon, Sheldon Leonard, Don Costello, Harry Bellaver, Marjorie Main, Muriel Hutchinson, and Asta.

Nick and Nora Charles are back in New York for some rest and relaxation.  They've taken a suite at a hotel and arrive with a large amount of luggage.

They've also brought something else: baby Nick Jr.  The baby takes Asta's bone, and Asta is none too pleased with him!

Nora gets a call summoning her and Nick to the country estate of Colonel MacFay, who controls Nora's business investments.  It's a strange trip into the country.  They encounter bodies in the road and armed guards at the gates.

Asta also things it's strange when he sees MacFay's daughter's dog, Jessie.  He runs under the staircase and hides until the coast is clear.

MacFay tells them the reason he's summoned them.  He thinks someone is out to murder him, and he wants Nick on the case finding out who it is.  He has a pretty good idea who it might be, but he wants Nick to make sure.

Unfortunately before Nick can find out who wants MacFay dead, the man is shot and killed during the night.

The list of suspects is long.  It includes a disgruntled former employee and his girlfriend.  Could they have wanted revenge and murdered MacFay?

MacFay's housekeeper, Mrs. Bellam, also stands to benefit from his death.  She's a beneficiary of his estate and expects to get a large sum of money.

His secretary Freddie Coleman is also a person of interest in the case.

As is Dudley Horn, the fiance of MacFay's daughter.  Horn is also a man that MacFay disapproved of.

MacFay's daughter Lois is even questioned and not entirely out of suspicion in the minds of the investigators.

Curiously, even the woman hired to take care of Nick Jr. is regarded as a suspect after she mysteriously disappears following the murder.

To complicate matters, Asta absconds with a piece of evidence and leads the police on quite the strenuous chase around the estate grounds before he gives it up.

Never fear.  Nick is on hand to piece together all the clues and ferret out the murderer.  Can he do it before the killer strikes again?

Cast rundown:

   William Powell.................................Nick Charles

   Myrna Loy.......................................Nora Charles

   Virginia Grey...................................Lois MacFay

   Otto Kruger.....................................Van Slack

   C. Aubrey Smith...............................Colonel MacFay

   Ruth Hussey....................................Dorothy Waters

   Nat Pendleton..................................Lieutenant Guild

   Patric Knowles.................................Dudley Horn

   Tom Neal.........................................Freddie Coleman

   Phyllis Gordon..................................Mrs. Bellam

   Sheldon Leonard..............................Phil Church

   Don Costello...................................."Diamond Back" Vogel

   Harry Bellaver.................................."Creeps" Binder

   Marjorie Main...................................Mrs. Dolley

   Muriel Hutchinson.............................Smitty

   Asta................................................Asta

And that's all for Another Thin Man.  Nick and Nora are at their best when their verbally sparring with one another.  In one scene, Nora bests Nick by arriving at a location before he does and conducting a little investigation of her own.  "Madam, how long have you been leading this double life?" he asks her.  "Just since we've been married," she answers amusingly.

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