Flying Down to Rio

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Movie
Original title Flying Down to Rio
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1933
length 89 minutes
Rod
Director Thornton Freeland
script Erwin S. Gelsey
H. W. Hanemann
Cyril Hume
production Lou Brock
Merian C. Cooper for RKO
music Max Steiner
camera J. Roy Hunt
cut Jack Kitchin
occupation

Flying Down to Rio is a 1933 American film musical with Dolores del Río in the lead role. The screen couple Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers completed the first of a total of nine joint appearances.

action

Roger Bond, band leader of the "Yankee Ylipper Band", has lost his engagement in a hotel in Miami because, contrary to hotel rules, he danced with a guest. Roger manages to get an engagement for the band in a hotel in Rio de Janeiro. His dance partner, the Brazilian Belinha de Rezende, also wants to go to Rio to visit her sick father. He persuades her to come with him in his two-seater machine without her guardian, Aunt Dona Elena. His best friend, pianist and accordionist, Fred Ayers, warns him not to try any trickery. Nevertheless, Roger deceives engine problems and lands on a small airfield in Haiti. Belinha endures Roger's fine words and his music. But she also explains to him that as part of a family deal she has to marry a young Brazilian once she gets to Rio. The next morning, Belinja recognizes Roger's trick. She is leaving to catch the regular flight to Rio.

In Rio, Roger tells his friend Júlio Ribeiro about his love for Belinha. However, he does not know that Júlio is Belinha's fiancé. The hotel where Roger and his band will perform belongs to Belinha's father, Carlos de Rezende. At a casino gala, Roger Belinha is introduced by Júlio. Now Roger realizes the real connections and decides to win Belinha over. At the same time, Fred and the singer Honey Hale discover the Carioca dance . Greek financiers and the resident banker Alfredo Vianna want to take over the hotel. Alfredo is certain that Belinha's father will not be allowed to perform when the mayor is out of town. He arranged a police raid the night the new show opened.

When Roger saw an airplane overhead, it occurred to him to strap dancers onto the wings of airplanes. Shortly before the show began, Roger received a letter from Carlos in which the hotel owner thanked him. Moved, Roger informs Júlio that he has to go to Buenos Aires. Roger says goodbye to Belinha. The show becomes a hit and guarantees the hotelier's credit rating. Honey wants to enable Júlio to go out with Belinha. But Júlio realizes the true feelings of his fiancée and goes with her on board the plane to Buenos Aires in which Roger is sitting. Just as Roger and Belinha are married by the pilot, Júlio jumps out of the plane and lands safely in Rio with a parachute.

background

The film premiered on December 22, 1933 in New York. The studio's financial problems were the reason why the film was shot in black and white and not, as planned, in the two-color Technicolor process. The equipment was in the hands of Carroll Clark and Van Nest Polglase, while the costumes were designed by Irene Lentz and Walter Plunkett . The actual choreographer of the film was David Gould, but Astaire preferred to rehearse the dances planned for the film with Hermes Pan , Gould's assistant. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers only have supporting roles in the film alongside nominal star Dolores del Río . Ginger Rogers is announced here for the first and only time before Astaire.

Reviews

Variety wrote that the film draws its profit from the music numbers. But the story is too little, it slows him down, and there is a lack of laughter.

Ken Hanke of Mountain Xpress described the film as charming, a little antiquated, and endlessly clever in introducing Fred and Ginger.

Theatrical release

The production cost was $ 462,000. Revenue for the studio was $ 932,000 in the US market, with an additional $ 622,000 from overseas. With total earnings of $ 1,545,000, RKO ended up winning $ 480,000.

Awards

The film went into the Academy Awards in 1935 with a nomination in the category:

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Quote from TCM
  2. ↑ Critique of the New Variety (Eng.)
  3. ↑ Commentary by Rotten Tomatoes (Eng.)
  4. ↑ Entry in the Internet Movie Database ( Memento from April 29, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  5. ^ Richard Jewel: 'RKO Film Grosses: 1931–1951', Historical Journal of Film Radio and Television . Vol 14, No 1, 1994, p. 55.