Silver Screen Standards: That Night in Rio (1941)

Silverscreen standards: That night in Rio (1941)

I turn to Fox’s upbeat Technicolor musicals when I really need a morale boost, and That night in Rio (1941) is one of my favorites. Directed by Irving Cummings, this bubbly musical comedy has more storyline than some of its peers but loads of songs from the studio’s most trusted singing stars, starring Alice Faye, Don Ameche and Carmen Miranda. The talented cast, catchy songs, and lively comedy combine to create a genuinely entertaining picture, even if Rio’s vision is pure soundstage fiction. Watch after That night in Rio is the cinematic equivalent of vitamin C; Everything about it is fun, bright and vibrant, but best of all is a scene-stealing performance from the incomparable Carmen Miranda, rising to leading lady status alongside her frequent Fox co-stars.

Don Ameche stars as both American actor Larry Martin and playboy lookalike Baron Manuel Duarte in a dual role, with Larry impersonating the Baron after a shady business plan gets the Baron and his colleagues in deep trouble. Larry is desperate to take the job to romance the Baron’s beautiful American wife, Cecilia (Alice Faye), even though he already has his hands full with his jealous girlfriend, Carmen (Carmen Miranda). While the Baron’s suspicious business rival Machado (J. Carrol Naish) watches for signs of financial weakness, the Baron’s friends (SZ Sakall, Leonid Kinskey and Curt Bois) try to keep Larry from detection, but Larry seems more concerned being interested in courting Cecilia.

The plot of That night in Rio is hardly original as it is one of several films based on the 1934 play, The Red Cat. Maurice Chevalier, Ann Sothern and Merle Oberon starred in a 1935 adaptation titled Folies Bergere de Parisand in 1951 Danny Kaye, Gene Tierney and Corinne Calvet revisited the material On the Riviera. For the 1941 version, the setting was moved to Rio de Janeiro in South America as part of Hollywood’s charm offensive; The United States’ “good-neighbor policy” encouraged positive portrayals of North and South American relations, leading to Fox films similar to Down the Argentine Way (1940), Weekend in Havana (1941) and The gang is all here (1943) as well as Disney’s Saludos amigos (1942) and The Three Caballeros (1944). You don’t need to know the history of the material or the propaganda angle to enjoy the film, but it’s worth noting that Fox has given Carmen Miranda more opportunities to woo South American viewers, and for that reason musical fans should be eternally grateful.

It’s ironic that such a bubbly, light comedy focuses on a story about two couples trying to get unfaithful, but Ameche’s dual role helps pave the way for hijinks who might otherwise have raised eyebrows at the censorship. Larry wants to romanticize Cecilia despite being in a relationship with Carmen and it is clear that Carmen’s jealousy has some basis from Larry’s past behavior. The Baron has a small address book, which he still carries with him despite being married to Cecilia for several years, and his reputation as Don Juan is so well known that Larry’s stage portrayal of the Baron shows him dawdling with dozens of pretty girls. Fed up with their partners’ bad behavior, Carmen and Cecilia decide it’s fair to turn back, but the lookalikes make it hard to know if it’s Larry or the Baron they’re hugging. Everything works out in the end, of course, and a split screen finally lets Ameche appear as both characters at the same time, each with their respective queen.

Alice Faye is soulful and glamorous as Cecilia, and her songs highlight her beautiful, deep voice while Ameche plays both Larry and the Baron with aplomb, but this is Carmen Miranda’s film, every second she’s on screen and she’s so amazingly charismatic that it’s not. It doesn’t even matter what she does. Tiny, feisty, and beaded, Miranda demonstrates her tremendous talent for comedy in this picture, and she manages to convey everything she needs to the audience, even though she doesn’t speak English. Her songs are, of course, fantastic, but she’s just as much fun throwing her shoes at Larry or gushing about his latest gift. While it’s true that Hollywood’s portrayal of Miranda contains a stereotypical “Latin Firecracker” element, her delight as a performer and impeccable comic timing transcends all labels, and it’s a shame she isn’t making it to a high-profile comedy Becoming an icon was allowed on their own terms. In this film at least, she gets a big role, lots of screen time, several great songs, and is treated as an equal star rather than a special act. She doesn’t pass up the opportunity, and even her co-star Don Ameche seems close to freaking out in some of her scenes. From her opening number, “Chica Chica Boom Chic,” to the finale, Miranda keeps audiences in suspense; you just can’t watch her without grinning from ear to ear at her talent, humor and enthusiasm.

Unfortunately, Carmen Miranda only appeared in 22 films, and mostly as a musical act, but see for more of her Hollywood career Down the Argentine Way (1940), The gang is all here (1943) and Copacabana (1947). You can find more films starring Alice Faye and Don Ameche here In old Chicago (1938), Alexander’s Ragtime Band (1938), Hollywood Cavalcade (1939) and Lilian Russel (1940). Silent-era veteran Irving Cummings also directed several of these Fox musicals The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939). Despite his popularity in the ’30s and ’40s, Don Ameche didn’t win an Oscar until 1986, when his performance in cocoon (1985) earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

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— Jennifer Garlen for Classic Movie Hub

Jennifer Garlen writes our monthly silver screen standards column. You can read all of Jennifer’s Silver Screen Standards articles here.

Jennifer is a former college professor with a PhD in English Literature and a lifelong obsession with film. She writes about classic films on her blog, Virtual Virago, and presents classic film programs for lifelong learning groups and senior communities. She is the author of Beyond Casablanca: 100 Classic Movies Worth Watching and its continuation Beyond Casablanca II: 101 Classic Movies Worth Watchingand she is also co-editor of two books on the works of Jim Henson.