Starring Don Ameche, Betty Grable, Charlotte Greenwood, and Leonard Kinskey
Directed by Irving Cummings
Music and Lyrics by various
We switch from MGM to 20th Century Fox for two tales of summer adventures in other places and times. This was a big film for them in many respects. It was Carmen Miranda's first American film and the one that made Betty Grable a star after over a decade of appearing in chorus lines and tiny roles. It's also one of the movies that set the tone for Fox musicals for the rest of the decade. Either they were nostalgic romps in another time, or modern visits to some exotic location.
This is a prime example of the latter. How does the story of an Argentinian horse breeder who falls for the lady who wants to buy his horse look now? Let's begin on the docks in Argentina, as Ricardo Quintana (Ameche) loads his father Don Diego's (Henry Stephenson) prize horses to be sold in New York on the ship, and find out...
The Story: Don Diego won't sell horses to Binnie Crawford (Greenwood) because her brother Willis once cheated him. Ricardo takes the horses to New York, where he meets the charming Glenda Crawford (Grable). He falls hard for her and even takes her out to dinner...until he learns she's Binnie's niece and wants to buy his horse. He sells the horse to her best friend Helen (Kay Aldridge) instead.
Frustrated over his behavior, Binnie and Glenda follow him down to Argentina. Binnie tries again to buy a horse, only to be sent away by Don Diego. Ricardo tells his father Glenda's name is Cunningham. She suggests they race his prize horse Furioso after they discover his trainer Casiano (J. Carrol Naish) has been racing him on his own. Don Diego doesn't like it, especially when the horse runs off the field and he learns who Glenda really is. Ricardo, Casiano, and Glenda finally enter Furioso in a big local race to show Don Diego once and for all that at least two members of the Crawford family won't go back on their word.
The Song and Dance: Stunning Technicolor and nifty numbers liven up this tropical treat. This is the first of two times Grable appeared with Ameche (the other being Moon Over Miami). They have just as much chemistry here, especially in the first half, when Ricardo is falling for her, then trying to avoid her due to his father's wishes. Greenwood is as much fun as ever as Glenda's down-to-Earth aunt who won't let a little thing like angry fathers stop her from getting the horses she wants. Look for Carmen Miranda (in her first movie) and the Nicholas Brothers in fabulous specialty numbers.
I also appreciate a slightly stronger story than usual for Grable's films. There's something genuinely at stake with the horse racing, and it gives a lift to the top-heavy second half.
Favorite Number: An unseen Carmen Miranda starts off with "South American Way" over the credits and a montage of the sights and sounds of Buenos Aires. "Down Argentine Way" is performed at least three times. Grable does it as a solo at the nightclub in New York before Ricardo realizes who Glenda is. Grable's own tap solo is followed by the Nicholas Brothers, who bring down the house with their death-defying, light-as-air leaps and splits. They turn up again for another showcase of their amazing style in traditional Argentinian costume in the finale, joined by Miranda and singer Bando de Lua.
The film's real highlight is Miranda's three big numbers at a nightclub in Argentina. "Bambu Bambu" and "Mama Yo Quero" show off her exotic rhumba rhythms and remain associated with her to this day. Tito (Leonard Kinskey), Binnie's over-eager tour guide and suitor for Glenda, gets his own solo on the ballad "Nenita." Ameche and Grable have the romantic duet "Two Hearts Meet" at the Argentina nightclub and in the finale.
Trivia: Carmen Miranda's first film. Her numbers were filmed in New York and edited in later, since she was still appearing in the Broadway show The Streets of Paris at the time.
Alice Faye was originally supposed to star in this, but declined due to exhaustion.
What I Don't Like: There's a reason this was banned in Argentina. For all the colorful costumes and supposed "folk" dancing, the movie is awash in Hispanic and South American stereotypes. Naish in particular may offend a few folks nowadays. While the plot is a little bit more interesting than most of her movies, it's still pretty thin. The second half is almost a retread of Day at the Races with Naish and Kinskey replacing the Marx Brothers.
The Big Finale: Highly recommended for fans of Grable, Miranda, Ameche, or 20th Century Fox's tropical Technicolor extravaganzas of the 1940's.
Home Media: The DVD is currently expensive. You might be better off streaming this one or looking for the Marquee Musicals set used.
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