Flying Down to Rio (1933) - film review

During a stay in Miama, bandleader Roger Bond falls for the beautiful Belinha whilst performing at an exclusive hotel.  Roger’s amorous intentions are thwarted by Belinha’s chaperone, who has the band dismissed for improper conduct.   All is not lost, however.  Roger soon manages to fix up a gig at a hotel in Rio de Janeiro, and contrives to take Belinha there in his two-seater aeroplane.  This is only the start of Roger’s problems.  Not only does he discover that his best friend Julio is in love with Belinha, but the hotel where he and his band are due to perform does not have an entertainment license. Luckily, Roger’s fellow band member Fred has the solution...

The film that introduced audiences to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers is also the film that, along with King Kong (1933), saved studio RKO from bankruptcy.  Although Fred and Ginger only have supporting roles in the film, the screen is ignited when they are seen together, notably dancing head-to-head in the sensational Carioca dance sequence.

Forget the plot – a contrived and tedious love triangle involving lacklustre characters – the magic of this film lies in its musical and dance numbers.  The highpoint is the grand finale in which a small battalion of chorus girls strut their stuff on the wings of aircraft, apparently several thousand feet above the ground.  The film’s popularity motivated RKO to turn out similar musical extravaganzas, with Fred and Ginger taking centre stage to form one of cinema’s most iconic screen couples.

© filmsdefrance.com 2009

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