Nancy Goes to Rio (1950)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Robert Z. Leonard

Writers:

Ralph Block (writer)
Jane Hall (writer)

Release Date:

10 March 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical

Plot:

Mother and daughter (Sothern and Powell) compete over same singing role and, unbeknownst to each other, the same man. |

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Remake | Character Name In Title | Actor Shares First Name With Character

Cast

Ann Sothern	...	Frances Elliott
Jane Powell	...	Nancy Barklay
Barry Sullivan	...	Paul Berten
Carmen Miranda	...	Marina Rodrigues
Louis Calhern	...	Gregory Elliott
Scotty Beckett	...	Scotty Sheridan
Fortunio Bonanova	...	Ricardo Domingos
Glenn Anders	...	Arthur Barrett
Nella Walker	...	Mrs. Harrison
Hans Conried	...	Alfredo
Frank Fontaine	...	The Masher
Bando da Lua	...	Themselves
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pierre Watkin	...	Michael (unconfirmed)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:G | Finland:S

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

This is a remake of the Deanna Durbin film It's a Date (1940). Both films were produced by Joe Pasternak, and in both the young star sings "Musetta's Waltz Song" from Puccini's opera "La Boheme".

Goofs:

Continuity: When Nancy returns to her room after the shipboard dinner, it is late at night, but whenever we see the ocean behind her, it is bright day.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Carmen Miranda: Bananas Is My Business (1995)

Soundtrack:

Embraceable You

Technicolor rehash of Deanna's "It's A Date" fizzles...

Sidney Sheldon wrote the screenplay based on an earlier film that starred Deanna Durbin, but this time tedium sets in rather early. In short, it's an uninspired remake designed to bring bubbly JANE POWELL, ANN SOTHERN, CARMEN MIRANDA, BARRY SULLIVAN and LOUIS CALHERN together for what is supposed to be a light-hearted romp.

For a musical, there is too long a gap between dialog and songs and none of the songs are especially memorable. The sets are opulent, the costumes are tastefully designed with no expense spared on wardrobe, and the color is splendid. But the story is the one about a mother and daughter actress team who are both in love with the same man, unknown to each other, until the plot complications are straightened out.

Whatever sparkle there was to the original B&W film has been dampened by a dull script, slow-paced direction and some coy performances from Sothern and Powell. Powell postures as a would-be actress but her artificial poses are contrived and obvious which makes Sullivan suspecting that she's a girl "in trouble" (when she's really rehearsing a part) seem a strain on credibility.

Both Sothern and Powell are given the usual MGM glossy close-up treatment, but the silly plot defeats everyone.

Rio is strictly a fabrication on an MGM sound stage. Only CARMEN MIRANDA's lively musical contributions make watching this worthwhile. That, and a nice, understated, low-key performance from the always reliable BARRY SULLIVAN saves the comic moments from being downright foolish.