Aviso aos Navegantes (1950)

Director:

Watson Macedo

Writers:

Alinor Azevedo (writer)
Watson Macedo (screenplay)

Genre:

Musical | Comedy

Plot:

In Buenos Aires, Frederico hides in a ship going to Rio de Janeiro to travel for free. But Azulão, the cook...

Cast

Oscarito	...	Frederico
Grande Otelo	...	Azulão
Eliana	...	Cléia
Anselmo Duarte	...	Alberto
Adelaide Chiozzo	...	Adelaide
José Lewgoy	...	Professor Scaramouche
Sérgio de Oliveira	...	Commander of the ship
Ivon Cury	...	Príncipe Suave Leão
Mara Rios	...	Professor Scaramouche's Wife
Yara Isabel	...	Old Woman
Ina Malagutti	...	Rosa
Glauce Rocha	...	Passenger
Jayme Ferreira
Walter Jardim
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Emilinha Borba
Cuquita Carballo
Francisco Carlos
Evenor Pontes de Medeiros		(as Quatro Ases e Um Coringa)
José Pontes de Medeiros		(as Quatro Ases e Um Coringa)
Permínio Pontes de Medeiros		(as Quatro Ases e Um Coringa)
Rubem Dourado
Jorge Goulart
Zezé Macedo
Bene Nunes
Elvira Pagã
Pijuca		(as Quatro Ases e Um Coringa)
Ruy Rey
Clélia Rios
Alfredo Rosário
Mara Rúbia
Grijo Sobrinho
André Batista Vieira		(as Quatro Ases e Um Coringa)
Juliana Yanakiewa

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

Brazil

Language:

Portuguese

Color:

Black and White

Company:

Atlântida Cinematográfica

Movie Connections:

Featured in Assim Era a Atlântida (1975)

Naive, Silly and Aged in 2004, But a Very Important Symbol of Brazilian Culture in the 40's and 50's

During a travel from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro, the master and officers of a passenger vessel receive a radio message from Argentinean police. They are advised about the presence of an unknown spy on board. Meanwhile the clandestine Frederico (Oscarito) is helped by his friend Cléia (Eliana), who is dating the First Mate Alberto (Anselmo Duarte), and stays hidden in her cabin. Frederico finds the identity of the spy, Professor Scaramouche (José Lewgoy), and together with the ship's steward (Grande Otelo) and Cléia, try to get evidence to prove that Scaramouche is the wanted spy. Lots of confusion happen along the trip. This type of musical comedy (called `Chanchada da Atlântida') was very successful in Brazil of the 40's and 50's. The movie theaters were crowded by the public in this `golden age', avid to see these movies, which presented comedians such as `Grande Otelo' and `Oscarito'. These actors usually played together, like a `tropical' version of `Stan Laurel' and `Oliver Hardy'. The `chanchadas' were these naive low budget movies, full of songs, jokes and popular appeal. They were produced by the Brazilian studio `Atlântida', one of the greatest studios in Brazil. The Atlântida produced sixty-seven (67) films in twenty (20) years of activity. Most of its patrimony was destroyed, first in a fire in the studio in 1952, and then in a flooding in their storehouses in 1971. Nowadays, this type of naive movie is silly and very aged. However, it is a symbol of Brazilian culture `pre-McDonald's'. In a world with globalization, where we (viewers) buy lots of foreigner movies selling the culture of their countries, it is a great pleasure for me watching a genuine product `Made in Brazil'. This film was restored in 2000 and I saw it today on cable television. The DVD is completely `sold-out' and impossible to be found in the stores. This film is not indicated for all audiences, but it is mandatory for Brazilians and for those who appreciates cinema as the reflex of a culture of a country. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): `Aviso aos Navegantes' (` Warning to Those Who Navigates')