Rio Rita (1942)

Doc and Wishey run into some Nazi-agents, who want to smuggle bombs into the USA from a Mexican border hotel.

Director:

S. Sylvan Simon

Writers:

Richard Connell (screenplay), Gladys Lehman (screenplay)

Stars:

Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Kathryn Grayson

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bud Abbott	...	'Doc'
Lou Costello	...	'Wishy' Dunne
Kathryn Grayson	...	Rita Winslow
John Carroll	...	Ricardo Montera
Patricia Dane	...	Lucette Brunswick
Tom Conway	...	Maurice Craindall
Peter Whitney	...	Jake
Barry Nelson	...	Harry Gantley
Arthur Space	...	Trask
Dick Rich	...	Gus
Eva Puig	...	Marianna
Joan Valerie	...	Dotty
Mitchell Lewis	...	Julio aka Pete
Eros Volusia	...	Eros Volusia
Eros Volusia Brazilian Dancers	...	Eros Volusia Brazilian Dancers

Storyline

After being fired from their jobs as clerks in a pet store, Doc and Wishey, a couple of bumpkins, hide in the trunk of a car that they think will take them to New York. Somehow, however, they end up in Texas where they help to facilitate the romance of a popular Latin singer and the owner of a resort hotel while exposing a gang of Fifth-Columnists.

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Plot Keywords:

remake | slapstick comedy | male male relationship | female sexual predator | female jealousy | 

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Taglines:

"SENORITA...I'M CRAZY with LOVE FOR YOU" -- BUD "HE'S CRAZY ALRIGHT...BUT I'm your DAISY" -- LOU (original print ad - mostly caps)

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Genres:

Comedy | Music | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish German

Release Date:

April 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

Рио-Рита

Filming Locations:

Hemet, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were under contract to Universal Pictures, and their films were so successful that MGM signed a three-film contract with them to take advantage of a clause in their Universal contract that allowed them to do one film a year for another company. This was the first one; Lost in a Harem (1944) and Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood (1945) were the others. However, each of the films was less successful than the previous one, and MGM canceled its agreement with Universal after the third film.

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Goofs

When Wishy (Lou Costello) is hanging from the back bumper of the car, his feet disappear as he is trying to climb back up to the car.

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Quotes

'Wishy': If I'm the one that gets killed, get twenty-five beautiful girls to walk around me.
'Doc': Why?
'Wishy': If I don't get up, then you know i'm dead.

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Connections

Featured in The Big Parade of Comedy (1964)

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Soundtracks

Long Before You Came Along
(1942)
Music by Harold Arlen
Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
Sung by John Carroll (uncredited) from a recording, Kathryn Grayson (uncredited) and John Carroll (uncredited)
Played as background music

User Reviews

Abbott & Costello at MGM

Bud and Lou tangle with Nazi spies in Mexico. The Nazis are led by suave Tom Conway. This is a loose remake of a 1929 Wheeler and Woolsey picture. I haven't seen that and likely won't anytime soon since I don't care for Wheeler and Woolsey much. This is also the first of three movies A&C did for MGM. None of these were among their best movies and this is easily the least enjoyable of the three. Nice cast backing up the boys but far too much focus on the bland romance between Kathryn Grayson and John Carroll, a poor leading man I've never been a fan of. He uses a particularly laughable Latin accent here. Also too much singing! And it's that "opera-y" type singing, too. You know what I mean - deep bass from the guy and high soprano from the girl. Not my thing. As for the comedy, it's pretty by-the-numbers Abbott & Costello material. A few good lines and gags but nothing for the career highlight reel. The car spinning gag ("Push the button!") is probably the movie's best scene and that's in the first twenty minutes. For die-hard A&C fans or fans of Ms. Grayson's singing. Everybody else would be advised to find one of the many superior Abbott & Costello films to watch.