Road to Rio

It's said the difference between drama and comedy is timing, and Rio tends to run about halfway in-between. In a theater full of people, it probably still works out just fine, but next to the other "Road" films, Rio doesn't have quite the same comedic snap. It isn't bad, just not done quite as zippy.

Paradoxically, Rio seems to have better acting: Gale Sondergaard is a great villain, Tor Johnson has a brief role, and Dorothy Lamour still fully charms us with her role (no mean feat, since she's supposed to be in a hypnotized daze much of the time). Sondergaard is pulled down by a couple of support actors who don't engage our sympathies or memories much. And if the story seems a little thin sometimes, well, it is.

But! Rio is still as good as any other Road film in terms of song-and-dance numbers. Of course the main attraction is Hope and Crosby, even when their relationship seems like it might be wearing thin (it wasn't, as "Road to Bali" proved the following year). Both have some outstanding moments -- Crosby's song with The Andrews Sisters would have to be on his personal highlights reel, and Hope is quite memorable in a Carmen Miranda getup.

Overall a just-decent picture with strong stars doing good performances. Worth checking out.