Flying Down to Rio is a
musical filmThe musical film is a film genre in which several songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative. The songs are usually used to advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but some musical films simply plop the songs in as unrelated "specialties" - as with Carmen Miranda's...
made by
RKORKO Pictures is an American film production and distribution company. As Radio Pictures Inc. and then RKO Radio Pictures Inc., it was one of the so-called Big Five studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chains and Joseph P...
and released on December 29, in
1933-Events:*British Film Institute founded.*March 2 - King Kong premieres in New York City.* June 6 - The first drive-in theater opens, in Camden, New Jersey....
.
The film was directed by
Thornton FreelandThornton Freeland was an American film director who directed twenty six British and American films in a career that lasted from 1924 to 1949. He was born in Hope, North Dakota in 1898 and worked as an assistant director originally. In 1929 he directed his first film Three Live Ghosts. He was...
and produced by
Merian C. CooperMerian Caldwell Cooper was an American aviator, United States Air Force and Polish Air Force officer, adventurer, director, screenwriter and producer.Cooper's most famous film work was the 1933 movie King Kong.Cooper was the father of Polish translator and writer...
and Lou Brock. The screenplay was written by Erwin S. Gelsey, H.W. Hanemann and
Cyril HumeCyril Hume , was an American screenwriter. He wrote for 29 films between 1924 and 1966. He was the brother of actress Benita Hume.He was born in New York, New York and died in Palos Verdes, California....
, based on a story by Lou Brock and a play by
Anne CaldwellAnne Caldwell , also known as Anne Caldwell O'Dea, was a librettist and lyricist. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She wrote both pop songs and Broadway shows including working with Jerome Kern.-External links:...
. The music was composed by
Max SteinerMax Steiner was an Austrian American composer of music for theatre productions and films. He probably is known best for the score he composed for Gone with the Wind and for the score and theme song for the film A Summer Place.Steiner was born Maximilian Raoul Steiner in Vienna, Austria-Hungary...
.
The film stars
Dolores del RíoDolores del Río was a Mexican film actress. She was a star of Hollywood films during the silent era and in the Golden Age of Hollywood, becoming an important actress in Mexican films later in her life....
and
Gene RaymondGene Raymond born Raymond Guion was an American film, television, and stage actor of the 1930s and 1940s. In addition to acting, Raymond was also a composer, writer, director, producer, and decorated military pilot....
, but is remembered today primarily for the teaming of
Fred AstaireFred Astaire , born Frederick Austerlitz, was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films...
and
Ginger RogersGinger Rogers was an American film and stage actress, dancer and singer.During her long career, she made a total of 73 films, and is noted for her role as Fred Astaire's romantic interest and dancing partner in a series of ten Hollywood musical films that revolutionized the genre...
, in relatively minor roles.
Flying Down to Rio is a
musical filmThe musical film is a film genre in which several songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative. The songs are usually used to advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but some musical films simply plop the songs in as unrelated "specialties" - as with Carmen Miranda's...
made by
RKORKO Pictures is an American film production and distribution company. As Radio Pictures Inc. and then RKO Radio Pictures Inc., it was one of the so-called Big Five studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chains and Joseph P...
and released on December 29, in
1933-Events:*British Film Institute founded.*March 2 - King Kong premieres in New York City.* June 6 - The first drive-in theater opens, in Camden, New Jersey....
.
The film was directed by
Thornton FreelandThornton Freeland was an American film director who directed twenty six British and American films in a career that lasted from 1924 to 1949. He was born in Hope, North Dakota in 1898 and worked as an assistant director originally. In 1929 he directed his first film Three Live Ghosts. He was...
and produced by
Merian C. CooperMerian Caldwell Cooper was an American aviator, United States Air Force and Polish Air Force officer, adventurer, director, screenwriter and producer.Cooper's most famous film work was the 1933 movie King Kong.Cooper was the father of Polish translator and writer...
and Lou Brock. The screenplay was written by Erwin S. Gelsey, H.W. Hanemann and
Cyril HumeCyril Hume , was an American screenwriter. He wrote for 29 films between 1924 and 1966. He was the brother of actress Benita Hume.He was born in New York, New York and died in Palos Verdes, California....
, based on a story by Lou Brock and a play by
Anne CaldwellAnne Caldwell , also known as Anne Caldwell O'Dea, was a librettist and lyricist. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She wrote both pop songs and Broadway shows including working with Jerome Kern.-External links:...
. The music was composed by
Max SteinerMax Steiner was an Austrian American composer of music for theatre productions and films. He probably is known best for the score he composed for Gone with the Wind and for the score and theme song for the film A Summer Place.Steiner was born Maximilian Raoul Steiner in Vienna, Austria-Hungary...
.
The film stars
Dolores del RíoDolores del Río was a Mexican film actress. She was a star of Hollywood films during the silent era and in the Golden Age of Hollywood, becoming an important actress in Mexican films later in her life....
and
Gene RaymondGene Raymond born Raymond Guion was an American film, television, and stage actor of the 1930s and 1940s. In addition to acting, Raymond was also a composer, writer, director, producer, and decorated military pilot....
, but is remembered today primarily for the teaming of
Fred AstaireFred Astaire , born Frederick Austerlitz, was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films...
and
Ginger RogersGinger Rogers was an American film and stage actress, dancer and singer.During her long career, she made a total of 73 films, and is noted for her role as Fred Astaire's romantic interest and dancing partner in a series of ten Hollywood musical films that revolutionized the genre...
, in relatively minor roles. They would go on to star in nine more films together. Their first dance together on film, "
The CariocaCarioca is the name of a dance choreographed for the Fred Astaire movie Flying Down to Rio, in which he paired with Ginger Rogers for the first time...
", in which Astaire and Rogers dance with their foreheads touching scandalously, appears in this film. "Carioca" was written for the film by composer
Vincent YoumansVincent Youmans was an American popular composer and Broadway producer.- Life :Vincent Millie Youmans was born in New York City on September 27, 1898 and grew-up on Central Park West on the site where the Mayflower Hotel once stood. His father, a prosperous hat manufacturer, moved the family to...
and lyricists
Edward EliscuEdward Eliscu was a lyricist, playwright, producer and actor. He attended the City College of New York where he attained a Bachelor of Science degree. He then began acting in Broadway plays...
and
Gus KahnGustav Gerson Kahn was a musician, songwriter and lyricist.-Biography:Kahn was born in Koblenz, Germany in 1886. The family immigrated to the United States and moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1890...
.
Linwood Dunn did the special effects for the celebrated airplane-wing-dance sequence at the end of the film.
Plot summary
Roger Bond (Gene Raymond) and his orchestra are appearing in Miami, with vocalist Honey Hale (Ginger Rogers) and accordionist and assistant band leader Fred Ayres (Fred Astaire). When Roger spots the beautiful Belinha (Dolores del Rio) in the audience, he leaves the bandstand to pursue her.
Doña Elena (Blanche Friderici) is Belinha's chaperone and when she is informed of this, she fires Roger and the band. Roger arranges to pursue Belinha to
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
, and he organises as engagement for the band at the Hotel Atlantico in
Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America. The city was the capital of Brazil for nearly two centuries, from 1763 to 1822 during the Portuguese colonial era, and...
, unaware that the hotel is owned by Belinha's father (Walter Walker). Roger persuades Belinha to allow him to fly her there in his private plane, which runs into trouble inflight, forcing a landing on an apparently deserted island. Under the moonlight, she falls into his arms, while admitting to him that she is already engaged.
In Rio, Roger informs his good friend Julio (Raul Roulien) that he has fallen in love, but finds out that Belinha is engaged to Julio. During rehearsals for the Hotel's opening, Fred is told by police that the hotel lacks an entertainment license. When Roger spots a plane overhead, he comes up with the idea of strapping dancing girls to planes, with Fred leading the band and Honey and Julio leading the planes. The show is a great success and the hotel's future guaranteed. Julio gives Belinha up to Roger while Fred and Honey celebrate.
External links