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If you watch "Flying Down to Rio" expecting it to be a Rogers and Astaire film, forget it - but it was their debut as a team, dancing the Carioca. This is a 1933 movie short on plot and, as is often the case with the early talkies, a little slow in parts due to the pace of the dialogue. It is nevertheless a fun movie, with Astaire doing some wonderful solo dancing and of course, his dance with Ginger, which sent them on their way to movie history.

The stars of the film are Dolores Del Rio and Gene Raymond. After bandleader Raymond meets del Rio in the U.S., he ends up in Rio where he competes for her attentions with her fiancé Julio (Raul Roulien), his best friend. The plot concerns the opening of a hotel in Rio and its planned takeover by another group. When the opening date is changed, the owner cannot get another performing license, so all seems to be lost. Thus the number "Flying Down to Rio" with chorus girls doing maneuvers on the wings of flying planes. It's a spectacular part of the film, though in spots you can really seek how fake it was. It doesn't really matter - it was early film-making where, without the use of computers, artistry and imagination were needed instead, and much was accomplished.

There are some interesting editing experiments noticeable as well, particularly during a big nightclub scene. It was precode, so some of the numbers are pretty darn steamy.

Dolores del Rio was surely one of the most stunningly beautiful women ever to appear on screen. Growing up, I remember seeing Sunday supplements with articles and photos about her current life - it was a good 30 years after this film - and her beauty remained awesome without the plastic surgery techniques available today. She was a true, fantastic beauty, and this film really showcases it.

This isn't the most wonderful musical you'll ever see but it's important nonetheless: It launched Rogers & Astairs, it's an interesting example of early editing, and it's precode. And if you watch it with the wonder that the depression audiences must have had, you'll enjoy it even more.

I gave this "Fred Astaire" comedy-romance-musical higher marks than normal because the romance, usually the sappy part of the Astaire films, doesn't dominate as it does most of his movies.

As usual, there are a number of interesting dance scenes including a spectacular Busby Berkeley-type production on the wings of airplanes. That scene has to be seen to be believed, not just for the uniqueness of it but for the bra-less women pictured! Yikes, it's not something you expect to see with a classic film - and you wouldn't see for another 35 years. It's pretty amazing.

I really shouldn't label this an "Astaire film " because Dolores Del Rio and Gene Raymond are the two stars. Astaire is a close third. Raul Roulien would be next while Ginger Rogers just has a small role.....but it IS noteworthy for being the first time all of us saw the famous Astaire-Rogers pairing.

The comedy in this film also is pretty good. The best parts of the film are the beginning and end. The fadeout segways in here reminded of silent films, which weren't that long removed from this.

FLYING DOWN TO RIO (RKO Radio, 1933), directed by Thornton Freeland, is a musical showcase for Mexican star Dolores Del Rio playing a Brazilian beauty named Belinia De Rezende, Gene Raymond as Roger Bond, a girl chasing orchestra leader, and Raul Roulien as Julio Rubeiro as Belinia's fiancé and Roger's best friend who complicates matters. By the film's conclusion, the ones who "walked off" with the movie are the supporting players of Ginger Rogers as the band vocalist, and Fred Astaire as the accordionist-dancer, in that order, thus, the beginning of a new screen team, and never again in the persona of sassy Honey Hale and semi-sophisticated Fred Ayres. Yet it's amazing that Astaire and Rogers made such a lasting impression at all in this production, considering they play subordinate roles who supply "comedy relief," and have very little opportunity to act or dance together. Even in the famous, "Carioca," number (which was how they became crowned "The King and Queen of the Carioca"), they get to perform only a few dance steps, but the ensemble of other dancers and singers get most of the footage during its 12 minutes. But even without Astaire and Rogers, or either with one of them along with a different partner, FLYING DOWN TO RIO remains an early musical attempt to capture that South American feel and tango rhythm, predating all those cliché musicals MGM or 20th Century-Fox would distribute in the 1940s, with the addition of Technicolor and/or Xavier Cugat and Carmen Miranda, etc. As for the plot elements, it remains similar to the ones used in subsequent Astaire and Rogers films, but this time the situations of strangers meeting followed by a merry mix-up, belongs to its leading players (Del Rio, Raymond and Roulien). The first half of the movie takes place in Miami, Florida, where the plot development amongst the central characters begin, then shifts to Rio De Janiero, the second largest city in Brazil, where the complications continue and are resolved after 89 minutes of screen time. In between all this comes the singing and dancing to help the plot along.

With the music and lyrics by Gus Kahn, Edward Eliscu and Vincent Youmans, the songs include: "Music Makes Me" (sung by Ginger Rogers in the foreground with Fred Astaire, as one of the members of the band, playing the accordion in the background); "The Carioca" (performed by musicians, danced by numerous Brazilians, sung by Movita and Etta Moten, and danced briefly by Astaire and Rogers); "Orchids in the Moonlight" (sung by Raul Roulien to Dolores Del Rio/reprise, danced by Astaire and Del Rio, with one observer saying to another, "Oh, look, Belinha is dancing our tango with an Americano."); "Music Makes Me" (tap dance solo by Astaire); and "Flying Down to Rio" (sung by Fred Astaire/ danced by girls chained to the wings of the flying airplanes).

Other than some advanced camera techniques used in this production, portions of the movie play like a picture postcard advertisement, mainly during its montage sequences where the camera focuses first from an air-view of famous landmarks, then from the ground view of Rio De Janiero, and flipping over to other scenes of the city from people walking the streets to cars driving down the roads before returning to the storyline.

In the supporting cast are Blanche Frederici as Belinda's old-fashioned Aunt (Tia) Elena; Roy D'Arcy, Maurice Black and Armand Kaliz (The Greeks); Franklin Pangborn (Mr. Hammerstein); Luis Alberni (The Rio Casino Manager); and Eric Blore (Mr. Butterbass), making his first of five performances in an Astaire and Rogers musical. He is an asset to every one of them. It's also interesting to note that Raul Roulien remained somewhat obscure after appearing in this, never to become the Cesar Romero-type of Hollywood. As for the few Hollywood movies to feature him in the early 1930s, this is the only one still in circulation today and possibly his best opportunity on screen.

When Gene Raymond was interviewed about FLYING DOWN TO RIO in the documentary on RKO Radio titled "Hollywood, the Golden Years" (as narrated by Ed Asner back in the late 1980s), he mentioned that he thought that FLYING DOWN TO RIO was going to become the "Bomb of Bombs," but much to his surprise when it made its premiere during the Christmas season at Radio City Music Hall, he noticed while being in New York City that there was a long line of people going around the block waiting to go in and see this movie. One cannot be sure that history would repeat itself again in today's society, but FLYING DOWN TO RIO, in spite of whatever is right or wrong it it, is vintage entertainment at best. Only one debit: acrobats flipping and catching one other, and hanging on the swings under the wings of the flying airplane during the "Flying Down to Rio" number. Not realistic, but it got by. And on the historical side, this is where Astaire and Rogers got their start together on screen, thus, becoming the most popular song and dance team of the movies, never to be topped or equaled by anyone. Now that's something to think about!

FLYING DOWN TO RIO, which was formerly shown on American Movie Classics for many years, is currently presented on Turner Classic Movies. It is also available on video cassette and DVD. Recommended highly to fans of the team and/or musicals from this era. (***1/2)

Howard Hughes, oh how we needed you.

From other sources you will have learned that this is pretty sexy stuff in terms of transparent clothes; not a bra on the hundreds of candidates. And the original dirty dancing before it was outlawed, and that crack about what Brazilian women have "below the equator." Also, you will have heard about this being the first Astaire-Rogers pairing.

You may not have heard of one of the most racially respectful scenes I know from the era: a couple land on a supposedly deserted island and the woman is frightened by what she thinks are natives. Turns out one comes out of the woods. He's playing golf and while shirtless (in order to make the joke work) speaks English normally and carries himself like a regular man. Its the reverse joke of what you'd usually see in bugeyed stepinfetchits.

But what I find fascinating is the way sex, romance, money and music are all somehow related to aviation. Our hero, we are told is heir to a fortune if only he would give up his music and planes. But it is plain that he does it because of the women. And by that we know he means sex, only sex. We first see him as he climbs out of his plane, which has a piano stuffed in it. Now think about that a minute.

This is what technology meant in those days: adventure, charm, bodily pleasure. And its what the sort of music we see in films was supposed to imply as well. If you do not see this, let me describe the climax. Scores of scantily clad women are strapped to what looks like a dozen small planes to perform choreographically as best you can when bolted down. Every shot you can take of a woman's body is presented, along with a wingload of errant nipples. I can just imagine the smiles when they thought it up.

There's something else to watch for. This has the most elaborate transitions I believe I have seen for any film. They really are amazingly varied and so copious they are as much a feature as Fred's dancing.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.

In Miami, during the presentation of the Yankee Clippers, the wolf band leader and pilot Roger Bond (Gene Raymond) flirts with the guest Belinha de Resende (Dolores Del Rio) and the stringent hotel manager fires them. However, the band is hired for the opening night of the Atlântico Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, and they need to fly to Brazil.

When Roger meets Belinha in the hall of the hotel, he learns that she lost her flight to Rio and he offers a ride for her in his plane. Roger is forced to land in an island and he immediately fixes the mechanical problem in the plane; however, he lies to Belinha and tells that he can not fix the problem just to spend the night alone with her. But Belinha, who is the fiancée of the Brazilian Júlio, resists to his harassment and later she finds another plane to fly to Rio.

Once in Rio, the infatuated Roger meets his friend Júlio without knowing that he is the fiancé of Belinha, and he tells about his love for the woman. When the Yankee Clippers are ready to open the hotel, powerful bankers that are interested to force the bankruptcy of the Atlântico's owner to take the hotel, send the police since he does not have the permit to anticipate the opening day. However, Roger's friend and musician Fred Ayres (Fred Astaire) proposes an airborne show to the guests. Meanwhile, the brokenhearted Roger decides to return to his country and leave Belinha with Júlio.

"Flying Down to Rio" is the debut of the pair Fred and Ginger in minor support roles. The sappy and naive romance has the Mexican Dolores Del Rio performing a Brazilian sassy woman and Gene Raymond in the lead roles. The footages from Rio de Janeiro in the 30's and the airborne show are the best moments of this film. The funniest thing in "Flying Down to Rio" is that there is no Brazilian actor or actress in the cast. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Voando para o Rio" ("Flying to Rio")

094: Flying Down to Rio (1933) - released 12/22/1933, viewed 6/11/07

The 21nd Amendment, repealing Prohibition, goes into effect. BIRTHS: Larry King, Robert Goulet.

DOUG: Let's see...Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are good, but that's about it. Dolores Del Rio and Gene Raymond are the main focus of this little musical romp, courting each other and such, but it's all boring and silly even for a musical. There's also some good Rio music, and a few good dance numbers; the best is, naturally, the "La Carioca" number which is Fred & Ginger's first dance together. We can see Hollywood moving out of the Busby Berkely, pure-spectacle-with-no-regard-for-the-plot kind of numbers and move more into the part-of-the-story-and-motivated-by-character kind of dances that the movie musical is famous for, particularly in Astaire & Rogers' later movies. I'm afraid I can't recommend this movie; it reminded of 'Night After Night,' an underwhelming 1932 film with the first screen appearance of Mae West in a supporting role. If you're interested in the on screen pairings of Astaire & Rogers, don't feel bad about skipping this one and moving on to 'The Gay Divorcée.'

KEVIN: The latest film from RKO is a visually appealing but otherwise hopelessly routine musical romance starring Gene Raymond and lovely former silent star Dolores del Rio. They play a couple who meet at a zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…who cares. I did like the moment where their disembodied ids egg them on. The best parts center around the characters played by Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, who have all the best lines, scenes, dance numbers, and chemistry all around. I certainly hope we see more of them in the future. ;-) Although the climactic airplane number was obviously special effects, I still wonder if such a thing could actually be done. The real treat of the film is the Brazilian locations and dance numbers, a nice change-of-scenery from Busby's Broadway scene. Not that great. I really enjoyed the scenes with Ginger Rogers and that new guy Fred Astaire. There gonna go far.

Last film: Duck Soup (1933). Next film: Counsellor At Law (1933)

"What do these South Americans have below the equator that we haven't?" asks former Our Ganger Mary Kornman about her friend Dolores del Rio as she's seen dancing with bandleader Gene Raymond. While the plot (whatever there is of one) seems to be about the unlikely romance between Ms. del Rio and Raymond, the only reason this movie was a hit and is still often shown today is because it's the first time a legendary dance couple is teamed on screen for the first time in an exciting number called "The Carioca"-Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Their brief number set audiences afire and got RKO to snap another movie for them to actually star in together. Not that Ms. del Rio and Raymond don't do well by themselves when they appear but this being a musical comedy, Fred and Ginger are the only ones actually doing both the singing and dancing here with both having their own solo spots at the end and beginning, respectively. Other things to note: the "cannibals"-led by Clarance Muse-speak in British-accented English to amusing effect and that final title number with females being tied to flying planes (through, I'm sure, a moving rear projection background) being braless and having clothing come off is one of the most bizarre things done in a pre-Code picture! No great shakes, but because of the numbers and the historical first time teaming of Astaire and Rogers, Flying Down to Rio is well worth a look. P.S. One of the singers of "The Carioca", Etta Moten, lived the last years of her life in my birthtown of Chicago, Ill.

Flying Down to Rio will always be best known for being the movie that first paired Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, but, believe me, its worth goes far beyond just that stunning accomplishment. The lead actor is Gene Raymond, who was one of the funniest actors in early Hollywood. My other favorite Raymond movie is Hitchcock's only foray into straight comedy, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, where he starred opposite Carole Lombard and was more than up to it. Raymond's female opposite here is Delores de Rio, an actress with whom I am unfamiliar, but, man, is she a beauty. Astaire plays Raymond's best friend and cohort and Rogers plays a singer who tours with them. The film is wonderfully witty and actually very inventive. The editor goes a little crazy with the different types of swipes he uses throughout the film, but they're still neat. It doesn't bother me much that the filmmakers' experiments don't always work. I'm just happy they were trying new things. The cinematography is often great and much more unique than in other RKO musicals. The music is marvelous, especially the show-stopping Carioca (as opposed to Karaoke!), which seems to last forever, but in a good way! This is the number with the Astaire and Rogers dance. The other dancers in the scene are also wonderful, and the editing of that number is particularly amazing. The climactic musical sequence is as amazing as it is silly: seemingly hundreds of women dancing on the wings of flying planes. It's meant to be entertainment for the people below, but, well, the intricate movements of the girls could never have been seen on the ground (reminiscent of the Busby Berkeley number in 42nd Street where the camera shoots the dancers' pattern from above). Again, the editing here is simply remarkable. I can only imagine that the daring stunts perpetrated in the scene, though obviously fake, would have stunned the hell out of an audience in 1933! Today, in the 21st Century, Flying Down to Rio plays as one of the greatest pieces of fluff ever produced. 10/10.

If you were to replace the names Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers with two unknowns, I wouldn't be writing this review right now. 'Flying Down to Rio (1933)' would have long ago sunk into complete obscurity, along with the dozens of mediocre musical contemporaries that were churned out by the Hollywood studios in the early years of the sound era. If there's one positive thing to be said about the film, it's that it rocketed Astaire and Rogers into the public eye, and such was the success of this initial pairing that no less than nine future collaborations would follow – fortunately, of the titles I've seen, all are much better than this one. It doesn't help the film that our prized duo (albeit, not yet prized when the film was made) are strictly relegated to the sidelines, while an altogether uninteresting comic romance plays out between Dolores del Rio {of John Ford's 'The Fugitive (1947)'} and some guy named Gene Raymond.

Considering he's supposed to be our romantic lead, Gene Raymond doesn't seem to do much. When there's singing or dancing to be done, Astaire steps up to the podium, decisively stealing every scene he's in. As for Raymond, he simply stands there and looks charming, inexplicably disappearing during both of the film's most extravagant centrepieces – namely, the "Caricoa" dance sequence and the bizarre aviatic finale. Dolores del Rio does well as the alluring Brazilian temptress who captures Raymond's eye, and Ginger Rogers, sporting a questionable accent, plays off her supporting co-star with genuine gusto. It's a pity that the film doesn't have a very interesting story, because director Thornton Freeland has a nice eye for visuals, and the airborne climax, however stupid and illogical and pointless, looks generally convincing. With the Production Code yet to be strictly enforced, the writers even manage to include at least one lewd sexual double-entendre, as an American girl muses on the appeal of what South American girls "have below the Equator."

By 1933, the United States was still in the grip of the Great Depression, and audiences often flocked to theatres, however slight their finances, to escape into another world. Like 'Top Hat (1935),' this film fills the screen with glittering locales and beautiful women, lending hope and reassurance to the multitudes of struggling couples. 'Flying Down to Rio' was produced by Merian C. Cooper, who that same year unleashed King Kong on the hapless citizens of New York, and this film – albeit in a completely different fashion – also transported audiences into an exotic world outside their usual experience. In an amusing spoof of Hollywood's generally-racist depiction of native tribes, this film, to its credit, effectively reverses the stereotype, revealing the "deserted" island's purported cannibals to simply be well-to-do islanders enjoying a round of golf and a swim. Nevertheless, despite these few positives, Freeland's film is largely a mediocre outing in musical comedy, and any other Astaire/Rogers musicals would be preferable.

This early musical reminds me of a frothy milkshake with a tangy, South American flavor! Entertainment, pure and simple. Although slightly dated in some ways it still has a great deal of appeal for those who enjoy well staged musicals. Sure there were more streamlined musical productions to follow at a later date, but I feel this one has an exciting atmosphere as far as musical content is concerned (dancing), not to mention the episode, as a finale, of those smiling girls strapped to planes soaring up above the landscape. I wonder if they'd dare to do such high flying films again in our time.

Gene Raymond was some handsome fella! although I felt his acting ability could do with more smooth flowing gestures. Dolores del Rio certainly was exquisite, which no one can deny. The teaming of Fred and Ginger here is probably well documented many times over by others so suffice to say they sure started something in the history of dance! Pass the popcorn please and just enjoy.

With its story set first in Miami and then in Rio De Janeiro, this 1933 "Boy-Meets-Girl" Comedy/Romance/Musical was so annoyingly corny and predictable that it was downright sickening for me to watch. Its story was a complete "air-head" insult to the intelligence of any thinking person.

On top of a couple of badly-staged musical numbers, which were clearly "Busby Berkeley" type rip-offs, this decidedly dull-witted piece of pure escapist fluff also contained a number of really terrible songs, as well.

There was not a single memorable character in the entire story. These boys & girls were all a bunch of one-dimensional paper-dolls, with the women, as usual, wearing way too much make-up and dressed to the nines in the most ridiculous-looking fashions imaginable.

I understand that this movie is considered to be a big deal by many film-buffs just because it was the first picture to feature the likes of Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers dancing (this time the Carioca) together.

Well, if that's all that this film is notable for, then, from my point of view, it only deserves a 3-star rating. Believe me, there are certainly much better 1930's Musicals out there that are more worth your while.

*Note* - I'd say that it was this DVD's bonus features which were far more entertaining to watch than the main attraction.

#1 bonus was the 1933 comedy short called "Beer & Pretzels" which co-starred Curly, Larry & Moe, before they became known as The Three Stooges.

Also included as a bonus was the "Merrie Melodies" cartoon titled "I Like Mountain Music".

There was a golden age of cinema lasting only four or five years - from the end of the silent era to the beginning of the Hays Code, the severe censorship rules which sought to turn cinema from naughty to nice, but in actuality sapped them of their truth and energy.

`Flying Down to Rio' is a classic pre-Hayes code talkie, and its characters have a quality of frankness which endears them to modern audience far more than many later films, whose stilted, conservative quality is somewhat alienating. You'd be surprised at what they could get away with in those days - it would be forty years before a film could get away with a line like that spoken by a starlet of her South American rivals - `What have those girls got below the equator that we haven't got?'

The film, about a love triangle between a Brazilian woman and two members of a swing band, is of course famous for two things - the slightly surreal sequence in which showgirls ride a biplane down to Rio in Busby Berkley-esque formation, and the debut of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as a screen team. It's no wonder that audiences fell in love with the duo, whose `Carioca' is the highlight of the film.

They only made them like this for a little while - more's the shame!

Although sneered at by some Fred and Ginger fans because they don't have top billing, it's still got that exact same familiar fun feel you'd expect from any of their early movies. They are actually in most of the scenes anyway so it's still essentially a Fred and Ginger film - although without their usual dance routines.

The plot is there just to connect several utterly disjointed ideas together and is so absurd it seems you've just had a weird dream. But because everyone simply accepts that all this weirdness is absolutely normal and they just go with the flow, it seems completely realistic...until you think about it - it seems like they made it up as they went along but they clearly didn't because it's so slick, so perfectly co-ordinated and well produced. RKO had just invested in the latest technology with new cameras and faster film stock giving a new crystal clear film quality which audiences hadn't experienced before. This still looks dazzling even today and enhances the visually luscious Art Deco sets brilliantly. Unlike the contemporary WB musicals, which focussed on people making good during the dark and grainy depression, RKO ignored the depression completely and replaced it with a fantasy world of nonsensical, dreamlike escapism.

The stand out number, the one with the song which will get stuck in your head for days, is the spectacular but completely batty finale featuring dozens of pretty chorus girls 'dancing' on the wings of planes flying over Rio. The fact that this is meant to be a show for the folks down on the ground where it would be impossible for them to actually see any of this doesn't matter at all...it's just happening so just accept it. It should be remembered that this was made in 1933 and although RKO were the masters of technical innovation (i.e. King Kong), that this silly, fun sequence in a daft movie like this is put together so perfectly demonstrates the skill of the team back then. Some of us might also be grateful that they chose to use that clearer quality film when we notice that some of those pretty girls on the planes are actually wearing see-through shirts.... I'd need a cold shower after that....well I would had this been an actual film rather than some crazy dream I'd had after eating too much cheese?

FLYING DOWN TO RIO is a precode curiosity memorable only for some overly elaborate, extended musical numbers with a Latin beat and one musical sequence with girls strapped to the wings of biplanes in flimsy costuming. And one more ingredient: it has Fred and Ginger doing a couple of snappy routines including a little number called "The Carioca" which gets extensive treatment.

Forget the boy-meets-girl plot with band leader Gene Raymond and Dolores Del Rio. It's just an excuse to showcase some musical interludes, some of which go on for too great a length.

Del Rio proves that she's a great beauty but shows absolutely no talent for romantic comedy and Gene Raymond has been seen to better advantage in other films. But fans of Fred and Ginger should get their money's worth. Fred, especially, has more to do than his screen partner--who, by the way, is often unflatteringly costumed (by Walter Plunkett, no less) and hair-styled. She manages to prove that she's no singer but quite a capable dancer.

Eric Blore has a tiny role but Franklin Pangborn gets to strut his stuff early on in the film as the flustered hotel manager.

Summing up: Worth a look only for the first pairing of Astaire and Rogers, but clumsy plotting and overproduced dance numbers keep it from being one of their best pairings.

... because it is the first pairing of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, although they were strictly in support - fourth and fifth billed actually. They were a surprise hit with audiences. Nothing against the intended stars of this film, but more than likely, without Fred and Ginger, this film would only live on as an obscurity of Turner Classic Movies' weekday programming. But I digress.

Gene Raymond stars as aviator and bandleader Roger Bond who has a way with the ladies. His latest love interest is Brazilian beauty Belinha (Dolores Del Rio), and when she heads back home to Rio, Roger and his bandmates secure a job at a new beachfront hotel. However, it has been arranged, by Belinha's wealthy and protective family, for Belinha to marry Julio (Raul Roulien), who just happens to be the owner of the hotel.

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers co-star as the band's co-manager and vocalist, respectively. They trade wise cracks and witty banter, and they have instant and obvious chemistry. Their "Carioca" dance number in the middle of the film is a highlight, but nothing could prepare me for the bizarre, ridiculous, and fascinating final number "Flying Down to Rio" featuring synchronized dancers astride airplanes in flight.

The costumes are another high point, with Del Rio in several eye-catching ensembles, including a two-piece bathing suit (scandalous!). The movie is also an obvious pre-code release, with a number of double entendres ("What have those girls got below the equator that we haven't got?" as uttered by one of the chorines about a Brazilian girl) and one bit during the girls-on-planes sequence when they pull the ripcords on their parachutes only to have their clothing ripped off, leaving them semi-nude on the airplane wings. The movie earned an Oscar nomination for Best Music, Original Song for "The Carioca".

Of the seven Astaire-Rogers musicals I have seen, this would have to be the least best of the series. I can hardly complain, as the chance pairing of the most legendary dance team was the first of better things and was not written in mind for them anyway. Still, someone could have thought of more imaginative names...Honey Hale and Fred Ayres?

The plot of "Flying Down to Rio" is slight, throughout the movie I personally didn't really care about whether Delores Del Rio would choose between two men, all I wanted was to see Fred and Ginger. This was also the only time Ginger was billed above Fred. Naturally, they put in fine performances and stole the show from the rather dull leading cast.

On a higher note, the exotic Latin American musical number "The Carioca" was excellently performed by all, and the finale, "Flying Down to Rio", with chorus girls dancing on the wings of planes in motion was somewhat spectacular, but still eclipsed by the earlier number. And Fred's dancing should be given a special mention too. After all, it was only his second movie.

Overall, I did enjoy the musical despite my seemingly numerous criticisms, but the later vehicles for the teaming demonstrate a far higher quality of musicals in the 30s, in all areas of musical making. Rating: 8/10

The folks at RKO who filmed Flying Down To Rio never got any further to Brazil's then capital than the back-lot of the studio. Knowing that the film remains a great example of what a little establishing photography and special effects can do.

Flying Down To Rio is known for being a first and a last in some careers. The first of course is the teaming of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. They were only in support of stars Gene Raymond and Dolores Del Rio. But when they danced The Carioca, Flying Down To Rio became their film.

But also Flying Down To Rio contained the last published work of composer Vincent Youmans. For a man who composed so many great songs from the Twenties on Broadway like Tea For Two, Great Day, Time On My Hands, and I Want To Be Happy, Youmans is a rather secluded and mysterious man of melody. Right after Flying Down To Rio came out, Youmans was diagnosed with tuberculosis and though he lived another thirteen years, nothing published came from him.

With Edward Eliscu and Gus Kahn doing the lyrics, Youmans wrote The Carioca, Orchids in the Moonlight, Music Makes Me and the title song. More people probably know the song Flying Down to Rio from Zero Mostel's gleeful rendition in The Producers as he anticipates stealing the money from all those little old lady backers of Springtime for Hitler. But in fact it's far more spectacular here.

Fred Astaire opens by singing and leading Gene Raymond's band. Then a spectacular display of chorus girls on biplane wings flies over RKO's recreation of the Rio skyline, ending in them parachuting into the nightclub which has no entertainment permit. Quite spectacular, Busby Berkeley over at Warner Brothers must have cried all day wondering why he didn't think of it first.

The plot is simply your basic love triangle involving band-leader Gene Raymond, Brazilian heiress Dolores Del Rio, and her fiancé Raul Roulien. Astaire and Rogers are Raymond's second in command and the girl vocalist in the band.

The plot might be trite, but the music and dancing, nothing short of heavenly.

No wonder RKO was nearly bankrupt before this picture was made. Apparently somebody at the studio thought lingering shots of Dolores Del Rio mooning at her co-star or the sky or her split-screen self made for compelling entertainment.

Frankly, her acting is at least a half-decade out of step. I wonder whether anyone told her they were making a talkie?

Gene Raymond is quite a bit more natural. If it weren't for the silent-era makeup he could pass for a modern-day actor, actually.

And while we're talking makeup, holy smokes did they lay it on thick. The women look like they were wearing mime makeup. Even the black golfers are wearing blackface. And Fred Astaire is greased up like a marionette.

This is just a super-boring movie that no amount of wing walking or Ginger-and-Fred nostalgia can save.