Flying Down to Rio (1933)

From little acorns...Best known as the first on-screen pairing of Astaire and Rogers, I forgot that they were only playing supporting characters here, leaving me occasionally scratching my head at their extended absence from the film. Of the two, Fred gets far more screen-time. Their parts of frontline competing lovers in fact are taken by the named leads, the rather anodyne Gene Raymond and Dolores Del Rio. The other points of interest for me were the occasional camera tricks involved, for example when Raymond and Del Rio are tormented by their consciences and the off-screen depiction of the sinister gentlemen-financiers conspiring against the hotel's success, as well as the pre-Hays Code values (or lack of same) on show, quite literally on occasions, indeed our first view of Ginger sees her apparently dancing in a see-through negligee, not to mention the scantily-clad girl wing-walkers improbably assembled on the squadron of planes flown in for the big opening night.The story is typical light-comedy fluff, although I'm not sure I agreed with the conclusion which has Raymond breaking up the engagement of Del Rio and her Brazilian fiancé. The songs aren't exactly of the quality of a Kern, Gershwin or Berlin with one of them boasting, if that's the right word, the memorable phrase "wicky, wacky, wicky" to rhyme with "tricky", naturally. The humour is a bit forced at times but again there are one or two racy ribald moments which catch the ear. There's certainly a degree of ambition in some of the camera shots, particularly the extended Astaire and Rogers number "The Carioca" and the air-show at the end, obvious as the projection work is to modern eyes although some of the stunts are hilarious in their execution, notably the flying save of the girl who falls from the airborne trapeze, trust me this does happen!Otherwise the wooden doe-eyed acting of the leads and their stiff, prissy dialogue at times, plus the light-operatic musical style of some of the numbers makes the movie a little hard-going at times, but Fred and Ginger just about make it watching all the way through. I can't think when I'll ever wish to see another film starring Raymond or Del Rio but as the springboard for the greatest dance partnership in movies, I guess this feature serves its purpose.

Flying Down to Rio has much to like, even if some of the acting is slight and the story is silly and rather hackneyed. The great quality of the sets, production design and cinematography make for a film that is very easy on the eyes. The songs are lively and memorable, as is the catchy and characterful score and Brazilian flavours while the choreography is really imaginative and full to the brim with energy, in particular in the Carioca and climatic airplanes sequences. The way it's danced helps a lot as well. The dialogue is warm and funny, while it is solidly paced- not a dull moment, despite the Carioca sequence being very long- and directed and the performances generally work very well. Gene Raymond is stiff at times but very dashing while Dolores Del Rio is the epitome of glamour. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers steal the show though, in their first pairing though not in lead roles(that would be The Gay Divorcée) they show great chemistry, personal charm and wonderful energy and elegance in their dancing. Overall, a lot to like and a pleasure to watch, though the story is not as good as the rest. 8/10 Bethany Cox

This film is entertaining for two reasons: the first teaming of Astaire and Rogers, and as a glimpse into the America of the early 1930s.Ginger Rogers was billed fourth in this film and Fred Astaire was fifth billed. Ginger appeared in ten films in 1933, whereas Fred was appearing in only his second Hollywood film. He was no stranger to the stage, but his film career was just beginning. The duo would eventually appear in ten films together, based upon their chemistry and her ability to follow his dance direction. In just a couple of years,they were performing much more sophisticated dances in more entertaining films.Flying Down to Rio also showcases many aspects of American culture at the time, including the corny witticisms and mugging that were considered hep humor. Also note the wing-walkers (in the aerial circus) and the reference to the Culbertson Sytem (a popular bridge bidding system). Check out the beautiful seaplane and the daring preCode fashions, some which are stunning, some which are tacky.The narrative of this film seems little more than an excuse to bring the characters (and the audience) to venues where dancing and singing can be showcased. The sets for the Carioca Casino and the Aviators Club were beautiful. The montage of Rio was like a 30s postcard.Speaking of montages, the performance pieces in Flying Down to Rio are typical of Busby Berkley spectaculars--montages of dancing, and groups of dancers in large production scenes. Compare the Astaire dance numbers which, in contrast, follow the dance performance in single or extended shots, emphasizing the technical excellence of the dancers. This technique of filming dance would revolutionize dance performance in film.The director looked to dazzle his audience with every variation of novelty cuts and what must have been seen as cutting-edge special effects (the images of performers on the wings of flying planes).Because the humor in the movie is played so broadly, the acting is not very good, but they got what they were aiming for--a light excuse for entertainment that was just what America wanted during the Great Depression.I am a fan of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, singly and in tandem. As an early snapshot of the beginnings of their film history, Flying Down to Rio is required viewing, I feel.

As soon as the artwork for the cover of this movie popped up on my Netflix I knew it was going to be a little, well, strange for my taste. Im not one for musicals, so maybe thats where the bulk of my dislike comes from, just having a hard time getting into it. I found the story to be very uncomplicated and boring at times. Fred Astaire is very enjoyable to watch though.The one thing I can say that is fantastic about this movie is some of the dancing shots. Watching those chorus girls, do absolutely synchronized dance movements on top of airplanes. Im assuming special affects were limited in those days, Im not sure exactly how they did it. But anyway you slice it, still very amazing scenes/shots/filming. Even for today in my opinion. the movie's enjoyable, but nothing amazing in my book.