Singin' and Dancing Back in Time.: Down Argentine Way (1940)

Friday, September 3, 2010

Down Argentine Way (1940)

Down Argentine Way (1940) Musical. Cast: Betty Grable's first leading role, and introduced Carmen Miranda to America. Don Ameche, The Nicholas Brothers, Charlotte Greenwood and J. Carrol Naish. Director: Irving Cummings. Producer: Darryl F. Zanuck. Cinematography: Leon Shamroy and Ray Rennahan. Costumes: Travis Banton.

Wealthy Ricardo Quintano, travels from Argentina to New York to sell a few of his father's prize horses. Don Diego reminds his son not to sell any of his horses to any member of the Crawford family, because of a old family grudge. While in New york New York, Ricardo falls in love with Glenda Crawford, when he learns that she is a Crawford, he refuses to sell her a horse and returns back home to Argentina. They meet again in Argentina, and Ricardo introduces Glenda to his father as "Miss Cunningham." Glenda and Ricardo enter his father's prize jumper, in a race. When his father finds out the truth about the horse and Glenda's real name he disowns his son.

Will Don Diego change his mind about the horse and about Glenda?

What a wonderful movie. Look for some awesome song and dance numbers from Carmen Miranda. DOWN ARGENTINE WAY is kind of a fun movie, especially seeing it in this day and age.

FUN FACT: Alice Faye was going to play the role of Glenda, but she fell ill with appendicitis and was replaced by Betty Grable. Although Miss Grable was making films for the past 10 years, this was the role that made her famous. Cesar Romero came ill with para-typhoid and was replaced by Leonid Kinskey.

Soundtracks:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Bambu Bambu"
(uncredited)
Music traditional
Lyrics by Almirante and Valdo De Abreu
Performed by Carmen Miranda with Bando da Lua

"Down Argentina Way"
(uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Mack Gordon
Spanish lyrics by Carlos Albert
Sung by Betty Grable and Don Ameche
Sung and danced by The Nicholas Brothers

"Mamãe Eu Quero"
(uncredited)
Written by Jararaca and Vicente Paiva
Performed by Carmen Miranda with Bando da Lua

"Nenita"
(uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Mack Gordon
Spanish lyrics by Carlos Albert
Performed in Spanish by Bando da Lua
Sung by Leonid Kinskey at the nightclub

"Sing to Your Señorita"
(uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Mack Gordon
Performed by Charlotte Greenwood

"Two Dreams Met"
(uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Mack Gordon
Spanish lyrics (Dos Sueños) by Carlos Albert
Performed by Six Hits and a Miss
Also performed by Bando da Lua
Sung by Betty Grable and Don Ameche

"South American Way"
(uncredited)
Music by Jimmy McHugh
Lyrics by Al Dubin
Portuguese lyrics by Aloysio De Oliveira
Sung by Carmen Miranda during the opening scene
Also sung by a chorus during the following montage
Played when the plane arrives in Argentina

No comments:

Bob Fosse

Was a musical theater choreographer and director, screenwriter and film director. He won an eight Tony Awards for choreography, as well as one for direction. He was nominated for an Academy Award four times, winning for his direction of Cabaret. He was identified with his third wife, Gwen Verdon. She was both the dancer/collaborator who he choreographed much of his work and, together with dancer/choreographer Ann Reinking, a guardian of the Fosse legacy after his death. Fosse is considered to be one the most influential coreographers of the 20th Century.

Esther Williams.

JANE POWELL

After rising to fame as a singer in her home state of Oregon, Powell was signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer while still in her teens. Once there, the studio utilized her vocal, dancing and acting talents, casting her in such musicals as Royal Wedding, with Fred Astaire, A Date with Judy, with friend Elizabeth Taylor and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, with Howard Keel. In the late 1950s, her film career slowed, only to be replaced with a busy theater and television career.Click picture to enter websight.

Jeanette MacDonald

Singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (Love Me Tonight, The Merry Widow) and Nelson Eddy (Naughty Marietta, Rose-Marie, and Maytime). During the 1930s and 1940s she starred in 29 feature films, four nominated for Best Picture Oscars (The Love Parade, One Hour With You, Naughty Marietta and San Francisco), and recorded extensively, earning three gold records. She later appeared in grand opera, concerts, radio, and television. MacDonald was one of most influential sopranos of the 20th century. Click picture to view fan website.

Joan Crawford.

Click picture to view website. Joan Crawford, born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre. Starting as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway, Crawford was signed to a motion picture contract by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1925. Initially frustrated by the size and quality of her parts, Crawford began a campaign of self-publicity and became nationally known as a flapper by the end of the 1920s. In the 1930s, Crawford's fame rivaled MGM colleagues Norma Shearer and Greta Garbo. Crawford often played hardworking young women who find romance and financial success. These "rags-to-riches" stories were well-received by Depression-era audiences and were popular with women. Crawford became one of Hollywood's most prominent movie stars and one of the highest paid women in the United States, but her films began losing money and by the end of the 1930s

Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Richard Rodgers (1902 – 1979) and Oscar Hammerstein II (1895 – 1960) the songwriting duo, on our musical page. They created many popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age. With Rodgers composing the music and Hammerstein writing the lyrics, five of their shows, Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound of Music. They won thirty-four Tony Awards, fifteen Academy Awards, the Pulitzer Prize, and two Grammys. Click picture to read movie reviews.

Cab Calloway

Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the United States' most popular African American big bands from the start of the 1930s through the late 1940s. Calloway's band featured performers including trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Leon "Chu" Berry, New Orleans guitar ace Danny Barker, and bassist Milt Hinton. Calloway continued to perform until his death in 1994 at the age of 86 .Click picture to view official website.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Down Argentine Way (1940)

No comments:

Post a Comment