movie world

Director Thornton Freeland's fun and sometimes still thrilling 1933 musical Flying Down to Rio is famous now, if at all, as the first teaming of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, in what turned out to be the first of their 10 glorious movie teamings. But here, alas, they are show-stopping side issues as accordionist and assistant band leader Fred Ayres and orchestra vocalist Honey Hale.

And so the movie officially stars Gene Raymond, who gives a dull performance as the aviator, composer and band leader hero Roger Bond, who is swept off his feet by the fiery and exotic Brazilian beauty Belinha de Rezende (Dolores del Rio).

But it would be a forgotten film if Astaire and Rogers weren’t doing their exhilarating ‘Carioca’ dance number together, sung by Alice Gentle, Movita Castaneda and Etta Moten, and danced by Astaire and Rogers and the chorus. It is the team’s first dance together and they dance with their foreheads touching.

Director: Thornton Freeland
Cast: Dolores del Rio, Gene Raymond, Raul Roulien
Country: USA
Genre: Comedy, Musical, Romance

DVD9 | NTSC 4:3 | 01:29:17 | 5.25 Gb + 3% rec
Language: English
Subtitles: English, Francais, Espanol

Extras:
• "Beer and Pretzels (1933)" - short film
• "I Like Mountain Music (1933)" - short cartoon
• Theatrical trailer

DVD9 | PAL 4:3 | 01:25:15 | 7.84 Gb + 3% rec
Language: English, Italiano
Subtitles: Italiano

Extras:
• Colorized version (01:25:55)