4/5 you'll adore spending a night with this musical gem!
  by Byron Kolln (the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood)
A fluffy musical confection with Alice Faye, Don Ameche, Carmen Miranda and the rest of the Fox musical "gang", 1941's THAT NIGHT IN RIO is noteworthy for being Ms Miranda's first main speaking role in an American film. It's also marked by a particularly glamorous Alice Faye, dressed in some lush Travis Banton costumes.

Nightclub entertainer Larry Martin (Don Ameche) makes a specialty out of impersonating wealthy lothario Baron Duarte in his act. So when the Baron (also played by Ameche) is unexpectedly called away from Rio and can't appear at an important business function, who better to "replace" him than Larry? The ruse works perfectly...until the real Baron returns on the same night as Larry's performance, all hell breaks loose, and the Baron's wife Cecilia (Alice Faye) has no idea of whom she spent the night with!

Adding some laughs is the delicious Carmen Miranda as Larry's on-again, off-again girlfriend. This was her first big role following her debut in DOWN ARGENTINE WAY the previous year. She performs some of her most beloved numbers like "Chica Chica Boom Chic", "I, Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi (I Like You Very Much)", and "Cai-Cai". Alice Faye only has two songs ("Boa Noite" and "They Met in Rio").

This film would later be re-made as ON THE RIVIERA with Danny Kaye and Gene Tierney.

3/5 Watch it for Carmen
  by robcat2075 (Dallas)
I bought this title as a Christmas gift to my father who is a Carmen Miranda fan of long standing. I'm a fan too.

Don't expect any challenges from the story except to try to make sense of it. I guess this would be called "farce". The premise is absurd and so is the resolution, but that's not why you watch a movie such as this. You watch it to see the performers, such as Carmen Miranda captured here in all her Technicolor glory. In Brazil she was a national hero and in the USA she was the exotic but safe, south-of-the-border flavor that studios would add to movies and seemed to be much in vogue then.

As an actress she is limited but it's not like Don Ameche or Alice Faye do much of a stretch here either.





5/5 That night in Rio...DVD
  by Jerry N. Norton (Ephraim, Utah, USA)

I really love movies starring Carmen Miranda. I have nine of them. Since Carmen Miranda grew up in Brazil and was a very successful performer there, I believe that Liriel Domiciano must have watched all of Carmen's movies and learned to perform in a similar way. In Carmen's movie, "Cocacobana", Carmen Miranda sings her well-known song, "Chico, Chico, Loco Bom! Also, Groucho Marx does an act where he sings high notes along with a flute. I have a video of Liriel Domiciano singing "Chico, Chico, Loco Bom using Carmen's words and singing along with a flute. Amazing!

5/5 Not Just For The Bathroom
  by Time Warped Again (New Mexico)
These "Bathroom" books are great anywhere.
Read them anywhere you like.
You never knew so much stuff existed.

5/5 fine classic musical from Fox--with lavish numbers all aglow...
  by Matthew G. Sherwin (last seen screaming at Amazon customer service)
That Night In Rio is a musical that features wonderful song and dance numbers by some really great stars. We get Carmen Miranda singing and dancing up a storm; Alice Faye sings a couple of songs that she was born to sing; and even Don Ameche sings very well! The color is wonderful--they did a fantastic job restoring this excellent film!

The action begins in Rio de Janeiro when Baron Manuel Duarte (Don Ameche) and his wife Cecilia (Alice Faye) attend a nightclub where Larry Martin (also played by Don Ameche) impersonates the Baron as part of his act. Indeed, Larry Martin does such a magnificent impersonation that stuffy Baron Duarte is so impressed he actually wants to go backstage to meet Larry Martin!

But first trouble sets in. Baron Duarte gets a telegram that a loan to fund his airline has been denied; and he depended on that cash infusion to keep his airline out of ruin. Baron Duarte goes off to try to secure another loan--and while he's away, his two top aides including Arthur Penna (S.Z. Sakall) hatch a plan to use Larry Martin to impersonate the Baron at a party. That way no one will suspect anything is wrong with the business until Baron Duarte can get an emergency loan and return to Rio. No one will ever know he left town.

Nevertheless, there's still the problem of keeping up appearances in the financial markets. The Baron always goes to his trading box and when he's not there one morning (because he's away to get that emergency loan), his arch business rival Machado (J. Carrol Naish) immediately smells trouble. Baron Duarte's aides panic but they manage to keep Machado at bay--for now.

Of course, from here the plot can go anywhere. Larry Martin has a jealous girlfriend named Carmen (Carmen Miranda) who has violent fits when she catches Larry with other women. Will Carmen cause trouble when Larry has to dance with the Baron's wife to keep up the charade? What about the Baron--will he get that emergency loan? And what about Cecilia, the Baron's wife--she's not completely happy in her marriage to the Baron--can anything improve the quality of their marriage? Will Machado and his business instincts cause huge business problems for Baron Duarte? No plot spoilers here, folks--you'll just have to watch the film to find out!

Carmen Miranda does great numbers including ""I Yi Yi Yi Yi, I Like You Very Much" and "Cae, Cae." Look for Alice Faye to sing "They Met In Rio" with a beautiful delivery; and Don Ameche sings a few lines as well.

The DVD includes a deleted scene, a wonderful bonus about Alice Faye's life and career after she left Fox and a restoration comparison. Great!

Overall, That Night In Rio is one of the stronger musicals from Fox filmed during the golden age of Hollywood. This movie is extremely entertaining and if you like classic musicals you're sure to enjoy this movie quite a bit!