Directed by Thornton Freeland
USA 1933

 

  Fred and Ginger teamed for the first time as featured artists in the big production number, 'The Carioca': 'I'd like to try this thing just once' says Fred, launching the movies' greatest partnership. Otherwise notable mainly for the non-stop opticals which turn the film into a series of animated postcards. The nominal star, the wooden Raymond, is swept off his feet by the exotic Del Rio (one of those actresses who age only ten years in forty-odd), of whom a Yankee girl cries, 'What have these South Americans got below the equator that we haven't?'. The Berkeleyesque aerial ballet is a gas.

Excerpt from TimeOut Film Guide located HERE


Notable for teaming Astaire and Rogers for the first time, this is a flimsily plotted musical comedy significant mainly for its sparky production numbers (notably Fred and Ginger doing 'La Carioca'). However, Bond and Del Rio take the leads, he as a flirtatious bandleader, she as the Brazilian girl he falls for even though she is engaged to a good friend of his. You can't help thinking it might have worked better with Fred and Ginger taking centrestage. The musical routines (check out the especially lavish nonsense atop the wings of a plane) are excellent.

Excerpt from Channel 4 located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: December 22nd, 1933

Reviews    More Reviews    DVD Reviews

DVD Review: Warner - Region 1,4 - NTSC

DVD Box Cover

   

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Also available as part of the Astaire & Rogers Collection, Vol. 2 which includes Flying Down to Rio / The Gay Divorcee / Roberta / Carefree and The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle:

            

Distribution Warner Home Video - Region 1,4 - NTSC
Runtime 1:29:12 
Video 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 6.5 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate:

Audio English (Dolby Digital 2.0) 
Subtitles English, French, Spanish, None
Features

Release Information:
Studio: Warner Home Video

Aspect Ratio:
Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1

Edition Details:

• Featurette: Bear and Pretzels
• Featurette: I Like Mountain Music
• Theatrical trailer 


DVD Release Date: October 24th, 2006

Keep Case
Chapters: 25

 

 

Comments:

There is a little bit of a sepia/yellow haze over the some of the image. Perhaps one of the lesser transfers from this boxset. I suspect that we should feel lucky that this entire collection is available considering the age of the films and the inherent condition of the negatives. It is progressive and and sports optional subtitles. Audio is unremarkable but close, I'll wager, to the way it sounded originally (a shade echoy). Good news again that I don't see excessive manipulation and most of the image damage marks (light scratches) have been removed or lessened in intensity.

Warner include some fairly unrelated featurette extras - Bear and Pretzels and I Like Mountain Music. Fun stuff for pre-feature. Not the best of the pairings musical comedies but even 2nd rate Astaire/Rogers is worthy viewing. 

Gary W. Tooze

 

 



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DVD Box Cover

   

CLICK to order from:

Also available as part of the Astaire & Rogers Collection, Vol. 2 which includes Flying Down to Rio / The Gay Divorcee / Roberta / Carefree and The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle:

            

Distribution Warner Home Video - Region 1,4 - NTSC




 

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