Flying Down to Rio (1933)

100% of critics liked it
(5 reviews)
55% of users liked it
(1,130 ratings)

The top-billed stars in the extravagant RKO musical Flying Down to Rio are Dolores Del Rio and Gene Raymond. Forget all that: this is the movie that first teamed Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. We're supposed to care about the romantic triangle between aviator/bandleader Raymond, Brazilian heiress… More The top-billed stars in the extravagant RKO musical Flying Down to Rio are Dolores Del Rio and Gene Raymond. Forget all that: this is the movie that first teamed Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. We're supposed to care about the romantic triangle between aviator/bandleader Raymond, Brazilian heiress Del Rio and her wealthy fiance Raul Roulien, but the moment Fred and Ginger dance to a minute's worth of "The Carioca", the film is theirs forever. Other musical highlights include Rogers' opening piece "Music Makes Me" and tenor Roulien's lush rendition of "Orchids in the Moonlight". Then there's the title number. The plot has it that Del Rio' uncle has been prohibited from having a floor show at his lavish hotel because of a Rio city ordinance. Astaire and Raymond save the day by staging the climactic "Flying Down to Rio" number thousands of feet in the air, with hundreds of chorus girls shimmying and swaying while strapped to the wings of a fleet of airplanes. It is one of the most outrageously brilliant numbers in movie musical history, and one that never fails to incite a big round of applause from the audience--even audiences of the 1990s. Together with King Kong, Flying Down to Rio saved the fledgling RKO Radio studios from bankruptcy in 1933. The film was a smash everywhere it played, encouraging the studio to concoct future teamings of those two stalwart supporting players Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 29 min.
Directed By: Thornton Freeland
Written By: Lou Brock, Anne Caldwell, Cyril Hume, Erwin Gelsey, H.W. Hanemann
Genres: Musical & Performing Arts, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Dec 22, 1933 Wide
On DVD: Oct 24, 2006

Critic Reviews

Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
A quintessential piece of Thirties musical kookiness right out of Man Ray
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Notable musical for first pairing of Astaire and Rogers.
Bob Bloom, Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)
An OK musical that really sparkles when Fred and Ginger dance together for the first time.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Charming, somewhat, quaint, endlessly clever movie that introduced Fred and Ginger to the world.

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Featured Audience Ratings

AJ V

I was expecting that Fred & Ginger would be the main characters, but no, they take the side-kick roles, and dance around having fun. This movie was a predictable romance, with some funny scenes here and there. I mostly enjoyed the music, the song and dance numbers are especially… More
I was expecting that Fred & Ginger would be the main characters, but no, they take the side-kick roles, and dance around having fun. This movie was a predictable romance, with some funny scenes here and there. I mostly enjoyed the music, the song and dance numbers are especially extravagant. For example, I can't think of another movie where they thought of getting a hundred dancing girls to perform up on top of airplanes. Overall pretty good, but the story could be better.
Lanning :

When I say that this is the least satisfying of the Ginger & Fred movies, I want you to understand two things. First, it was their first together so they were cast in supporting roles. Hence they are not meant to dominate the scene. Second, they were paired, I believe, by… More
When I say that this is the least satisfying of the Ginger & Fred movies, I want you to understand two things. First, it was their first together so they were cast in supporting roles. Hence they are not meant to dominate the scene. Second, they were paired, I believe, by happenstance, but you can believe that once the power brokers saw what they had done, they rubbed their hands together with great glee and just knew that they would have to make more movies with this charismatic couple. Thus the string began. <p> So while this may be the least satisfying of the Ginger and Fred series, that's because it functioned as the discovery of Ginger and Fred. As it is, they are still great together -- and they only got better. <p> This is definitely, from a historical perspective on them, a Rogers and Astaire must-see. You will only appreciate what came later all the more. And quite frankly, the airplane wing dancing is the bomb, even without them.

Cast

            Dolores Del Rio as Belinha de Rezende

            Gene Raymond as Roger Bond

            Raul Roulien as Julio Rubeiro

            Ginger Rogers as Honey Hale

            Fred Astaire as Fred Ayres

            Franklin Pangborn as Hammersmith the Hotel Manager

            Luis Alberni as Rio Casino Manager

            Alice Ardell as Maid

            Reginald Barlow as Alfredo Vianna Rio Banker

            Maurice Black as A Greek

            Eric Blore as Assistant Manager

            Eddie Boland as Airplane mechanic

            Eddie Borden as Musician

            Harry Bowen as Airport Mechanic

            Sidney Bracey as Rodriguez the Chauffeur

            Lucille Browne as Belinda's Friend

            Maria [Movita] Castaneda as Singer

            Ray Cooke as Banjo Player

            Gino Corrado as Messenger

            Roy D'Arcy as Greek

            Blanche Frederici as Dona Elena

            Betty Furness as Girl

            Armand Kaliz as Greek

            Mary Kornman as Belinha's Friend

            Etta Moten as Black Singer

            Clarence Muse as Caddy in Haiti

            Paul Porcasi as Mayor of Rio

            Pedro Regas as Billboard Worker

            Jack Rice as Musician

            Julian Rivero as Billboard Worker

            Adrian Rosley as Club Manager

            Harry Semels as Sign Poster

            Barbara Sheldon
            
            Eddie Tamblyn as Yankee Clipper

            Carol Tevis
            
            Walter Walker as Senor de Rezende

            Howard Wilson as Yankee Clipper

            Jack Good as Yankee Clipper

            Wallace MacDonald as Airplane Pilot

            Douglas Williams
            
            Juan Duval
            
            Francisco Maran as Waiter

            Manuel Paris as Man at Aviator's Club

            Alice Gentle as Concert Singer
See full cast