"Rio" (2011), the colorful, upbeat animated film from Blue Sky Studios and 20th Century Fox, has been enjoying tremendous global success at the box office, but it's by no means the first film to capitalize on the enduring appeal of exotic Rio de Janeiro. In fact, it's not even the first animated, talking bird movie to feature the city. Romantic and daring, Rio has long been a favorite city for films; its sights and sounds naturally lend themselves to romance, music, and even danger, as the latest movie amply demonstrates. If you enjoy "Rio" for its tour of this fabled Brazilian city, check out some of these classic movies.
"Flying Down to Rio" (1933) - Dir. Thornton Freeland, starring Dolores del Rio, Gene Raymond, and Raul Roulien
Although they aren't the stars of this film, "Flying Down to Rio" is mostly remembered today as the first pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Despite her name, star Dolores del Rio was actually from Mexico. The movie earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song for "Carioca."
"That Night in Rio" (1941) - Dir. Irving Cummings, starring Alice Faye, Don Ameche, and Carmen Miranda
Alice Faye and Don Ameche play the romantic leads in this musical comedy, but the iconic Carmen Miranda is probably the big draw for Rio fans. With her fruit-covered hats and eye-catching costumes, Miranda became a symbol of South American exuberance, and she appeared in several classic films, including "Down Argentine Way" (1940). Although she was criticized by Brazilians for promoting Hollywood stereotypes of their culture, her appeal has lived on after her death. In the film "Rio," the bulldog Luiz (voiced by Tracy Morgan) wears a fruity hat that pays tribute to Carmen Miranda's signature accessory.
"Saludos Amigos" (1942) - Dir. Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney, Hamilton Luske, and Bill Roberts, starring Donald Duck
This Disney tour of South America, designed to improve the relationship between the northern and southern continents, is the original talking bird cartoon that features Rio. Donald Duck embarks on a series of South American adventures, including a stop in Rio de Janeiro, where his guide is a parrot named Jose Carioca. Jose proved extremely popular with Brazilians, and he reappears in the 1944 film, "The Three Caballeros," which takes Donald and company to the Brazilian state of Bahia.
"Notorious" (1946) - Dir. Alfred Hitchcock, starring Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, and Claude Rains
This classic thriller from director Alfred Hitchcock places the action for its twisted romantic triangle in Rio, where Ingrid Bergman falls in love with Cary Grant but married Nazi plotter Claude Rains to act as a spy on his organization. Hitchcock could not have chosen a more appropriate city for this story of passion and danger, and the film is widely regarded as one of his best.
"Road to Rio" (1947) - Dir. Norman Z. McLeod, starring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, and Gale Sondergaard
Globe-trotting comedians Bob Hope and Bing Crosby team up for the fifth of their beloved road pictures, with Dorothy Lamour making her usual appearance as the lovely heroine to their amusingly inept heroes. The film features a Latin musical number, "Diz Que Tem," performed by Puerto Rican singer Marquita Rivera.
"Black Orpheus" (1959) - Dir. Marcel Camus, starring Breno Mello, Marpessa Dawn, and Lourdes de Oliveira
This classic tale of love and loss adapts the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice and relocates it to the city of Rio during the Carnival season. At the 1960 Academy Awards, "Black Orpheus" won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, and it's considered a masterpiece of world cinema.
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