Down Argentine Way

Down Argentine Way
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Irving Cummings
Produced by	Darryl F. Zanuck
Written by	Rian James Ralph Spence Karl Tunberg Darrell Ware
Starring	Betty Grable Don Ameche Carmen Miranda
Music by	Harry Warren
Cinematography	Leon Shamroy Ray Rennahan
Edited by	Barbara McLean
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release dates	October 11, 1940 (1940-10-11)
Running time	89 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$2 million

Down Argentine Way is a 1940 Technicolor musical film made by Twentieth Century Fox. It made a star of Betty Grable in her first leading role for the studio, and introduced American audiences to Carmen Miranda. The film also starred Don Ameche, The Nicholas Brothers, Charlotte Greenwood, and J. Carrol Naish.

The film was directed by Irving Cummings and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck from a screenplay by Karl Tunberg and Darrell Ware, based on a story by Rian James and Ralph Spence. The cinematography was by Leon Shamroy and Ray Rennahan and the costume design by Travis Banton. The American-composed music was by Harry Warren and Jimmy McHugh, lyrics by Mack Gordon and Al Dubin.

In a shooting period which lasted for 10 months, members of the film's crew traveled about 35,000 miles. A second unit was sent to Buenos Aires for location establishing shots, returning with about 20,000 feet of film, while another group flew to New York City filming Carmen Miranda for over a month. Miranda was performing South American songs in the Broadway production of The Streets of Paris, and thus was a prominent participant in this film without spending any time in Hollywood.^[1]

In 2014, Down Argentine Way was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.^[2]

Summary

Young Ricardo Quintano voyages from Argentina to New York to sell some of his father's prize horses. Before leaving, Don Diego instructs his son that no steeds are to be sold to Binnie Crawford or any member of her family because her brother Willis cheated him years earlier. Upon arriving in New York, Ricardo falls in love with Glenda Crawford, but when he learns that she is Binnie's niece, he refuses to sell her the horse she wants to buy. He hurriedly returns to Argentina. Perturbed, Glenda follows him, accompanied by Binnie.

The couple meet again in Argentina, where they confess their love for each other. Ricardo introduces Glenda to his father as "Miss Cunningham." Glenda encourages Ricardo to enter his father's prize jumper, Furioso, in a race, against Don Diego's wishes. Soon after, while attending a horse show, Don Diego discovers Glenda's true identity and disowns his son. His bad mood is compounded when Furioso refuses to jump and runs off the field. To make up for the humiliating defeat of his father's jumper, Ricardo enters Furioso in the big race, and when the horse wins, Don Diego changes his mind about racing horses and about Glenda.^[3]

Cast

• Don Ameche — Ricardo Quintana
• Betty Grable — Glenda Crawford
• Carmen Miranda — Herself
• Charlotte Greenwood — Binnie Crawford
• J. Carrol Naish — Casiano
• Henry Stephenson — Don Diego Quintana
• Kay Aldridge — Helen Carson
• Leonid Kinskey — Tito Acuna
• Chris-Pin Martin — Esteban
• Robert Conway — Jimmy Blake
• Gregory Gaye — Sebastian, the Headwaiter
• Bobby Stone — Panchito
• Charles Judels — Dr. Arturo Padilla, the Ambassador
• Fayard Nicholas — Specialty Dancer (as The Nicholas Brothers)
• Harold Nicholas — Specialty Dancer (as The Nicholas Brothers)

Production

The working title of this film was The South American Way. Down Argentine Way is considered the first of many Fox films made to implement industry-wide approach to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Good Neighbor Policy" toward Latin America. During World War II, the U.S. government developed an administrative agency to encourage good relations with Latin America, as there was growing Nazi influence there. The Office of Inter-American Affairs was established to promote this. It specifically encouraged the production of "Good Neighbor" films.

Production of Down Argentine Way preceded the establishment of the Office of Inter-American Affairs, but was likely influenced by Roosevelt administration policy. The film was a box-office success, earning $2 million in domestic rentals in 1940. Fox continued to support government policy and its own self-interest by making films such as That Night in Rio and Week-End in Havana (both 1941). The films were very popular in the United States, but not successful as propaganda aimed at Latin America because they lacked regional authenticity.^[4]

A big star in her native Brazil, Carmen Miranda was a singer and dancer known for sex appeal. She signed a film contract with Fox in 1940 while she was appearing at a New York club, and Down Argentine Way was her first appearance in an American film. Since Miranda could not break her nightclub contract, her numbers for this film were shot in New York, while all other actors were working with director Irving Cummings in Los Angeles. Fox, with its revue approach to musicals, cut and pasted Miranda into the film. Miranda made several more films for 20th Century Fox, but the studio never was able to take advantage of the Brazilian star's special qualities to fit with American productions.^[5]

The film made Betty Grable,^[5] and began the period of her highest profile. Grable was cast in the film as a replacement for Alice Faye, who was originally intended for the female lead but became ill. Faye appeared in the follow-up films That Night in Rio and Week-End in Havana, which again feature Carmen Miranda.

Hollywood Reporter noted that J. Carroll Naish's success in a comedy role in this film prompted Fox to feature him again in That Night in Rio. Modern sources include actress Elena Verdugo in the cast in a bit part and note that this may have been her first film.

Soundtracks

• Bambú, Bambú — Carmen Miranda
• Down Argentina Way — Betty Grable and Don Ameche
• Mamãe Eu Quero — Carmen Miranda
• Nenita — Bando da Lua (Sung by Leonid Kinskey at the nightclub)
• Sing to Your Señorita — Charlotte Greenwood
• Two Dreams Met — Betty Grable and Don Ameche
• South American Way — Carmen Miranda^[6]

Box office

“Down Argentine Way” was considered a box office success in America, grossing $2 million in domestic sales.^[7] This paved the way for further ‘Good Neighbor’ films to be made and for Betty Grable and Carmen Miranda to become international sensations throughout the war years. “Down Argentine Way” was 20th Century Fox’s number one musical hit of 1940.^[8]

Critical reception

In his review for the newspaper Chicago Reader, Dave Kehr said "Betty Grable as an American heiress, Don Ameche as an Argentine horse breeder, and Carmen Miranda as something from another planet, all shot in delirious 40s Technicolor. The result is a classic example of the 20th Century-Fox approach to musicals: loud, vulgar, ridiculous, and irresistibly entertaining."^[9]

The New York Times critic Bosley Crowther, reviewing the film, found Grable irresistible. At one point he referenced what he saw as her lack of ability: "We see plenty of [Grable] -- singing, dancing and wearing clothes of surprising magnificence. We even see her trying to act, which is something less of a pleasure." But then, after referring to the film's play for profits and part in "Good Neighbor Policy", he backtracks: "But, hold -- what sort of good neighbor would make a remark like that! Pardon us, Miss Grable. Consider it unmade."

Down Argentine Way marked the film debut of Carmen Miranda, already known as "the Brazilian Bombshell." Turner Classic Movies described her musical numbers in the movie as "a gaudy delight—and the Nicholas Brothers serve up a characteristically joyous, effervescent routine."^[10]

Awards and honors

The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, for Best Cinematography, Best Original Song and for Best Art Direction by Richard Day and Joseph C. Wright.^[11]

In 2014, Down Argentine Way was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.^[12]

The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

• 2006: AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals – Nominated^[13]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Down Argentine Way.

• Down Argentine Way at the Internet Movie Database
• Down Argentine Way at AllMovie