Nancy Goes to Rio (1950) / Two Weeks With Love
by Robert Z. Leonard, Roy Rowland
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DVD Cover Information
Director: Robert Z. Leonard, Roy RowlandPrimary Contributor: Ann Sothern
Primary Contributor: Jane Powell
Primary Contributor: Debbie Reynolds
Primary Contributor: Carmen Miranda
Primary Contributor: Scotty Beckett
Primary Contributor: Ricardo Montalban
Primary Contributor: Louis Calhern
Primary Contributor: Ann Harding
Primary Contributor: Barry Sullivan
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); French (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled)
Format: Color, Full Screen, NTSC
Running Time: 191 minutes
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Movie Reviews of Nancy Goes to Rio (1950) / Two Weeks With Love
Movie Review: 3 1/2 stars for two a little above average musicals
Summary: 3 Stars
This 2 disc DVD release offers up two Jane Powell musical offerings for the year 1950,filmed and released in succession;Nancy goes to Rio released in March 0f 1950 and Two weeks with Love released later in November.Neither tend to light up the sky,so to speak,but are easy on the eyes and ears and generally a little above average musical fares;more showcases for the singing talents of its 21 year old star Jane Powell.
Nancy Goes to Rio concerns the story of a mother,Frances(Ann Southern) and her daughter Nancy(Jane Powell).Frances is an established stage star while Nancy is following in her mothers footsteps and paying her dues in lesser shows.They both live with Frances' father Gregory(Louis Calhern),an ex performer himself.When a producer from Brazil enters the picture he offers Frances a part in his play and Frances immediately decides to go to Brazil to soak up the atmosphere and learn her lines.However the producer has second thoughts about Frances' age(the part is really for a younger girl)and after watching Nancy during a performance offers HER the part instead of her mother.Of course Nancy doesn't realize her mother has the same part and goes down to Rio to meet her.On the ship she meets bachelor Paul Berten(Barry Sullivan)who gets the wrong idea when she is rehearsing lines out loud and mistakingly thinks she is pregnant.In fact in short order everyone from the ships captain to its' doctor think she is in the family way.She is oblivious to it all and rebuffs what she thinks is Berten's advances,when he is really just showing sympathy.Nancy arrives in Rio only to finally find out that her mother has got the same part as her.She is terribly upset and steps out of the play.She suddenly shifts gears and decides to get married and Berten is the object of her affections.Alot of embarrassing moments happen between the two but when Berten meets her mother he falls instantly for HER.But not before Frances and her father have gotten over the "fact" that they think HE is the father of Nancy's "baby";and he gets a sock from Gramps to drive home the point.Once the dust finally settles the situation corrects itself and Frances steps down to let Nancy take the part and Berten and Frances live happily ever after.
The less satisfying of the two offerings here,mainly due to the meandering plot,Powell has many musical moments to shine and stand out.While watching this film I hadn't seen in years I was immediately taken back 14 years previously to 1936 and a young 15 year old singing angel and sensation Deanna Durbin.Durbin was without peer and she spawned a hunt by every studio thereafter to find another Durbin;like Powell.Some were better than others but suddenly something else hit me like a bolt of lightning.I checked my sources and yes,this film was a remake of a 1940 Deanna Durbin picture called "It's a Date"! And I recalled another "coincidence";Deanna's smash/entry film was "Three Smart Girls" while one of Powell's earlier musical films was "Three Daring Daughters"!Watch for ex-Little Rascal Scotty Beckett(now 21 years old also) as Nancy's boyfriend back home.And I needn't tell you to look out for Carmen Miranda because she virtually steals every scene she is in,as usual.She is the reason I got this film which was her second last and as always she never fails to disappoint.Carmen had some more serious than usual lines here and she is an absolute pro in her delivery.It is a shame she was relegated by studios to such trivial and typecast parts because she would have shone with much superior scripts,I'm sure.Watch for Hans Conried in a bit part as Frances and her father's Brazilian butler!
Two Weeks with Love concerns the story of the Robinson family,the patriarch Horatio(Calhern) is the towns' famous bandmaster.He along with the rest of the family of two boys and two girls and wife are set for a trip to their favourite resort in the Catskill Mountains.Upon arrival daughter Patti(Powell) is not in the mood for gaiety.She is 17 trying to be 18 plus and going through much teenage angst.Much of it concerns what she thinks is her less than mature dress and especially her lack of a corset.A boy who works in the motel is smitten with Patti but Patti just can't reciprocate;while Patti's sister Melba(a young Debbie Reynolds) is the one who really digs him.In the midst of all this walks in a debonair Cuban(Ricardo Montalban) who sweeps Patti off her feet.However her friend(Phyllis Kirk) has designs of her own and constantly tries to trip her friend up to snare him for herself.There are alot of amusing mix ups during the course of the film until finally Mom and Dad realize that their little girl has grown up and her feelings for the Cuban are quite deep and sincere.In the end his intentions are made quite clear and Patti gets her man while finally blossoming into a woman.
I found this film had much more umphh to it than "Nancy",mainly due to the help of the light comedy throughout.Busby Berkeley choreographs the musical numbers in this film but it isn't the Berkeley of old.They are all competently done but anyone could have claimed credit for them.Debbie Reynold's is the stand out in this film as she literally steals many scenes away from the established star Powell.She is given alot of good comedic moments and her exuberance makes her shine in every one.In fact she gets to sing her first major song hit "Abba Dabba Honeymoon",and well done it is.Watch for a young Tommy Retig as one of Patti's younger brothers,soon to gain fame in "The 5,000 Fingers of Dr T".Funny enough Calhern played Powell's grandfather in "Nancy" but in "Two Weeks" he is now her father!You have to love the casting logic!
The special features on these discs are quite nice as both have a wonderful "Pete Smith Specialty Comedy" short(about one reel) and a Tex Avery Cartoon.Also both have their original theatrical trailers.
Technically the transfers are quite good and the colour is bright,clear and crisp.
In conclusion while I found Two Weeks with Love to be the better of the two films here as Debbie Reynolds shines throughout while Nancy goes to Rio does have its' moments;the best of which are supplied by wonderful Carmen Miranda.They are a little more than average fare but those hilarious Pete Smith shorts and Tex Avery cartoons complement them nicely.
Summary of Nancy Goes to Rio (1950) / Two Weeks With Love
AN AUTHENTIC REGION 1 DVD FROM WARNER BROTHERS. SYNOPSIS: Nancy Goes to Rio and fun comes along! A colorful backlot Rio is the setting for a comic tale of personal and professional mix-ups as aspiring actress Nancy (Jane Powell) and her Broadway-veteran mother (Ann Sothern) seek the same stage role. Adding to the Brazilian flair is Carmen Miranda in her zany-hatted performance glory. Powells sunny charm and bright soprano are again on display when she and Debbie Reynolds turn a 1900s Catskills vacation into Two Weeks with Love. Powell hopes to catch the eye of suave Ricardo Montalban by wearing a form-fitting corset undergarment. Reynolds reels in affable Carleton Carpenter for a legendary Aba Daba Honeymoon showstopper. Speaking of legends, Busby Berkeley provides the musical stagings. BONUS FEATURES: DISC 1 Nancy Goes To Rio * Oscar-nominated Pete Smith Specialty comedy short Wrong Way Butch * Classic cartoon The Peachy Cobbler * Theatrical trailer DISC 2 Two Weeks With Love * TCM special Reel Memories with Jane Powel, hosted by Robert Osbornel * Vintage short Screen Actors * Classic cartoon Garden Gopher * Theatrical trailerDVD Video
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