Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Every actor contributes significantly to this picture. Ann Sothern and Jane Powell deliver in ways they are expected to; and even Louis Calhern performs a number in a rare musical role. Barry Sullivan adds charm as the leading man, and Hans Conried, in a bit part, is letter-perfect as ever. But Carmen Miranda is the one that walks off with the movie, in two show-stopping numbers. Sidney Sheldon's script has a lot of humor in it. Filmed in glorious Technicolor with some good on-location footage of Rio, including the carnival and parade at night. This was a remake of Universal's earlier film It's a Date, where the young ingénue was Deanna Durbin, and the mother was played by Kay Francis (who did not sing).

This is a great little movie starring the great Jane Powell. Lousie Calhern, Carmen Miranda and Ann Southern round out a nice cast. Jane Powell plays the granddaughter of Louis Calhern and the daughter of Ann Southern. Her mother is a star of the stage and Jane wants badly to be as star as well. She has done several small plays, but nothing big. There is a delightful scene with Jane, Louis and Ann singing and dancing to Shine on Harvest Moon. A great song and well done by all three performers. Jane gets a chance to star in a big musical after performing for the plays head man. She goes to Rio to get coaching from her mom. She finds out she is to replace her mother in the play. She feels awful and leaves a message that she can't do it. She finds a friend in Carmen Miranda during the way. She also has a boyfriend, Scotty Beckett, that supports her as well. Louis has a funny scene later in the movie where he practices boxing to beat up the older man(Barry Sullivan) Jane says she is going to marry. Ann ends up marrying him and Jane ends up doing the play. I have no complaints as Jane Powell shines and is the star of this film.

Amusing performances from all.And who cares if they didn't shoot the film on location? In 1950, how many studios went and shot musicals on location? It's not "Mutiny on the Bounty"! And accusations of racism with the "Latin" comment? Yeah, I lived in Rio, too. And people there know how to enjoy a good Carmen Miranda musical without pulling a conniption fit over the term "Latin."Laugh out loud story. And Louis Calhern as the casual father and grandfather is outrageous and endearing. The brushing up on his boxing with the butler was great.

Pleasant is a good word for this film. While not one of the top-five musicals, it is well made and enjoyable. Ann Sothern and Jane Powell play mother and daughter who fall for the same man while in South America (No location shoots here. The furthest south anybody working on this movie traveled was probably Long Beach). There are some interesting numbers here, in great part because some of the songs and styles included were rare by the time this movie was made. "Shine On Harvest Moon," an old song, is sung and danced by Sothern, Powell, and amazingly enough, Louis Calhern. "Time and Time Again" is a Nelson Eddy-Jeanette McDonald type number which features Sothern and is probably one of the last of that style to be filmed. The bulk of the musical numbers feature Jane Powell who sings well, as always. Yet, for me, the high point of the film is the number featuring Carmen Miranda. I think it's one of her best. This was Carmen Miranda's next-to-last film and also the last musical for Ann Sothern.