''Down Argentine Way'' is a 1940

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as brea ...

made in

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

Twentieth Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

. It made a star of

Betty Grable Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million; for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she reign ...

in her first leading role for the studio although she had already appeared in 31 films, and it introduced American audiences to

Carmen Miranda Carmen Miranda, (; born Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha, 9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955) was a Portuguese-born Brazilian samba singer, dancer, Broadway actress and film star who was active from the late 1920s onwards. Nicknamed "The Br ...

. It also starred

Don Ameche Don Ameche (; born Dominic Felix Amici; May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993) was an American actor, comedian and vaudevillian. After playing in college shows, stock, and vaudeville, he became a major radio star in the early 1930s, which ...

The Nicholas Brothers The Nicholas Brothers were an entertainment act composed of biological brothers, Fayard (1914–2006) and Harold (1921–2000), who excelled in a variety of dance techniques, primarily between the 1930s and 1950s. Best known for their ...

Charlotte Greenwood Frances Charlotte Greenwood (June 25, 1890 – December 28, 1977) was an American actress and dancer. Born in Philadelphia, Greenwood started in vaudeville, and starred on Broadway, movies and radio. Standing almost six feet tall (some sour ...

, and J. Carrol Naish. The film was directed by

Irving Cummings Irving Caminsky (October 9, 1888 – April 18, 1959) was an American movie actor and director. Career Born in New York City, Cummings started his acting career at age 16 in ''Diplomacy''. His Broadway, performances included ''In the Long ...

and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck from a

screenplay ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, f ...

by Karl Tunberg and Darrell Ware, based on a story by Rian James and Ralph Spence. The cinematography was by

Leon Shamroy Leon Shamroy, A.S.C. (July 16, 1901 – July 7, 1974) was an American film cinematographer known for his work in 20th Century Fox motion pictures shot in Technicolor. He and Charles Lang share the record for most Oscar nominations for Cinemato ...

and

Ray Rennahan Ray Rennahan, A.S.C. (May 1, 1896 – May 19, 1980) was a motion picture cinematographer. Biography For his work in films, he became one of the only six cinematographers to have a "star" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the other five being Hask ...

, and the costume design was by

Travis Banton Travis Banton (August 18, 1894 – February 2, 1958) was an American costume designer. He is perhaps best known for his long collaboration with actress Marlene Dietrich and director Josef von Sternberg. He is generally considered one of the most ...

. The American-composed music was by

Harry Warren Harry Warren (born Salvatore Antonio Guaragna; December 24, 1893 – September 22, 1981) was an American composer and the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song ...

and

Jimmy McHugh James Francis McHugh (July 10, 1894 – May 23, 1969) was an American composer. One of the most prolific songwriters from the 1920s to the 1950s, he is credited with over 500 songs. His songs were recorded by many artists, including Chet Baker, Ju ...

, with lyrics by Mack Gordon and

Al Dubin Alexander Dubin (June 10, 1891 – February 11, 1945) was an American lyricist. He is best known for his collaborations with the composer Harry Warren. Life Al Dubin came from a Russian Jewish family that emigrated to the United States from Swit ...

. Shooting lasted for 10 months in which members of the film's crew traveled about 35,000 miles. A second unit was sent to

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

for location establishing shots, returning with about 20,000 feet of film, and another group flew to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and filmed Miranda for over a month. Miranda was then performing

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sou ...

n songs in the

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

production ''

The Streets of Paris ''The Streets of Paris'' is a musical revue featuring Bobby Clark, Luella Gear, Abbott and Costello and Carmen Miranda, debuted on May 29, 1939 in Boston and on June 19, 1939 in New York. Had two hours and-a-half, with the interval. The musical ...

''. She was thus a prominent participant in the film although she spent no time in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

. In 2014, ''Down Argentine Way'' was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

and selected for preservation in the

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception ...

Summary

The film begins with

singing ''South American Way,'' followed by a montage of the Argentine capital

. Young Ricardo Quintana (

) is preparing to voyage from

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

to sell some of his father's prize horses. Before leaving, Don Diego Quintana (

Henry Stephenson Henry Stephenson (born Harry Stephenson Garraway; 16 April 1871 – 24 April 1956) was a British actor. He portrayed friendly and wise gentlemen in many films of the 1930s and 1940s. Among his roles were Sir Joseph Banks in ''Mutiny on the Bou ...

) 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 and displaying his horses at a racetrack, Ricardo falls in love with Glenda Crawford (

), and goes to dinner with her later that evening. When he learns that she is Binnie's niece, he refuses to sell her the horse she wants to buy, instead selling it to her best friend Helen (

Kay Aldridge Katharine ("Kay") Gratten Aldridge (July 9, 1917 – January 12, 1995) was an American actress and model, best known for playing feisty and imperiled heroines in black-and-white serials during the 1940s. Life and work Aldridge was born on July ...

). He hurriedly returns to Argentina, while Glenda, perturbed by his sudden change, follows him, accompanied by her Aunt. The couple meet again in Argentina at a performance by Carmen Miranda, where they eventually confess their love for each other. When Binnie attempts to buy horses from Don Diego in person, he has her and her tour guide, Tito (

Leonid Kinskey Leonid Kinskey (1893/1894 – September 8, 1998) was a Russian-born American film and television actor, best known for his role as "Sascha" in the film ''Casablanca'' (1942). His last name was sometimes spelled Kinsky. Life and career Kinskey ...

), evicted from his property. Ricardo subsequently introduces Glenda to his father as Miss Cunningham. When Ricardo realizes that their horse trainer Casiano has been privately racing his father's prize jumper, Furioso, Glenda encourages Ricardo to enter 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 for becoming involved with Crawfords. His bad mood is compounded when Furioso refuses to jump and runs off the field. To make up for the humiliating defeat, Ricardo, Glenda and Casiano enter Furioso in the big race at San Isidro. When Don Diego finds out he is furious, but Casiano changes his mind when he tells him Furioso ran the mile in 1:36. As Don Diego prepares to bet a large amount of money on his horse, Tito meanwhile, switches jockeys and has the race fixed so Furioso will lose, causing Binnie to discharge him. When Furioso overcomes the crooked jockey and wins the race, Don Diego changes his mind about racing horses and accepts his son's relationship with Glenda.

Cast

as Ricardo Quintana *

as Glenda Crawford *

as Herself *

as Binnie Crawford * J. Carrol Naish as Casiano *

as Don Diego Quintana *

as Helen Carson *

as Tito Acuna *

Chris-Pin Martin Chris-Pin Martin (born Ysabel Ponciana Chris-Pin Martin Paiz, November 19, 1893 – June 27, 1953) was an American character actor whose specialty lay in portraying comical Mexicans, particularly sidekicks in ''The Cisco Kid'' film series. H ...

as Esteban * Robert Conway as Jimmy Blake *

Gregory Gaye Gregory Gaye (born Grigoriy Grigoryevich Ge; October 10, 1900 – August 23, 1993) was a Russian-American character actor. The son of an actor, he was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was the uncle of actor George Gaynes. He was a cadet ...

as Sebastian, the Headwaiter * Bobby Stone as Panchito *

Charles Judels Charles Judels (August 17, 1882 - February 14, 1969) was a Dutch-born American actor. Early years Judels was born on August 17, 1882, in Amsterdam as a third generation in a family of actors. His grandfather owned several theatres throughout t ...

as Dr. Arturo Padilla, the Ambassador *

Fayard Nicholas Fayard Antonio Nicholas (October 20, 1914 – January 24, 2006) was an American choreographer, dancer and actor. He and his younger brother Harold Nicholas made up the Nicholas Brothers tap dance duo, who starred in the MGM musicals ''An All-Colo ...

as Specialty Dancer (as The Nicholas Brothers) * Harold Nicholas as Specialty Dancer (as The Nicholas Brothers) Image:Don Ameche in Down Argentine Way.jpg, Don Ameche Image:Betty Grable in Down Argentine Way.jpg, Betty Grable Image:Carmen Miranda in Down Argentine Way, 1940.jpg, Carmen Miranda Image:Charlotte Greenwood in Down Argentine Way trailer.jpg, Charlotte Greenwood Image:Leonid Kinskey in Down Argentine Way trailer.jpg, Leonid Kinskey

Production

The

working title A working title, which may be abbreviated and styled in trade publications after a putative title as (wt), also called a production title or a tentative title, is the temporary title of a product or project used during its development, usually ...

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 The Good Neighbor policy ( ) was the foreign policy of the administration of United States President Franklin Roosevelt towards Latin America. Although the policy was implemented by the Roosevelt administration, President Woodrow Wilson had prev ...

" toward Latin America. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, the U.S. government developed an administrative agency to encourage good relations with Latin America, as there was growing German influence there. The

Office of Inter-American Affairs The Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs, later known as the Office for Inter-American Affairs, was a United States agency promoting inter-American cooperation ( Pan-Americanism) during the 1940s, especially in commercial and eco ...

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 ''That Night in Rio'' is a 1941 Technicolor American musical comedy film directed by Irving Cummings and starring Alice Faye, Don Ameche (in a dual role as an American entertainer and an aristocratic businessman he is asked to impersonate tempora ...

'' and ''

Week-End in Havana ''Week-End in Havana'' (also known as ''A Week-End in Havana'' and ''That Week-End in Havana'') is a 1941 20th Century Fox Technicolor musical film directed by Walter Lang and starring Alice Faye and Carmen Miranda. It was the second of three pict ...

'' (both 1941). The films were a success in the United States, but failed as propaganda aimed at Latin America because they lacked regional authenticity. A big star in her adopted country of

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

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

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

. Fox, with its revue approach to musicals, cut and pasted Miranda into the film. Miranda made several more films for

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...

, but the studio never was able to take advantage of the Brazilian star's special qualities to fit with American productions. The film made

, and began the period of her highest profile. Grable was cast in the film as a replacement for

Alice Faye Alice Faye (born Alice Jeanne Leppert; May 5, 1915 – May 9, 1998) was an American actress and singer. A musical star of 20th Century-Fox in the 1930s and 1940s, Faye starred in such films as ''On the Avenue'' (1937) and ''Alexander's Ragtime B ...

, 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. ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...

'' 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''. More recent sources, such as film historian W. Lee Cozad, cited the inclusion of actress

Elena Verdugo Elena Angela Verdugo (April 20, 1925 – May 30, 2017) was an American actress who began in films at the age of five in '' Cavalier of the West'' (1931). Her career in radio, television and film spanned six decades. Early life Elena Angela V ...

(at age 14) among the cast in a bit part and note that this may have been her first film. The movie was filmed in

and at nearby Greenfield Ranch in

Thousand Oaks, California Thousand Oaks is the second-largest city in Ventura County, California, United States. It is in the northwestern part of Greater Los Angeles, approximately from the city of Los Angeles and from Downtown. It is named after the many oak tr ...

Soundtrack

* " Bambú, Bambú" —

* "Down Argentina Way" — Betty Grable and Don Ameche * " Mamãe Eu Quero" —

* "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 "South American Way" is a 1939 song with music by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Al Dubin. Carmen Miranda introduced the song in the 1939 Broadway musical '' The Streets of Paris''. Miranda performed it on-screen a year later in her breakout role for U ...

" —

Box office

''Down Argentine Way'' was considered a box-office success in America, grossing $2 million in domestic sales. 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

’s number one musical hit of 1940.

Critical reception

1940 - Boyd Theatre Ad 10 Oct MC - Allentown PA

In his review for the newspaper ''

Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative weekly newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. It was founded by ...

'', Dave Kehr said "

as an American heiress,

as an Argentine horse breeder, and

as something from another planet, all shot in delirious 40s Technicolor. The result is a classic example of the

20th Century-Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

approach to musicals: loud, vulgar, ridiculous, and irresistibly entertaining." ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' critic

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...

, reviewing the film, found Grable irresistible. At one point he referenced what he saw as her lack of ability: "We see plenty of rable– 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 American film debut of Carmen Miranda (as she already had appeared in

Brazilian films Brazilian commonly refers to: * Something of, from or relating to Brazil * Brazilian Portuguese, the dialect of the Portuguese language used mostly in Brazil * Brazilians, the people (citizens) of Brazil, or of Brazilian descent Brazilian may also ...

), already known as "the Brazilian Bombshell." Turner Classic Movies described her musical numbers in the movie as "a gaudy delight—and the

Nicholas Brothers The Nicholas Brothers were an entertainment act composed of biological brothers, Fayard (1914–2006) and Harold (1921–2000), who excelled in a variety of dance techniques, primarily between the 1930s and 1950s. Best known for their ...

serve up a characteristically joyous, effervescent routine." However, the film was banned in Argentina after being "hissed off the screens" by audiences there for misrepresenting the real culture of the country, wrongly including many Mexican and Caribbean mannerisms and costumes, as if they were part of the Argentine landscape. In 1941, an attache at the American Embassy in Buenos Aires reported that the film had ceased being shown in Argentina because of its "ridiculous and disturbing images": Critics of the film have further remarked that the typical

tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...

scene was contaminated by elements of Afro-Cuban

rhumba Rhumba, also known as ballroom rumba, is a genre of ballroom music and dance that appeared in the East Coast of the United States during the 1930s. It combined American big band music with Afro-Cuban rhythms, primarily the son cubano, but also c ...

and Spanish

flamenco Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura a ...

, which have nothing to do with the Argentine style. The same criticism has been leveled against the legacy of Carmen Miranda. She has been accused by contemporary cultural writers of collaborating in the "Latino" stereotype creation for

, characterized by homogenizing all the diversity and differences between the Latin American nations into one identity, heavily influenced by Mexico and the Caribbean, and ignoring most of the other cultures within the continent. As author Karen Backstein observed, "Hollywood musicals went ''Down Argentine Way'' with 'Brazilian bombshell' Carmen Miranda and not a tango step visible anywhere."

Awards and honors

The film was nominated for three

Oscars The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

, for Best Cinematography, Best Original Song and for Best Art Direction by Richard Day and Joseph C. Wright. In 2014, ''Down Argentine Way'' was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the

and selected for preservation in the

. The film is recognized by

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Lead ...

in these lists: * 2006:

AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals Part of the AFI 100 Years… series, AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals is a list of the top musicals in American cinema. The list was unveiled by the American Film Institute at the Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Holl ...

– Nominated

References

External links

''Down Argentine Way''
essay by Carla Arton at

* * * * {{Authority control 1940 films 1940s musical comedy-drama films American musical comedy-drama films American romantic comedy-drama films American romantic musical films Films directed by Irving Cummings Films set in Argentina Films set in New York City 20th Century Fox films United States National Film Registry films Films produced by Darryl F. Zanuck 1940s romantic comedy-drama films 1940s romantic musical films 1940 comedy films 1940 drama films 1940s American films 1940s English-language films