Flying Down to Rio has much to like, even if some of the acting is slight and the story is silly and rather hackneyed. The great quality of the sets, production design and cinematography make for a film that is very easy on the eyes. The songs are lively and memorable, as is the catchy and characterful score and Brazilian flavours while the choreography is really imaginative and full to the brim with energy, in particular in the Carioca and climatic airplanes sequences. The way it's danced helps a lot as well. The dialogue is warm and funny, while it is solidly paced- not a dull moment, despite the Carioca sequence being very long- and directed and the performances generally work very well. Gene Raymond is stiff at times but very dashing while Dolores Del Rio is the epitome of glamour. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers steal the show though, in their first pairing though not in lead roles(that would be The Gay Divorcée) they show great chemistry, personal charm and wonderful energy and elegance in their dancing. Overall, a lot to like and a pleasure to watch, though the story is not as good as the rest. 8/10 Bethany Cox

This film was essentially a Gene Raymond-Delores Del Rio film with Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire as supporting characters BEFORE they went on to their own pictures (very shortly after completing this film). Overall, the film is an average musical of the day--neither better nor worse than any other--well, MAYBE slightly better--especially due to the bizarre dance numbers near the end.

So, why do I recommend people see it? Because this movie features the most silly and over-the-top dance sequence in the entire history of cinema! It's so dopey that I encourage people to see it believe it. Almost immediately after the American band arrives in Brazil, evil forces shut down the nightclub where they are going to perform. So what do they do? Yep, they have girls dancing on airplanes (how ANYONE can see them doing these numbers is beyond me--considering they're like 1000 feet up). It is the silliest Busby Berkeley-type routine ever--even though Berkeley did NOT director or choreograph this (he SHOULD have--it has so much of his style and flair). Dozens of dancers appear on the wings of giant airplanes as they dance, dance, dance their hearts out for our entertainment. Then, they even begin to swing around the planes and jump from plane to plane. Ultimately, they all jump to what appears to be certain death--only to reveal parachutes! If this scene had not been faked (and in places it's painfully obvious),dozens or even hundreds of extras would have no doubt been killed! The shear spectacle and silliness must be seen to be believed!

As for Astaire and Rogers, there just isn't enough of them to merit a higher score, as the Del Rio/Raymond romance falls a tad flat. Astaire dances, Rogers sings a song outside of her range and there is no comedy--something you expect in a Astaire-Rogers film.

The folks at RKO who filmed Flying Down To Rio never got any further to Brazil's then capital than the back-lot of the studio. Knowing that the film remains a great example of what a little establishing photography and special effects can do.

Flying Down To Rio is known for being a first and a last in some careers. The first of course is the teaming of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. They were only in support of stars Gene Raymond and Dolores Del Rio. But when they danced The Carioca, Flying Down To Rio became their film.

But also Flying Down To Rio contained the last published work of composer Vincent Youmans. For a man who composed so many great songs from the Twenties on Broadway like Tea For Two, Great Day, Time On My Hands, and I Want To Be Happy, Youmans is a rather secluded and mysterious man of melody. Right after Flying Down To Rio came out, Youmans was diagnosed with tuberculosis and though he lived another thirteen years, nothing published came from him.

With Edward Eliscu and Gus Kahn doing the lyrics, Youmans wrote The Carioca, Orchids in the Moonlight, Music Makes Me and the title song. More people probably know the song Flying Down to Rio from Zero Mostel's gleeful rendition in The Producers as he anticipates stealing the money from all those little old lady backers of Springtime for Hitler. But in fact it's far more spectacular here.

Fred Astaire opens by singing and leading Gene Raymond's band. Then a spectacular display of chorus girls on biplane wings flies over RKO's recreation of the Rio skyline, ending in them parachuting into the nightclub which has no entertainment permit. Quite spectacular, Busby Berkeley over at Warner Brothers must have cried all day wondering why he didn't think of it first.

The plot is simply your basic love triangle involving band-leader Gene Raymond, Brazilian heiress Dolores Del Rio, and her fiancé Raul Roulien. Astaire and Rogers are Raymond's second in command and the girl vocalist in the band.

The plot might be trite, but the music and dancing, nothing short of heavenly.