Pan-Americana (1945) User Reviews

Technicolor would have been a real plus

[kidboots · 4/10 · 4 November 2008]

Audrey Long seemed to have everything - blonde elegance and style. She originally studied acting with the same woman that had coached Olivia DeHavilland and Joan Fontaine. She was also in two top film noirs - "Born to Kill" and "Desperate" where she proved she could act but because she played the "good girl" she was not remembered. "Pan Americana", was, I definitely suspect, a part of the South American good neighbour policy that Hollywood instigated in the 1940s, where everything south of the border was suddenly very "cool". Even though Phillip Terry and Audrey Long are the "unknown" leads - you can't go wrong with Eve Arden. Jane Greer also had a small part as Eve Arden's secretary. Even though she is in the background her beauty shines through and she also looks as though she is going to play a bigger part but unfortunately....

Dan Jordan (Phillip Terry) is given a special assignment - filming the most beautiful girls in South America - also with him is Jo Anne Benson (Audrey Long) as his assistant. Dan thinks she is just another conquest but she is really just stringing him along so she can get to Rio and see her real fiancé.

The story is just an excuse to string together some Latin acts ranging from Carmen Miranda "wannabees", guitarists (both male and female) and a pair of dancers performing a pasa doble. There is a rendition of "Baba Lu" (the song that became Desi Arnez's signature tune) - the singer here performs with great drama and an excellent "insect" dance is included (it would have been very dramatic in colour).

Robert Benchley does a comic turn as he explains the mysteries of the Samba. My mother thought Robert Benchley was the funniest man ever but in my opinion he is definitely an acquired taste.

Miss Mexico? Miss Brazil? Miss Brooklyn?

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 23 August 2017]

Certainly, Eve Arden gets some great lines here, teasing Phillip Terry every step of the way, basically playing a "Lady in the Dark" type character (minus the necessary psycho analysis that Liza Elliott got in that Broadway musical) who takes a fashion photo tour around every Latin American country in existence to pick out the most beautiful women to headline their big Latino revue and beauty contest. She gets him there by promising him a vacation but all he does is work and try to get time alone with Arden's beautiful assistant (Audrey Long) while trying to avoid spitfire Isabelita who had him arrested on his last trip to Mexico to keep him from leaving the country (and her). It turns out that Isabelita isn't actually Mexican and keeps popping up in every single country to get a chance at the title, and obviously get Terry to her own alter. But for playboy Terry, it's Long's slap across the face after he makes advances to her that gets his blood boiling, and for nearly 90 minutes, you have to wait for the obvious conclusion even though she's engaged to an American in Brazil whom you don't meet until the film's last 20 minutes.

All this is turns out to be a cavalcade of Latin music from around the world with major stops in Mexico, Cuba and Brazil. The bongos bong, the castanets click, and the maracas shake, and all this does is show audiences the feathery, fluttery outfits, the wild hats and the twirling fiery dances pretty much exist in all of these countries, whether or not that it is true in real Latin American culture. So in Mexico, there's a chance to hear "Guadalajara", and somebody other than Desi Arnaz/Ricky Ricardo does "Babalu" in Cuba. The film is elegant and pleasant to watch, but more stereotypical well meaning good will that came out of Hollywood (and in smaller cases Broadway) in the 1940's. Robert Benchley is droll as one of Arden's assistants who is the deadpan announcer for the big beauty contest (much like Benchley was in real life for any situation) and Ernest Truex is the Leon Errol like uncle to Long's fiancée (Marc Cramer). For wartime entertainment, it was pure distraction, but other than Arden and a few nice musical numbers, remains pretty innocuous.

response to impsrule

[tleek-274-958095 · 5/10 · 24 August 2012]

The song Babalu was published in 1939 and the Broadway show was in 1940. Desi Arnez had a big name in the U.S. already and I don't think anyone else was up for the role. The movie was just a propaganda Latin American goodwill film one of many. RKO did not put any of there big stars because it was not a big film. The love stories in musicals was a normal type of story. The film is likable and I would watch it again. The stars don't seem to have the chemistry as love interest. It is interesting that all studios were making films that take place south of the American border but were filmed in there Hollywood studios except for a couple of examples.

Rare Hollywood View of TRUE Latin Legends...!

[impsrule · 30 April 2009]

As a music presenter and a Latin-music radio host of 20 years, I was compelled to correct a couple of misstatements in previous postings about the musical artists featured in this film. While "Pan-Americana" is not exactly "An American in Paris" (...or even Manhattan), viewers should be more cognizant of what they're actually seeing and hearing.

In the post titled "Just Doesn't Cut It", the writer commented: "The contrived plot is a boy-meets-girl story, interrupted by musical performances of Latin American artists, some of which were Carmen Miranda wannabees, and none of which were memorable or even particularly good." Um... amazingly inaccurate! If only for his presence alone, Miguelito Valdes is one of the LEGENDARY vocalists and band leaders of the Latin-American popular/tropical music genre. You could think of him as a combination of two notable U.S. artists: r&b legend Jackie Wilson (from a stylistic standpoint), and crooner Tony Bennett (as far as his 'stature' within the Latin pop music genre). So... to It was actually Mr. Valdes who popularized the song "Babalu" throughout Latin-America and the U.S. in the late 1930's. Likely because of Mr. Valdes obvious African blood, he was denied the opportunity to perform it in the Broadway show "Too Many Girls." The role ultimately was given to white-Cuban actor Desi Arnaz, a more 'traditionally handsome' man (to 1940's North American eyes) who parlayed the Broadway success into an MGM contract. While Desi Arnaz was himself a charismatic performer (a decent actor and visionary television producer), he had nowhere near the vocal presence of Miguelito Valdes (Arnaz himself would have laughed at the mere notion of a comparison...).

Sprinkled throughout the film are also rare appearances by folks like the legendary Brazilian composer and band leader Nestor Amaral - the musician who accompanied Carmen Miranda to the U.S. in 1940(!). Antonio and Rosario performed to great acclaim internationally, and performed in a number of Hollywood musicals. After their breakup, their careers continued with success. Antonio would eventually become the Director of the Nacional Ballet de Espana! Chuy Reyes, who led the 'house' Latin band at Hollywood's glamorous Mocambo for years.

The point is, while they may not be major "cross-over" names like Xavier Cugat, this film is an important document of some very influential Hispanic performers. To 'dismiss' them as cut-rate is simply wrong.

See the world RKO's way--entrenched in the studio!

[moonspinner55 · 2/10 · 19 June 2017]

Director John H. Auer also produced and gets a story credit for this lame Good Neighbor Policy musical with a superfluous plot--about the search for the prettiest girl from every nation by the editors of an American magazine--used merely as the pretext for another boy-meets-girl reluctant romance. Phillip Terry is a photographer (a womanizing "coyote") and Audrey Long is a gal-reporter with no-no on her lips and sí-sí in her eyes. As the secondary couple, politely squabbling Robert Benchley and Eve Arden liven things up, but the dire, padded screenplay isn't clever enough to hold interest. The song interludes (but not the Mexican stereotypes) may be of interest to historians of Latin-Americans depicted in the cinema, but this low-budget travelogue is strictly stock shots, rear projection and studio interiors. *1/2 from ****

Just Doesn't Cut It

[timothymcclenaghan · 2/10 · 2 May 2007]

Perhaps this film was an attempt to hitch onto the Pan-American goodwill efforts of the 1940s. The contrived plot is a boy-meets-girl story, interrupted by musical performances of Latin American artists, some of which were Carmen Miranda wannabees, and none of which were memorable or even particularly good.

Leading man, Phillip Terry, just doesn't seem to have much screen charisma. Supporting cast members, Robert Benchley and Eve Arden, play the same characters that they did in countless other movies, so even their presence doesn't help this film. But don't blame the actors for what amounts to a bad script.

If there had been a notable musical performance, or some clever comedy in this movie, there might be a reason to watch it—but there isn't. What's worse is that the print recently broadcast by Turner Classic Movies wasn't in very good condition.

Audrey long is awesome, why did she not get better roles

[jescue · 9/10 · 26 September 2006]

this movie is a romantic romp. eve Arden, Audrey long, Robert benchley and Phillip terry (joan Crawford's 4th husband) star in this romance set in various tropical settings. the best part is discovering b movie actress Audrey long. Audrey married Leslie charteris (author of the Simon templar "the saint" novels) in the early 1950's and evidently retired after a successful, approximately 10 year, career as a lead in mostly b movies. Audrey really shines in this movie and it really gives pause as to why she did not prosper in the film industry. like most actors and actresses, never getting the one great breakout role prevents them from stardom. she was a total babe. the rest of the cast is doing a very good job and the movie has a nice and varied Latin setting to complement the stars of the film. also look for Jane Greer in her first film role, in a small part.

A movie worth watching!!!

[rapzz · 10/10 · 23 May 2007]

I would have to wholeheartedly agree with the previous writer. This movie is a refreshing musical from the 40's - even Robert Benchley, one of my least favorite actors, subdues his normal corny performance here. There is a nice cast of Latin American singers and dancers included. Eve Arden is excellent in her role. Phillip Terry brings in a creditable performance playing his part well, and Audrey Long is absolutely outstanding (and gorgeous) as usual.

Again, a very well directed and acted 40's musical! Must be - I have it on DVD and play it a least once a month.

In summary, if you get a chance to catch this movie on one of the movie channels do so, you won't regret it.

Launchpad

[samhill5215 · 21 September 2011]

There's few reasons to sit through this unfortunate example of Hollywood film-making. The first - and the only reason I began to watch it - was the uncredited debut of Jane Greer, one of my favorite actors of all time. She appears about 5 minutes into the film as Eve Arden's secretary, doesn't say much, swings her leg over the arm of a chair, is scolded by Eve Arden, finally speaks her insignificant lines in her unmistakable voice and departs never to be seen again. More the pity. Normally that would have been enough for me but for some reason I soldiered on, curious about the long list of Hispanic performers. Some were pretty good although the acts tended to be repetitious. After some research I found that this film launched the career of two others: Lita Baron (Lupita) would make 24 more, the last in 1979, and Alma Beltran, who appears briefly as Miss Guatemala. Her career spanned 87 films, the last in 2002. So there you have it. If one looks hard enough one can always find a reason to watch a lousy film. In retrospect I have to wonder why Hollywood would make this turkey. Released shortly after the allied victory over Germany it's difficult to imagine what possible propaganda value it could possibly have. Was it supposed to show some kind of solidarity with our neighbors to our south? I have no clue. In any case don't bother with this one other than as a somewhat ludicrous curiosity.