.jeri.

For Christmas, I received the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers DVD set. It was awesome. It has all of their major movies together and even includes some great postcards replicas of media items that were used to promote the movies, as well as a CD with music selections from their movies. I also received a lot of other DVDs for Christmas, so I didn't get around to this box set until March. When I opened it, I discovered that 4 of the disc cases were missing discs. Wow. I was able to return it to Amazon, but Amazon didn't allow me to exchange it. I asked for it a few times, but instead, I was refunded the amount my in-laws paid for it, which was about $20 less than it currently sells for on Amazon, and then they deducted a $10 restocking fee. Needless to say, it's been a big disappointment, since I've wanted this set in my collection for a while. I think I'll wait for Christmas to buy it again, when the prices are lower. I hope you don't mind me sharing this experience in my review, but I had to get it off my chest. It was really great of Amazon to allow me to return the item since it was over 30 days after the purchase date, but the fact that I couldn't exchange it really bothered me.

Fortunately, before I discovered the missing discs, I had a chance to see Flying Down to Rio for the first time. This is the first movie that paired Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, who are supporting actors in a story that's actually about Roger Bond, an American band leader who falls for a Brazilian beauty named Belinha. It just so happens that Roger's an aviator and just booked a gig with his band, the Yankee Clippers, in Rio de Janeiro at the same time Belinha is returning there for the opening of her father's new hotel - where the Yankee Clippers will be performing. Oh, and Belinha is engaged to Roger's good friend, Julio.

This movie is all about Brazilian fever and airplanes. The trailer for it emphasizes the seductive dances of Brazil, particularly the Carioca. The musical scenes feature the flavorful music that, in 1933, were probably new and exciting to the American audience. If this movie hadn't been made in the middle of the Great Depression, I'd almost say it would serve as a great travel advertisement for Brazil. That's why movies from the '30s can be so enchanting - they provided the audience with vicarious experiences like this one.

And boy, did they go all out. The movie is worth it alone to see the crazy musical finale. Due to permits, the hotel is not allowed to host a performance for its opening day, so the band gets the great idea to hire a bunch of brave dancing girls.. and strap their feet to the wings of biplanes and fly over the hotel while dancing! It's the most extreme musical entertainment I've seen in a classic movie. I can't get over it. Since I doubt many of you will rent this movie, let me just tell you that they actually show a girl fall from a plane's wing and then get caught by another plane flying below it. For a movie that's about giving the audience a fun time, I thought this was a weird inclusion, but I guess one can't judge what's weird when the rest of the movie is taken into consideration.

The lead actors, Gene Raymond and Dolores del Rio actually have nice star power and chemistry, and the way they play out their love story doesn't feel as cheesy as the set up it's given. The one person I felt sorry for was Belinha's poor little fiance. I keep coming across movies and books with self-sacrificing fiances; they bother me because the act of sacrifice seems to show that they are the more worthy lover. Oh well.

Overall, I liked this movie. It's got cliches of coincidence, overemphasis of exotic locales, and some of the weirdest stunts I've seen. Those can be a recipe for disaster, but the ease of execution and its sense of humor make it work. There are some great lines and surprising innuendos that keep things fun, and the romance doesn't get melodramatic. It's a fun time.