Brazil
US (1944): Musical
This was Republic Pictures' answer to the Disney WW II "good neighbor" outreach (Saludos Amigos, 1943, and The Three Caballeros, 1945). It is set in a black-and-white Brazil and involves a composer masquerading as twins, trying to win the hand of an anti-Latin novelist. The plots twists are really not necessary but if we didn't have them, there'd be no movie. Tito Guizar is pleasant and affable in the lead but can't act. Virginia Bruce is okay as his love interest. Edward Everett Horton provides the comedy. What is most fun are the eight musical numbers, very infectious and full of rhythm. The lively and colorful Scoring and the well recorded sound justly earned Oscar® noms. In addition the song "Rio de Janeiro" was nominated for Best Song. A most pleasant 90 minutes, but one wishes they'd splurged and filmed it in color. (Arne Andersen, IMDb)
3 nominations
· Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Musical Picture) 1944: Walter Scharf
· Music Best Song 1944: "Rio de Janeiro" Ary Barroso - Music, Ned Washington - Lyric
· Sound Recording 1944: Daniel J. Bloomberg (Republic)