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Rio Rita (1942 film)
Encyclopedia
Rio Rita is a 1942 comedy film starring Abbott and Costello
. It was based upon the 1927 Flo Ziegfeld Broadway musical, which was previously made into a 1929 film also titled Rio Rita
that starred the comedy team of Wheeler & Woolsey
.
), to transmit coded messages to their cohorts. Doc (Bud Abbott
) and Wishy (Lou Costello
) are stowaways in Montera's car, who steal a basket of "apples" that turn out being miniature radios used by the spies. Rita Winslow (Kathryn Grayson
), the hotel's owner and childhood sweetheart of Montera, hire Doc and Wishy as house detectives, who discover the Nazi codebook and give it to Montera. They are then kidnapped by the spies, and left in a room with a bomb set to explode, but manage to escape while Wishy plants the bomb in the pocket of one of the culprits. Meanwhile, the broadcast has already begun and Montera, refusing to participate in treason, fights the spies until the Texas Rangers arrive. The spies' escape by car is thwarted when the planted bomb finally explodes.
while under contract to Universal; the other two pictures being Lost in a Harem
and Abbott and Costello in Hollywood
.
It was filmed from November 10, 1941 through January 14, 1942.
It was during filming that Abbott and Costello had their hand and footprints enshrined at Grauman's Chinese Theater on the night of Dec. 8, 1941. In addition, at the same time Abbott and Costello signed a new agreement regarding their partnership. Previously, any deal that they signed required Abbott to be paid $10 more than Costello. After the new deal signed on January 9, 1942, Costello would now earn 60 percent of their salary with Abbott taking only 40 percent.
Joe Kirk, who later played Mr. Bacciagalupe in The Abbott and Costello Show
, has a small role. (Kirk later became the Costello's brother-in-law).
, were released on DVD on April 1, 2011 by Warner Bros. on the WB Archive Collection.
Abbott and Costello
William "Bud" Abbott and Lou Costello performed together as Abbott and Costello, an American comedy duo whose work on stage, radio, film and television made them the most popular comedy team during the 1940s and 1950s...
. It was based upon the 1927 Flo Ziegfeld Broadway musical, which was previously made into a 1929 film also titled Rio Rita
Rio Rita (1929 film)
Rio Rita is a 1929 RKO Pictures musical comedy starring Bebe Daniels and John Boles along with the comedy team of Wheeler & Woolsey. The film is based on the 1927 stage musical produced by Florenz Ziegfeld, which originally united Wheeler and Woolsey as a team and made them famous...
that starred the comedy team of Wheeler & Woolsey
Wheeler & Woolsey
Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey were a famous American film comedy team of the 1930s....
.
Plot
Nazi spies have infiltrated the Hotel Vista del Rio, a resort on the Mexican border. They plan to use a radio broadcast by a famous guest, Ricardo Montera (John CarrollJohn Carroll (actor)
John Carroll was an American actor and singer. He was born Julian Lafaye in New Orleans, Louisiana....
), to transmit coded messages to their cohorts. Doc (Bud Abbott
Bud Abbott
William Alexander "Bud" Abbott was an American actor, producer and comedian. He is best remembered as the straight man of the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, with Lou Costello.-Early life:...
) and Wishy (Lou Costello
Lou Costello
Louis Francis "Lou" Costello was an American actor and comedian best known as half of the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, with Bud Abbott...
) are stowaways in Montera's car, who steal a basket of "apples" that turn out being miniature radios used by the spies. Rita Winslow (Kathryn Grayson
Kathryn Grayson
Kathryn Grayson was an American actress and operatic soprano singer.From the age of twelve, Grayson trained as an opera singer. She was under contract to MGM by the early 1940s, soon establishing a career principally through her work in musicals...
), the hotel's owner and childhood sweetheart of Montera, hire Doc and Wishy as house detectives, who discover the Nazi codebook and give it to Montera. They are then kidnapped by the spies, and left in a room with a bomb set to explode, but manage to escape while Wishy plants the bomb in the pocket of one of the culprits. Meanwhile, the broadcast has already begun and Montera, refusing to participate in treason, fights the spies until the Texas Rangers arrive. The spies' escape by car is thwarted when the planted bomb finally explodes.
Cast
- Bud AbbottBud AbbottWilliam Alexander "Bud" Abbott was an American actor, producer and comedian. He is best remembered as the straight man of the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, with Lou Costello.-Early life:...
as 'Doc' - Lou CostelloLou CostelloLouis Francis "Lou" Costello was an American actor and comedian best known as half of the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, with Bud Abbott...
as 'Wishy' - Kathryn GraysonKathryn GraysonKathryn Grayson was an American actress and operatic soprano singer.From the age of twelve, Grayson trained as an opera singer. She was under contract to MGM by the early 1940s, soon establishing a career principally through her work in musicals...
as Rita Winslow - John CarrollJohn Carroll (actor)John Carroll was an American actor and singer. He was born Julian Lafaye in New Orleans, Louisiana....
as Ricardo Montera - Patricia DanePatricia DanePatricia Dane was an American film actress of the 1940s.Born "Thelma Pearl Pippins" and sometimes known as Thelma Byrnes after her step father in Jacksonville, Florida, she began her career designing clothes for a New York City dress firm. She was signed to an MGM contract in 1941 and is...
as Lucette Brunswick - Tom ConwayTom ConwayTom Conway was a British film and radio actor, and elder brother of actor George Sanders.-Early life:...
as Maurice Craindall - Peter WhitneyPeter WhitneyPeter Whitney, was an American actor in film and television. Born as Peter King Engle in Long Branch, New Jersey, Whitney's corpulent, heavy build qualified him to play villains in many Hollywood movies in the 1940s and 1950s.From the late 1950s, he was more prolific playing character roles in...
as Jake - Barry NelsonBarry NelsonBarry Nelson was an American actor, noted as the first actor to portray Ian Fleming's secret agent James Bond.-Early life:...
as Harry Gantley - Arthur SpaceArthur SpaceCharles Arthur Space was an American film, television and stage actor. He was best known as Doc Weaver in the long running television series, Lassie.-Career:...
as Trask - Dick Rich as Gus
- Eva Puig as Marianna
- Joan Valerie as Dotty
- Mitchell LewisMitchell LewisMitchell Lewis was an American film actor. He appeared in 200 films between 1914 and 1956. His best known role is Captain of the Winkie Guards in The Wizard of Oz, but he was uncredited. His lines were "She's dead...
as Julio - Eros Volusia as Herself
Production
This was the first of three films that Abbott and Costello made while on loan to Metro-Goldwyn-MayerMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
while under contract to Universal; the other two pictures being Lost in a Harem
Lost in a Harem
-Plot:When a traveling vaudeville show becomes stranded in the Middle East, their singer, Hazel Moon , takes a job at a local cafe. Two of the show's prop men, Peter Johnson and Harvey Garvey , are hired as comedy relief, but their act unfortunately initiates a brawl...
and Abbott and Costello in Hollywood
Abbott and Costello in Hollywood
Abbott and Costello in Hollywood is a 1945 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. This film's full onscreen title is Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood.-Plot:...
.
It was filmed from November 10, 1941 through January 14, 1942.
It was during filming that Abbott and Costello had their hand and footprints enshrined at Grauman's Chinese Theater on the night of Dec. 8, 1941. In addition, at the same time Abbott and Costello signed a new agreement regarding their partnership. Previously, any deal that they signed required Abbott to be paid $10 more than Costello. After the new deal signed on January 9, 1942, Costello would now earn 60 percent of their salary with Abbott taking only 40 percent.
Joe Kirk, who later played Mr. Bacciagalupe in The Abbott and Costello Show
The Abbott and Costello Show
The Abbott and Costello Show is an American television sitcom starring the popular comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello that premiered in syndication in the fall of 1952 and ran until May 1954....
, has a small role. (Kirk later became the Costello's brother-in-law).
DVD release
This film, along with Abbott and Costello Meet Captain KiddAbbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd
Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd is a 1952 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, along with Charles Laughton, who reprised his role as the infamous pirate from the 1945 film Captain Kidd.-Plot:...
, were released on DVD on April 1, 2011 by Warner Bros. on the WB Archive Collection.