That Night in Rio

Larry Martin Don Ameche is an American entertainer at the Casino Samba in Rio de Janeiro, where his skit lampoons the womanizing Baron Manuel Duarte Don Ameche. The impersonation proves so convincing that the real Baron and his wife, Baroness Cecilia Duarte Alice Faye, attend the show, and Cecilia finds herself drawn to both the performance and the charm it exudes.

Backstage, the Baron meets Larry’s girlfriend, Carmen Carmen Miranda and invites her to a party he plans to host; Carmen declines, sensing trouble brewing behind the scenes. That same evening, Larry is drawn to Cecilia’s singing and beauty, and, seeking to charm her further, he performs the Baron for her, blurring the line between act and reality. In the midst of this, the Baron receives a telegram that his airline contract is at risk, and with 51% of the stock already in his hands, he must secure funds quickly and heads to Buenos Aires.

To keep the deception alive, Larry is hired again to play the Baron to throw off his rival, Machado J. Carrol Naish. At the stock market, the Baron completes the purchase of the remaining airline shares, intensifying the web of misdirection surrounding everyone involved. That evening, at a glittering party, Larry reprises the Baron’s persona, while Cecilia becomes aware of the ruse without Larry’s knowledge. The real Baron returns home, and Machado corners Larry, speaking to him in French—something Larry cannot understand, which adds another layer of confusion to the evening’s already tangled dynamics.

Carmen arrives at the party and discovers that Larry is impersonating the Baron, fueling her fury. The next morning, the Baron calls Cecilia to claim that his plane has just landed, and Cecilia fears she has been unfaithful. Larry later reveals the truth, easing the tension, while Machado briefs the Baron with a payment of $32 million for the airline, a pivotal moment in the ongoing power play. The Baron heads home, but Cecilia tries one more provocative ploy to “even the score” by pretending to make violent love to Larry. In a comic turn of events, it turns out to be the Baron in disguise, and the misunderstandings collapse into a cheery, resolved ending.

Throughout the twists and turns, the glamour of Rio, the high-stakes world of airlines and stock, and the playful deception that underpins all the characters create a lighthearted farce about identity, loyalty, and the limits of performance. The film threads musical numbers, flirtatious misunderstandings, and sharp social humor into a lively tapestry that aims to entertain without losing its sense of warmth and consequence.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 09:32