Flying Down to Rio

Flying Down to Rio
Film poster by Harold Seroy
Directed by	Thornton Freeland George Nicholls, Jr. (associate) Ray Lissner (assistant)
Produced by	Merian C. Cooper Lou Brock
Written by	Play: Anne Caldwell Story: Lou Brock Screenplay: Erwin S. Gelsey H.W. Hanemann Cyril Hume
Starring	Dolores del Río Gene Raymond Ginger Rogers Fred Astaire
Music by	Songs - Music: Vincent Youmans Songs - Lyrics: Gus Kahn Edward Eliscu Score: Max Steiner
Cinematography	J. Roy Hunt
Edited by	Jack Kitchin
Production company	RKO Radio Pictures
Distributed by	RKO Radio Pictures
Release date	December 29, 1933 (1933-12-29)
Running time	89 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$462,000
Box office	$1,545,000

Flying Down to Rio is a 1933 American Pre-Code RKO musical film noted for being the first screen pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, although Dolores del Río and Gene Raymond received top billing and the leading roles. Among the featured players Franklin Pangborn and Eric Blore are notable. The songs in the film were written by Vincent Youmans (music) and Gus Kahn and Edward Eliscu (lyrics), with musical direction and additional music by Max Steiner. This is the only film in which screen veteran Rogers was billed above famed Broadway dancer Astaire.

The black-and-white film (later computer-colorized) was directed by Thornton Freeland and produced by Merian C. Cooper and Lou Brock. The screenplay was written by Erwin S. Gelsey, H.W. Hanemann and Cyril Hume, based on a story by Lou Brock and a play by Anne Caldwell. Linwood Dunn did the special effects for the celebrated airplane-wing-dance sequence at the end of the film.

Composer Roger Bond (Gene Raymond) and his orchestra are appearing in Miami, with vocalist Honey Hales (Rogers). Despite the warnings of accordionist and assistant band leader Fred Ayres (Astaire), Roger is attracted to the beautiful and flirtatious Belinha (Dolores del Río) in the audience. He leaves the bandstand to pursue her.