Undescribable Perfection

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

The acting in this movie is really good.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Certainly, Eve Arden gets some great lines here, teasing Phillip Terry every step of the way, basically playing a "Lady in the Dark" type character (minus the necessary psycho analysis that Liza Elliott got in that Broadway musical) who takes a fashion photo tour around every Latin American country in existence to pick out the most beautiful women to headline their big Latino revue and beauty contest. She gets him there by promising him a vacation but all he does is work and try to get time alone with Arden's beautiful assistant (Audrey Long) while trying to avoid spitfire Isabelita who had him arrested on his last trip to Mexico to keep him from leaving the country (and her). It turns out that Isabelita isn't actually Mexican and keeps popping up in every single country to get a chance at the title, and obviously get Terry to her own alter. But for playboy Terry, it's Long's slap across the face after he makes advances to her that gets his blood boiling, and for nearly 90 minutes, you have to wait for the obvious conclusion even though she's engaged to an American in Brazil whom you don't meet until the film's last 20 minutes.All this is turns out to be a cavalcade of Latin music from around the world with major stops in Mexico, Cuba and Brazil. The bongos bong, the castanets click, and the maracas shake, and all this does is show audiences the feathery, fluttery outfits, the wild hats and the twirling fiery dances pretty much exist in all of these countries, whether or not that it is true in real Latin American culture. So in Mexico, there's a chance to hear "Guadalajara", and somebody other than Desi Arnaz/Ricky Ricardo does "Babalu" in Cuba. The film is elegant and pleasant to watch, but more stereotypical well meaning good will that came out of Hollywood (and in smaller cases Broadway) in the 1940's. Robert Benchley is droll as one of Arden's assistants who is the deadpan announcer for the big beauty contest (much like Benchley was in real life for any situation) and Ernest Truex is the Leon Errol like uncle to Long's fiancée (Marc Cramer). For wartime entertainment, it was pure distraction, but other than Arden and a few nice musical numbers, remains pretty innocuous.

Director John H. Auer also produced and gets a story credit for this lame Good Neighbor Policy musical with a superfluous plot--about the search for the prettiest girl from every nation by the editors of an American magazine--used merely as the pretext for another boy-meets-girl reluctant romance. Phillip Terry is a photographer (a womanizing "coyote") and Audrey Long is a gal-reporter with no-no on her lips and sí-sí in her eyes. As the secondary couple, politely squabbling Robert Benchley and Eve Arden liven things up, but the dire, padded screenplay isn't clever enough to hold interest. The song interludes (but not the Mexican stereotypes) may be of interest to historians of Latin-Americans depicted in the cinema, but this low-budget travelogue is strictly stock shots, rear projection and studio interiors. *1/2 from ****

Audrey Long seemed to have everything - blonde elegance and style. She originally studied acting with the same woman that had coached Olivia DeHavilland and Joan Fontaine. She was also in two top film noirs - "Born to Kill" and "Desperate" where she proved she could act but because she played the "good girl" she was not remembered. "Pan Americana", was, I definitely suspect, a part of the South American good neighbour policy that Hollywood instigated in the 1940s, where everything south of the border was suddenly very "cool". Even though Phillip Terry and Audrey Long are the "unknown" leads - you can't go wrong with Eve Arden. Jane Greer also had a small part as Eve Arden's secretary. Even though she is in the background her beauty shines through and she also looks as though she is going to play a bigger part but unfortunately....Dan Jordan (Phillip Terry) is given a special assignment - filming the most beautiful girls in South America - also with him is Jo Anne Benson (Audrey Long) as his assistant. Dan thinks she is just another conquest but she is really just stringing him along so she can get to Rio and see her real fiancé.The story is just an excuse to string together some Latin acts ranging from Carmen Miranda "wannabees", guitarists (both male and female) and a pair of dancers performing a pasa doble. There is a rendition of "Baba Lu" (the song that became Desi Arnez's signature tune) - the singer here performs with great drama and an excellent "insect" dance is included (it would have been very dramatic in colour).Robert Benchley does a comic turn as he explains the mysteries of the Samba. My mother thought Robert Benchley was the funniest man ever but in my opinion he is definitely an acquired taste.

I would have to wholeheartedly agree with the previous writer. This movie is a refreshing musical from the 40's - even Robert Benchley, one of my least favorite actors, subdues his normal corny performance here. There is a nice cast of Latin American singers and dancers included. Eve Arden is excellent in her role. Phillip Terry brings in a creditable performance playing his part well, and Audrey Long is absolutely outstanding (and gorgeous) as usual.Again, a very well directed and acted 40's musical! Must be - I have it on DVD and play it a least once a month. In summary, if you get a chance to catch this movie on one of the movie channels do so, you won't regret it.