01 December 2005

"Carmen Miranda Forever"

that's the name of the exhibition that opend at Rio's Modern Art Museum this week. it features over 700 items relating to Brazil's greatest star who died 50 years ago.

when I'm in the dumps   there are 2 things I can do to perk up: watch an "I Love Lucy" episode or put on one of Carmen's movies.

5 comments:

left handed said...

Fred --
Let's fly down to Rio!!
Ethel --
I can't dance!
Ginger --
I'll bake some bread with chocolates!
Lucy --
Ah Carumba!
Ricky --
Take your Vegameatavitamin
Carmen --
"I say 20 words in English. I say money, money, money, and I say hot dog! I say yes, no and I say money, money, money and I say turkey sandwich and I say grape juice."

Alex Gildzen said...

not till you wrote this Jeff did I connect the cultural significance that Carmen & Desi shared. she insistd on singing at least part of every on-screen song in Portuguese just as Desi later sang on tv in Spanish.

left handed said...

"Look at me and tell me if I don't have Brazil in every curve of my body."

Alex Gildzen said...

"bananas is my business"

cinemage books said...

Funny you should mention Carmen. We saw a lousy print of The Gangs All Here during what had to be the worst day of the worst summer ever. The Film Forum was packed, so packed that they brought out metal folding chairs. Is that legal. Anyway needless to say that it was a very gay very new york city audience and of course they loved it. Peter hated Alice Faye. She was never one of my favs. My mother said that she always looked like she was crying. Maybe she was. Carmen and Charlotte Greenwood and Eugene Paulette gave the film the big boost it needed when Berkley's great numbers weren't on. It was the print that really gave me problems. It looked lousy. Faded, scratchy ugh. I remember a much lovelier print used in the 72 re-issue. I swear I saw Miranda drop dead on the tube when a little boy.
I have a copy of the bio on her for sale. And then there is the very good doc. on her, and love that revealing photo of her and Romero.