Roger Bond, the playboy leader of the “Yankee Clipper Band,” is fired from an engagement in a Miami hotel when he violates the hotel’s policy against fraternizing with the guests by dancing with Belinha De Rezende, a beautiful Brazilian woman. Later, Roger arranges for the band to play at a friend’s hotel in Rio de Janeiro, and when he discovers that Belinha also wants to go there because her father is ill, he connives to fly her in his two-seater airplane without her vigilante aunt and chaperon, Dona Elena. In spite of warnings from his best friend, Fred Ayers, the band’s choreographer and accordian player, Roger fakes engine trouble and lands his airplane (which he has equipped with a piano) on a quiet, moonlit beach in Haiti. Against her better judgment, Belinha allows Roger to romance her with words and music but tells him that, as part of a family arrangement, she must marry a young Brazilian as soon as she reaches Rio. The next morning, Belinha discovers Roger’s repair ruse and deserts him to join Dona Elena on the regular flight to Brazil. In Rio, Roger confesses to his friend, Julio Rubeiro, his love of Belinha, unaware that Julio is Belinha’s fiancé and that the hotel’s financially beleagured owner, Carlos De Rezende, is her father. At a casino gala, while the band’s singer, Honey Hale, and Fred investigate their musical competition, Roger is introduced to Belinha by Julio. Although dismayed by his discovery, Roger determines to win Belinha from Julio. Honey and Fred, meanwhile, are pleasantly surprised to discover the “Carioca,” a popular local dance. Soon after, a syndicate of Greek financiers and Alfredo Vianna, a local banker, conspire to take over Carlos’ hotel. Confident that Carlos will be unable to obtain entertainment permits while the mayor of Rio is out of town, Alfredo arranges for the police to shut down rehearsals for the hotel’s opening night show. Roger, however, outsmarts Alfredo by devising a plan whereby the show will be executed on top of a fleet of airplanes while flying over the hotel. Just before the show, Roger receives a letter of gratitude from Carlos and, moved by the old man’s words, informs Julio that he is leaving immediately for Buenos Aires. After Roger and Belinha say a tearful goodbye, the show, performed by dozens of chorus girls strapped to the airplanes, proves to be a hit and guarantees Carlos’ solvency. Although Honey advises Julio to elope with Belinha, Julio chooses to sacrifice his claim on Belinha and unites her with Roger on board the Buenos Aires-bound airplane. As Roger and Belinha are about to be married by the pilot, Julio jumps out of the airplane and parachutes back to Rio. More on Wikipedia
Watch Flying Down to Rio (1933)
