RIO RITA (1929) Bebe Daniels, John Boles & Bert Wheeler | Western, Musical | B&W | Old Hollywood

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Rio Rita is a 1929 American pre-Code RKO musical comedy starring Bebe Daniels and John Boles along with the comedy team of Wheeler & Woolsey (Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey in their first starring role in a film). The film is based on the 1927 stage musical produced by Florenz Ziegfeld, which originally united Wheeler and Woolsey as a team and made them famous. The film was the biggest and most expensive RKO production of 1929 as well as the studio's biggest box office hit until King Kong (1933). Its finale was photographed in two-color Technicolor. Rio Rita was chosen as one of the 10 best films of 1929 by Film Daily.

Synopsis:

Bert Wheeler plays Chick Bean, a New York bootlegger who comes to the Mexican town of San Lucas to get a divorce so he can marry Dolly (Dorothy Lee). After the wedding, Ned Lovett (Robert Woolsey), Chick's lawyer, informs Chick the divorce was invalid, and advises Wheeler to stay away from his bride.

The Wheeler-Woolsey plot is actually a subplot of the film, and the main story features Bebe Daniels (in her first "talkie") as Rita Ferguson, a south-of-the-border beauty pursued by both Texas Ranger Jim Stewart (John Boles) and local warlord General Ravinoff (Georges Renavent). Ranger Jim is pursuing the notorious bandit Kinkajou along the Mexico–United States border, but is reluctant to openly accuse Rita's brother, Roberto (Don Alvarado), as the Kinkajou because he is in love with Rita.

Ravinoff successfully convinces Rita to spurn Ranger Jim on the pretext that Jim will arrest Roberto. Rita unhappily agrees to marry Ravinoff to prevent him from exposing Roberto as the Kinkajou. Meanwhile, Bean's first wife, Katie (Helen Kaiser), shows up to accuse him of bigamy, but conveniently falls in love with Lovett.

At this point, the film switches into Technicolor. During the wedding ceremony aboard Ravinoff's private gambling barge, Ranger Jim cuts the craft's ropes so that it drifts north of the Rio Grande. The Texas Rangers storm the barge, arrest Ravinoff as the real Kinkajou just in time to prevent the wedding, and Roberto is revealed to be a member of the Mexican Secret Service. Jim takes Rita's hand in marriage and Roberto escorts Ravinoff back to Mexico for trial.

Cast & Crew:

Bebe Daniels as Rita Ferguson
John Boles as Capt. Jim Stewart
Bert Wheeler as Chick Bean
Robert Woolsey as Ned Lovett
Dorothy Lee as Dolly Bean
Don Alvarado as Roberto Ferguson
Georges Renavent as General Ravinoff

Directed by Luther Reed
Written by Luther Reed
Based on the play by Guy Bolton and Frederick A. Thompson
Produced by William LeBaron, Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.

Cinematography Robert Kurrle (Technicolor), Lloyd Knechtel
Edited by William Hamilton
Music by Victor Baravalle (director), Joseph McCarthy (lyrics), Harry Tierney (music)

Production Company RKO Radio Pictures
Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures

Release Date September 15, 1929
Running Time Original release: 141 minutes; Surviving reissue: 103 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $678,000
Box Office $2,400,000