Watch Copacabana For Free

The Age of Commercialism

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

One of the most common complaints about this musical comedy is that it was filmed in B&W: a travesty of audience appeal with Carmen Miranda the female lead. Thus, it cries out for a colorized treatment to correct this important deficiency. Well, it's here, and can be watched free at YouTube. The down side is that some parts are a little fuzzy, and the colors are mostly unsaturated. Your alternative at YouTube is a slightly sharper Blu-ray B&W version. Remember that, after all her Fox WWII films were shot in Technicolor, her last 2, post-war, Fox films("Doll Face" and "If I'm Lucky" )were shot in B&W, as Fox decided to demote her from superstar status. Thus, shooting this project in B&W was extending a trend already established. ........Groucho Marx and Carmen: 2 superstars, were the leads, and were cast as a long term(10 years) romantic couple. Some reviewers complain that they aren't allowed to do their usual shtick, thus ruining the film. I did not detect this. The bulk of the screenplay revolves around Groucho's inspiration of making Carmen into a supposed French entertainer: Fifi , alternating with Carmen as her usual stage self. Fifi, with blond wig and veil across her lower face, and usually a harem-styled dress, seemed to be the more popular of the two, hence the pressure to continue the deception. However, Carmen soon got fed up with the constant rush to change her costume and singing style from one performance to another. Also, when a Hollywood agent became interested in Fifi, Groucho decided it was time to make Fifi disappear. Groucho has Carmen fake a raucous cat fight with Fifi, in her dressing room, for the benefit of others outside the door. For a time , Groucho was suspected of having murdered Fifi, despite his claim that Fifi and Carmen were the same person. But, eventually things work out for the best......A secondary romance pops up every now and then: between Copacabana manager Steve Hunt(Sleve Cochran) and his secretary Anne(Gloria Jean). Gloria was a well-established operatic-styled singer/actress for Universal, who is still around ,at 92. She was at her Hollywood peak in her mid-late teens, costarring with Bing Crosby in "If I Had My Way", and with W.C. Fields, in "Never Give a Sucker an Even Break". Thereafter, Universal cast her in a number of teen-oriented musical comedies, mostly opposite Donald O'Connor. Unfortunately, she was now being kept by Universal mostly as a backup, in case their star opera-styled singer Diana Durban, suddenly disappeared. Here, she only gets one song: "Stranger Things Have Happened", although I would say it's my favorite song in this film. Andy Russell is her male counterpart as a supporting singer/actor. He gets to solo or participate in several songs. He had a nice mellow voice, and would continue to be popular in his native Mexico. Groucho starred in one song and dance: "Go West, Young Man", backed up by the Copa Girls. Carmen had several numbers in her typical style, including Tico Tico No Fuba", and the finale "Let's Do the Copacabana": the latter with help from several other singers or dancers. In her Fifi persona, she did "Je Vous Aime" and "To Make a Hit with Fifi". The film begins with the Copa Girls singing together or individually, "We've come to the Copa".

I love classic Hollywood films but among my least favorites are musicals. It isn't that I dislike them all, but a lot of them seem alike to me. However, it was nice to watch "Copacobana", as it was very different--mostly because Groucho Marx was cast in the lead (and without his brothers). His witty remarks and silly shtick kept my interest, though as often is the case, my attention waned a bit after what felt like one or two songs too many from his co-star, Carmen Miranda. Again, I point out that this is my taste I am talking about here--you might love lots and lots and lots of songs."Copacabana" begins with Groucho and his fiancée, Carmen, behind in their rent and looking for work. She is a singer and he is her dopey agent. Eventually, Groucho is able to convince the owner of the Copacabana (Steve Cochran) to give her an impromptu audition. However, to put over the deal, Groucho talks too much and lies so much that now Cochran wants to see Groucho's OTHER client--a French chanteuse. However, there is no other client--and when he gets a contract for both performers, Groucho is able to talk Carmen into pretending to be both singers! To disguise this, Carmen wears a blonde wig and veil when she is the French lady. What happens next? Well, tune in and see for yourself.Aside from the humor, Groucho actually sings a number like no one else could have done. It's pretty cute and I love the way this number was presented. You'll have to see it for yourself. Carmen was as you'd expect--full of peppy songs and a decent sidekick. While none of it is brilliant, it is entertaining and fun--and worth your time.

COPACABANA (United Artists, 1947), directed by Alfred E. Green, stars the legendary Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers comedy team in his screen introduction as a solo performer, quick with the insults, minus his traditional black mustache and eyebrows to a more natural appearance, and surrounded by gorgeous show girls of the popular New York City night club where much of the story takes place.Decades before singer Barry Manilow made "Copacabana" into one of his song hits of the 1970s, and during the time when the Copacanana was the place to be for entertainment, Hollywood worked up a musical where almost anything can happen at the Copa, especially when Lionel Q. Devereux is concerned. Devereux (Groucho Marx) and Carmen Navarro (Carmen Miranda) are entertainers who have been engaged for nearly ten years. They are down on their luck financially and living in separate rooms at the Booth Hotel for theatrical people. Because they are unable to pay their hotel bill, they have quite a time dodging a desk clerk (Chester Clute), as well as Mr. Green (Dick Elliott), the hotel manager, who's close to having them evicted. Since Mr. Green doesn't think much of Devereux as a performer, he suggests breaking up the act by having Carmen work as a solo performer. Devereux takes his advise (which is better than starving) and assumes his new role as Carmen's agent. He approaches Steve Hunt (Steve Cochran), manager of the Copacabana, to oblige Carmen, "the greatest discovery since penicillin," an audition. Her act goes well, but Steve is more interested in hiring a chanteuse than a Brazilian act. Bluffing his way through a list of clients taken from his racing form, Devereux comes up with the fictitious "Mademoiselle Fifi" actually Carmen disguised in blonde wig and veil covering her face. Although Carmen makes a success as the French singer, Steve decides to use both Carmen and "Fifi" on the same bill. At Devereux's urging, Carmen agrees to the masquerade, performing nightly as two different personalities doing two separate acts with little time to change in between. Further complications occur as Steve starts to show more interest in the French bombshell than his loyal secretary, Anne Stuart (Gloria Jean), who silently loves him.Sam Coslow, who produced, is also credited with its handful of songs, including: "Hollywood Bound" (sung by the Copacabana Girls); "Tico Tico" (by Ervin Drake, Aloynso Oliveir and Zequina Abrew/ sung by Carmen Miranda); "Je-Vous Armour" (Carmen Miranda); "My Heart Was Doing the Bolero" (sung by Andy Russell); "He Hasn't Got a Thing to Sell" (sung by Miranda and Russell); "Make a Hit With Fifi," "Stranger Things Have Happened" (sung by Andy Russell); "Stranger Things Have Happened" (reprise by Gloria Jean); "Go West, Young Man" (by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, sung by Groucho); "Je-Vous Amor" (Andy Russell); and "Let's Go to the Copacabana" (finale/cast).A silly comedy that rests more on the assurance of Groucho's one liners and exchanges (Carmen: "Why are you always chasing women?" Groucho: "I'll tell you as soon as I catch one.") than the overall production, COPACABANA is a far cry from the comedies Groucho enacted with his brothers, Harpo and Chico, and sometimes Zeppo, during the 1930s. Heavy on song numbers, quite typical for night club musicals of the 1940s, only a few are memorable. Carmen Miranda's performing in her traditional fruit basket hat, is noteworthy as well as reminiscent to the act in those Technicolor musicals over at 20th Century-Fox. Gloria Jean, a former child star for Universal musicals of the early 1940s, now a young woman, is wasted as a secretary. A fine singer, she gets an opportunity to only one song, set in the mind of her daydreams, with Devereux as her agent, and winning an audition by Steve. Newcomer Andy Russell, looking very much like a youthful Jerry Seinfeld of 1990s television fame, vocalizing love songs in the manner of 20th-Fox's Dick Haymes, is limited as an actor and no threat to the more successful Frank Sinatra.Occasionally amusing, especially with scenes involving the hungry Groucho stealing a fish from Genevieve the seal in order to acquire a meal of his own, along with Carmen and Groucho splitting their hardboiled egg in half for dinner, no Groucho movie is complete without one of his show stopping solo acts. The highlight of the evening is his rendition of "Go West, Young Man," where he assumes his traditional Groucho mustache and cigar and surrounded by lovely cowgirls. This is not Groucho's character of Devereux staging a comeback for himself, which would had made a lot more sense, but Devereux showcasing his latest discovery. Is it Groucho Marx himself or a Groucho playing a Groucho imitator? We'll never know.Others in the supporting cast include Ralph Sanford as Leggett, the one who buys Carmen's contract for $5,000; John Meredith and his Orchestra; Andrew Toombes as Anatole Murphy, a Hollywood producer; and Abel Green of "Variety" as himself. Aside from the noteworthy highlights, and the potential of pairing the wisecracking Groucho and the temperamental Carmen with her broken English for the only time, COPACABANA comes off a bit weak. Regardless of that, it's not a forgotten film, in fact, it's more associated with Carmen Miranda today than the musicals she did at 20th-Fox mainly due to her partnership here with Groucho.Presented on video cassette during its early years of home video in the 1980s, and currently available on DVD, COPACABANA did enjoy frequent revivals on cable television, especially American Movie Classics from 1996 to 2000. (**1/2 Cigars)

If you love Groucho Marx or love musicals this is the movie for you. Groucho Marx is still the funniest man alive. Groucho Marx is witty as a slippery agent to Carmen Miranda in this movie. I am a fan of anything he does or anything the "Marx Bros." are invovled with. (even though this is a solo act)This movie has it all musical numbers and laughs. The chemistry between Carmen Miranda(Carmen Novarro)and Groucho (Lionel Q.Deveraux) is incredible. I will go into the plot well it has to do with anarchy and misinformation with has been a playing ground of Groucho's for years. I would like to thank Groucho and his brothers for making me laugh when my our life I sometimes don't have much to laugh at. Fellas you were trully are blessed. Thank You. P.S. Mr. Deveraux even brings back an old friend for a song and dance... don't ask you can't afford him.