''Week-End in
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. '' (also known as ''A Week-End in Havana'' and ''That Week-End in Havana'') is a 1941
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
Technicolor
Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades.
Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...
musical film
Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks ...
directed by
Walter Lang
Walter Lang (August 10, 1896 – February 7, 1972) was an American film director.
Early life
Walter Lang was born in Tennessee. As a young man he went to New York City where he found clerical work at a movie studio, film production company. The ...
and starring
Alice Faye
Alice Faye (born Alice Jeanne Leppert; May 5, 1915 – May 9, 1998) was an American actress and singer. A musical star of 20th Century-Fox in the 1930s and 1940s, Faye starred in such films as ''On the Avenue'' (1937) and ''Alexander's Ragtime B ...
and
Carmen Miranda
Carmen Miranda, (; born Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha, 9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955) was a Portuguese-born Brazilian samba singer, dancer, Broadway actress and film star who was active from the late 1920s onwards. Nicknamed "The B ...
. It was the second of three pictures the two stars made together and the second Faye film to have a Latin-American theme, typical of Fox musicals of the early 1940s. Faye was pregnant during filming.
Plot
When his cruise ship, the Cuban Queen, runs aground near Florida on its way to Havana, New York ocean liner magnate Walter McCracken (
George Barbier) sends his vice-president, Jay Williams (
John Payne), to the site to forestall any legal action. Jay gets the passengers to sign claim waivers in exchange for future passage on another McCracken ocean liner. One passenger, Macy's salesclerk Nan Spencer (
Alice Faye
Alice Faye (born Alice Jeanne Leppert; May 5, 1915 – May 9, 1998) was an American actress and singer. A musical star of 20th Century-Fox in the 1930s and 1940s, Faye starred in such films as ''On the Avenue'' (1937) and ''Alexander's Ragtime B ...
), refuses to sign, because she has saved for years for the vacation and cannot take it at any other time. When Nan hints that she is aware of the captain's negligence in the accident, Jay accedes to her demand that the company ensure her an enjoyable vacation in Havana. Nan refuses to sign the waiver until after her vacation is completed, so McCracken orders Jay to accompany her, even though he is soon to be married to McCracken's snobbish daughter Terry. Upon reaching Havana, Nan is delighted with the scenery but bored with Jay, who is too stodgy to provide the romance she craves. When charming fortune hunter Monte Blanca (
Cesar Romero
Cesar Julio Romero Jr. (February 15, 1907 – January 1, 1994) was an American actor and activist. He was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years.
His wide range of screen roles included Latin lovers, historical figures in c ...
) comes across Nan, he believes that she will be the solution to his gambling debts.
Monte takes Nan to a casino run by Boris, who threatens Monte upon discovering that Nan is a simple salesclerk who cannot make good on the losses she believed Monte himself was going to pay. Jay, who has followed the couple, offers to pay off Monte's debts if he will romance Nan, thereby making sure she has a good time and will sign the waiver. Monte readily agrees, despite the jealousy of his tempestuous girl friend, Rosita Rivas (
Carmen Miranda
Carmen Miranda, (; born Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha, 9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955) was a Portuguese-born Brazilian samba singer, dancer, Broadway actress and film star who was active from the late 1920s onwards. Nicknamed "The B ...
), a singer whom Monte manages. In order to forestall Rosita's tantrums, Jay agrees to be her new manager, but regrets his decision when it becomes apparent that she wants romance as well as advice.
One evening, Rosita meets Jay at a secluded inn, but Monte and Nan are already there, and during an ensuing argument, Monte reveals that he accepted Jay's proposition in order to repay Rosita money he owes her. Nan is furious at both men for the deception, and when Jay tries to follow her after she leaves, his car is accidentally wrecked. While walking back to town, Jay and Nan discover that they are genuinely attracted to each other. The next morning, happy that her vacation is going well, Nan gives Jay a signed waiver, but tears it up when Terry appears and intimates that Jay's behavior has been strictly business. Heartbroken, Nan signs another waiver and accepts from Terry a check for $1,000, which Terry says came from Jay. When Jay sends her a check for $150, however, Nan realizes that Terry was trying to bribe her without Jay's knowledge. Terry's scheming soon becomes apparent to Jay as well, and after he angrily sends her back to New York, he finds Nan in the nightclub where Rosita is performing. As Rosita and Monte dance together, Jay and Nan are reconciled, and everyone sings the praises of their weekend in Havana.
Cast
*
Alice Faye
Alice Faye (born Alice Jeanne Leppert; May 5, 1915 – May 9, 1998) was an American actress and singer. A musical star of 20th Century-Fox in the 1930s and 1940s, Faye starred in such films as ''On the Avenue'' (1937) and ''Alexander's Ragtime B ...
as Nan Spencer
*
Carmen Miranda
Carmen Miranda, (; born Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha, 9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955) was a Portuguese-born Brazilian samba singer, dancer, Broadway actress and film star who was active from the late 1920s onwards. Nicknamed "The B ...
as Rosita Rivas
*
John Payne as Jay Williams
*
Cesar Romero
Cesar Julio Romero Jr. (February 15, 1907 – January 1, 1994) was an American actor and activist. He was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years.
His wide range of screen roles included Latin lovers, historical figures in c ...
as Monte Blanca
*
Cobina Wright
Cobina Wright, Sr. (born Esther Ellen Cobb, September 20, 1887 – April 9, 1970) was an American opera singer and actress who appeared in ''The Razor's Edge'' (1946). She gained later fame as a hostess and a syndicated gossip columnist. ...
as Terry McCracken
*
George Barbier as Walter McCracken
*
Sheldon Leonard
Sheldon Leonard Bershad (February 22, 1907 – January 11, 1997) was an American film and television actor, producer, director, and screenwriter.
Early life
Sheldon Leonard Bershad was born in Manhattan, New York City, the son of middle-clas ...
as Boris
*
Leonid Kinskey
Leonid Kinskey (1893/1894 – September 8, 1998) was a Russian-born American film and television actor, best known for his role as "Sascha" in the film ''Casablanca'' (1942). His last name was sometimes spelled Kinsky.
Life and career
Kinskey ...
as Rafael, a bellhop
*
Billy Gilbert
William Gilbert Barron (September 12, 1894 – September 23, 1971), known professionally
as Billy Gilbert, was an American actor and comedian. He was known for his comic sneeze routines. He appeared in over 200 feature films, short subjects a ...
as Arbolado
* Muriel Page as Maria, a guest
Image:Alice Faye in Week-End in Havana, 1941.jpg, Alice Faye
Image:Carmen Miranda in Week-End in Havana, 1941.jpg, Carmen Miranda
Image:John Payne in Week-End in Havana, 1941.jpg, John Payne
Image:Cesar Romero in Week-End in Havana, 1941.jpg, Cesar Romero
Production
The film was a follow-up to ''
Down Argentine Way
''Down Argentine Way'' is a 1940 American musical film made in Technicolor by Twentieth Century Fox. It made a star of Betty Grable in her first leading role for the studio although she had already appeared in 31 films, and it introduced American ...
'' and ''
That Night in Rio
''That Night in Rio'' is a 1941 Technicolor American musical comedy film directed by Irving Cummings and starring Alice Faye, Don Ameche (in a dual role as an American entertainer and an aristocratic businessman he is asked to impersonate tempora ...
''.
The working titles of the film were ''Caribbean Cruise'' and ''Honeymoon in Havana''. In early March 1941,
Betty Grable
Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer.
Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million; for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she reign ...
was scheduled to play Nan Spencer, and executive producer
Darryl F. Zanuck
Darryl Francis Zanuck (September 5, 1902December 22, 1979) was an American film producer and studio executive; he earlier contributed stories for films starting in the silent era. He played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of ...
suggested that
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor. He had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. He cultivated an everyman screen image in several films considered to be classics.
Born and rai ...
play Jay Williams. The March 17, 1941 ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' also noted that Grable and Fonda were set for the lead roles, while the May 2, 1941 ''The Hollywood Reporter'' stated that
Don Ameche
Don Ameche (; born Dominic Felix Amici; May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993) was an American actor, comedian and vaudevillian. After playing in college shows, stock, and vaudeville, he became a major radio star in the early 1930s, which l ...
would have a lead role. The same publication reported in late 1940 that Jack Andrews and
George Seaton
George Seaton (April 17, 1911 – July 28, 1979) was an American screenwriter, playwright, film director and producer, and theatre director.
Life and career Early life
Seaton was born George Edward Stenius in South Bend, Indiana, of Swedish des ...
were to work on the film's screenplay. Although the extent of Seaton's contribution to the completed picture has not been confirmed, the Twentieth Century-Fox Records of the Legal Department, indicate that Andrews' material was not used. The legal records also indicate that an original story outline entitled ''Caribbean Cruise'', written by
Frank S. Nugent, was not used. The story files and ''The Hollywood Reporter'' articles reveal that first
Harry Joe Brown
Harry Joe Brown (September 22, 1890 – April 28, 1972) was an American film producer, and earlier a theatre and film director.
Biography
Harry Joe Brown was born in 1890 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a producer, he had a partnership with ...
and then
Fred Kohlmar
Fred Kohlmar (August 10, 1905 - October 13, 1969) was a New York City-born film producer. The former agent worked as an executive assistant to Samuel Goldwyn before becoming a producer in the 1930s. He worked for 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pic ...
were set to produce the picture.
When Kohlmar left to work at
Paramount
Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to:
Entertainment and music companies
* Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...
,
William LeBaron
William LeBaron (February 16, 1883February 9, 1958) was an American film producer. LeBaron's film credits included '' Cimarron'', which won the Academy Award for Outstanding Production at the 4th Academy Awards ceremony for 1930/1931. LeBaron ...
assumed production responsibilities. This was the first film produced by LeBaron for Twentieth Century-Fox. ''The Hollywood Reporter'' reported that the studio had tested
Phillip Reed
Phillip Reed (born Milton LeRoy; March 25, 1908 – December 7, 1996) was an American actor. He played Steve Wilson in a series of four films (1947–1948) based on the ''Big Town'' radio series.
Early years
Reed was a star athlete at Eras ...
for a role and were considering casting him in the picture, and that
Mal St. Clair
Malcolm St. Clair (May 17, 1897 – June 1, 1952) was a Hollywood film director, writer, producer and actor.
Biography
A disciple of Mack Sennett, St. Clair was an actor in many films primarily comedies. At 6'7" he can be seen in such Sennett ...
had been signed to direct the musical sequences. Their participation in the released picture has not been confirmed, however. According to studio records and ''The Hollywood Reporter'', "long shots with doubles, atmospheric shots and process plates" were filmed on location in
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. and the Cuban countryside. Second unit director James Havens and his crew were on location for approximately one month. The September 26, 1941 ''The Hollywood Reporter'' reported that
Alice Faye
Alice Faye (born Alice Jeanne Leppert; May 5, 1915 – May 9, 1998) was an American actress and singer. A musical star of 20th Century-Fox in the 1930s and 1940s, Faye starred in such films as ''On the Avenue'' (1937) and ''Alexander's Ragtime B ...
was going to retire from the screen temporarily while awaiting the birth of her first child. Faye returned from retirement for ''
Hello Frisco, Hello
''Hello, Frisco, Hello'' is a 1943 American musical film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and starring Alice Faye, John Payne, Lynn Bari, and Jack Oakie. The film was made in Technicolor and released by 20th Century-Fox. This was one of the las ...
'' (1943).
According to information in the
Motion Picture Production Code
The Motion Picture Production Code was a set of industry guidelines for the self-censorship of content that was applied to most motion pictures released by major studios in the United States from 1934 to 1968. It is also popularly known as the ...
, the PCA rejected a May 14, 1941 version of the script because of "the inference of an illicit sex relationship" between Rosita and Monte, and Jay and Nan, and the indication that Rosita wished to enter into such a relationship with Jay. The PCA especially objected to the use of the words "manage" and "manager" in respect to the relationships between Rosita, Monte and Jay. In June 1941, the PCA informed the studio: "We still get the impression that the word 'manage' is so used, or over-used, that one gets the feeling that it is intended to mean something which is sex suggestive." The problems were eventually resolved and the script approved.
Reception
In its release week, the film went to the top of the box office (at $25,000) and topped the now-classic ''
Citizen Kane
''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American drama film produced by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Herman J. Mankiewicz. The picture was Welles' first feature film. ''Citizen Kane'' is frequently cited ...
'', which was in its second week of release ($9,000; $10,015 in the first week).
In his review of the film for ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'',
Bosley Crowther
Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...
wrote, "a slight improvement is noted in the simple plot this time (...) and as usual, Fox has filled it with color and rhythm and songs. Of the latter the final number, ''The Nango'', sung by Miss Miranda and danced by dozens of flashy girls and boys, is far and away the best."
Soundtrack
* A Week-End in Havana
** Music by Harry Warren
** Lyrics by Mack Gordon
** Sung by Carmen Miranda in the opening number with chorus and band
** Reprised by an offscreen chorus during the montage in Havana
** Played as background music often
* Rebola a Bola (Embolada)
** Music by Aloysio De Oliveira and Nestor Amaral
** Lyrics by Francisco Eugenio Brant Horta
** Sung in Portuguese by Carmen Miranda in a nightclub
* When I Love, I Love
** Music by Harry Warren
** Lyrics by Mack Gordon
** Sung by Carmen Miranda at a nightclub
* Tropical Magic
** Music by Harry Warren
** Lyrics by Mack Gordon
** Spanish lyrics by Ernesto Piedra
** Sung in Spanish by an unidentified trio in a nightclub. Many historians agree that this trio consisted of Lamberto Leyva, Francisco Mayorga, Luis Santos, and Joseph Garcia. (The Guadalajara Trio.)
** Reprised by Alice Faye
** Reprised by Alice Faye and John Payne on a hay wagon
** Reprised a cappella by Leonid Kinskey
** Played as background music often
* Romance and Rhumba
** Music by James V. Monaco
** Lyrics by Mack Gordon
** Sung by Alice Faye and Cesar Romero while dancing, the other dancers
* The Man with the Lollypop Song
** Music by Harry Warren
** Lyrics by Mack Gordon
** Sung by lollipop vendor Nacho Galindo outside Arbolado's
* The Nango (Nyango)
** Music by Harry Warren
** Lyrics by Mack Gordon
** Sung by Carmen Miranda at the nightclub
** Sung and danced to by the chorus
** Danced to by Alice Faye and John Payne
* The World Is Waiting to Waltz Again
** Music by Harry Warren
** Lyrics by Mack Gordon
** (Cut from picture)
References
External links
*
*
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Week-End In Havana
1941 films
1941 musical films
Films directed by Walter Lang
20th Century Fox films
Films shot in Cuba
American musical films
1940s English-language films
1940s American films