User Reviews

Alice Faye knows more than she should about a cruise ship accident and gets herself a big vacation courtesy of the ship line in "Weekend in Havana," costarring John Payne, Carmen Miranda, and Cesar Romero. Alice plays a demanding young woman who insists on recompense for a long-planned vacation when handsome John Payne tries to convince her to sign a waiver. Payne escorts her to Havana where, anxious to get home for his wedding, he proves a dull escort. Faye soon hooks up with Romero, who thinks she's wealthy. He's on the lam from a casino proprietor to whom he owes money. Carmen Miranda, his girlfriend, is the jealous entertainer.

Everyone in the film is delightful. Having just seen Romero in "Captain from Castile," he is even more impressive in this light role. Miranda is always fun to watch. Faye is very pretty and sings well in her lush contralto. John Payne is easy on the eyes and makes an able leading man. Cobina Wright, as Payne's fiancée, is quite stunning.

I admit to liking Springtime in the Rockies and The Gang's All Here more, but "Weekend in Havana" makes for fun viewing.

The film begins with a cruise ship getting stuck on a reef. The cruise line sends one of its execs (John Payne) to meet the passengers in order to placate them and get each one to sign a release. However, one (Alice Faye) is not so easily satisfied and refuses to sign. After all, she cannot afford to take another trip a couple weeks later and she insists that the cruise line owes her a vacation and NOW! So, to avoid a lawsuit, he arranges for the woman to be flown to Havana to be wined and dined in style. She is happy but won't sign the release until AFTER the trip is over--as it COULD still be a lousy vacation. So, to be sure the vacation is great, he arranges for a local ne'er-do-well (Cesar Romero) to romance her. The problem is that he already has a girlfriend (Carmen Miranda)--and she's one jealous lady! What's next? Well, it's pretty predictable but quite entertaining.

This picture is pretty much what you'd expect from a film from this studio--some very nice Technicolor, a few songs and a lot of fun. While none of "Week-End in Havana" is certainly NOT a great film, it is a decent little time-passer and is worth seeing. It's also one of Miranda's best films, as she's used more effectively than in many of her Fox movies.

By the way, at the 73 minute mark, you can catch a brief glimpse of Hugh Beaumont--but look fast or you'll miss him.

Although none of the principal players set foot in Havana, Cuba for the production of Weekend in Havana, Darryl F. Zanuck sent a second unit crew down there to get enough background shots and longshots with doubles of the players to make one feel they were having a Weekend in Havana. Usually the studios just relied on newsreel footage so 20th Century Fox was spending more than most studios would at this time.

There are certain plot similarities to Paramount's Waikiki Wedding that starred Bing Crosby and Shirley Ross four years earlier. In fact George Barbier has the same kind of part in both, a business executive who wants to make sure a young woman has the time of her life on vacation be it Hawaii or Cuba.

In this case it's Alice Faye, a shopgirl who saved her money for a cruise and in this case the cruise ship ran aground on a reef on the Cuban coast. She just doesn't want to sign a waiver to get the company off the hook for a lawsuit. So John Payne who is about to become Barbier's son-in-law is sent to get that waiver by hook or crook.

What he ends up doing is trying to make sure Faye has a good time in Havana under his personal management. He even calls in a broke Cesar Romero in for a bit of romance when Faye doesn't take to him. Payne offers to pay Romero's debts to casino owner Sheldon Leonard and that doesn't sit too well with Carmen Miranda, Romero's girlfriend. And the whole business ain't sitting too well with Cobina Wright who is Payne's fiancé.

I'm sure you can figure out where this is going plot wise. In addition to those mentioned look for nice performances from Billy Gilbert as a club owner and Leonid Kinskey as an ever helpful bellhop.

Seeing Payne and Faye sing together once again confirms my thesis in that 20th Century Fox hired him to take the musical leads opposite their stars like Faye, Betty Grable, etc. He shows himself once again to be a singing Tyrone Power. Alice and he make lovely music, but of course the hit of the film is Carmen Miranda. As it was in any film she was in.

Another Latin American good will film. Interesting how we got our ideas about Latin America from films like these. Nice entertainment, but bad sociopolitics.

Alice Faye, John Payne, Carmen Miranda and Cesar Romero all fair better in this lively and funny musical romp, directed by Walter Lang and enlivened by Fox's shimmering Technicolor, gorgeous costumes, and some nice rollicking musical numbers.

Although "Week-End in Havana" is not as totally rapturous and frivolous as "Down Argentine Way" & "That Night in Rio", I was thoroughly entertained. The plot is kind of unremarkable but it offers subtantial showcase for its stars. Faye is the showgirl and tourist named Nan who gets a taste of Havana after her ship wrecks off the coast of Florida. Payne is Jay, the ship company representative who guides Nan in Havana and persuades the gambler Monte Blanca (Romero) to romance her in order to avoid legal battles. The gambler's girlfriend is the feisty Rosita Rivas (Miranda) who gets jealous of her man's coy romancing with the American tourist. Ultimately a romance blooms between Nan and Jay and the rest is history.

All of this romantic nonsense is enlivened by the some catchy, entertaining musical numbers and dances, including "Romance and Rhumba", "Tropical Magic", "The Man with the Lollypop", and "Week End in Havana".

Worth catching if you love this sort of fluff.

The production team behind this film would have benefited if they had done research for the movie by taking a real weekend in Havana. It appears the studio executives flew down to Rio instead. How else did they come up with music and costumes that are more Brazilian than Cuban?

Maybe the studio thought of this as a vehicle for Carmen Miranda, the charismatic Brazilian star. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense at all to have turned everything into a samba flavored musical that is completely out of character with its setting of the romantic allure Havana of the 40s.

The music is mildly entertaining. We know what will happen and how it will end, yet, we stay with a movie that has been done better before. Walter Lang directed on auto pilot because there is nothing in the film that shows anything new that we haven't seen before.

Alice Faye plays a Macy's sales lady on a Caribbean cruise. Ms. Faye is a charming presence in the film. John Payne is the man who is sent to deal with the possible problem caused by the accident of the ship and ends up falling madly in love with the sales woman. Cesar Romero is suave as the gambler that tries to endear himself to the woman he thinks is an heiress. Carmen Miranda is the singing sensation at the Casino Madrileno.

"Weekend in Havana" is an inoffensive way to spend a little more than an hour and a half with these characters.

As a kid growing up in the late '70s, I used to watch quite a lot of Technicolor musicals from M-G-M and 20th Century-Fox on my local public TV station. But this particular one was not one of them so when I saw this was in my local library, I had to get it! Having just watched this with Mom right now, it's quite a delight seeing the full spectrum of colors especially when Carmen Miranda is on the screen doing her numbers! There's also Alice Faye, John Payne, Cesar Romero along with nice support from the likes of Sheldon Leonard (another player from my favorite movie It's a Wonderful Life I like to cite when I see them in another picture) and Billy Gilbert (as a waiter who's not above tripping someone if they don't pay!). The songs are pretty enjoyable and the comedy is pretty hilarious part of the time. So on that note, Mom and I recommend Week-End in Havana.

This movie doesn't lack talent; it's got the adorable Alice Faye, handsome Cesar Romero and John Payne, and fabulous Carmen Miranda. What it lacks is great songs. Made at a time when Cuba was still a glamorous destination for wealthy and famous Americans, the film cashes in on the contract between old New York in winter and the warmth of the Caribbean. It all seems like a bit fat cliché now, but in its time this kind of fun got people dancing and singing and appreciating the rhythms of Latin America. You'll hear all sorts of references in Miranda's rendering of the title song. Who cares if she was from Brazil? It's interesting to note that one of the themes of the film hinges on a cruise ship going aground-sound familiar? The scenes filmed in Havana are a delight. Note that some "Marquee 20th Century Box Musicals" DVDs of this film contain audio commentary by film historian Jeanine Basinger, which helps to explain the conventions, styles, and techniques of this movie. --from Musicals on the Silver Screen, American Library Association, 2013

Fox makes ample use of their stock company players--ALICE FAYE, JOHN PAYNE, CARMEN MIRANDA, CESAR ROMERO, as well as a bevy of dependable supporting actors to make sure that their technicolor investment in WEEKEND IN HAVANA pays off. Unfortunately, it's a routine assignment for all concerned. The script is light, even for a Fox musical.

Faye had better musicals at the studio and is saddled with playing a rather pushy department store clerk who expects to get the royal treatment in Havana after her cruise is interrupted by a shipwreck. Naturally, a handsome corporate man (Payne) is assigned to take care of her "vacation" in Havana, and therein lies the nub of the plot. Everything that follows is quite predictable, including misunderstood romantic complications, but the end result is nevertheless entertaining.

Both Alice and Carmen Miranda have opportunities to demonstrate their prowess with a song and John Payne makes an attractive partner for Faye. Cesar Romero plays a Latin charmer with his usual confident air. It's all very pretty in Fox's typically garish technicolor but fails to stay in the memory as some of Faye's other films do since there's nothing especially memorable about either the plot or the music.

I really enjoyed this musical. Carmen Miranda and Ceasr Romero are especially charming and at the top of their game. The songs and dancing routines are first class, a little "Hermes Pan" influence. I am also a fan of John Payne. His understated and often over looked skills as an actor are on display as be brings a light touch to this enjoyable romp. I thought Alice Faye was wonderful but would like to have seen her do a couple of more musical numbers like she has done in her other projects. No one can introduce a song during the era of the 30s and 40s like Alice. The colors are big, bright and beautiful and makes for a wonderful watch. I may be old fashioned but this is a film i could watch with the grand children and laugh out loud with them.

A passenger ship is wracked on the reefs on its way to Cuba. Cruise line owner George Barbier sends VP John Payne to appease the passengers and forestall lawsuits. This does not please Barbier's daughter Cobina Wright, scheduled to marry Payne. Payne finds passenger Alice Faye a tough nut to crack; she's a shopgirl who had saved for this trip for years. Payne offers her a deluxe trip, top accommodations, but she wants romance, so Payne hires Cesar Romero; he's Carmen Miranda's manager and lover, but a gambler who's heavily in debt to Sheldon Leonard's casino. Misunderstandings, Billy Gilbert, and songs by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren ensue.

It's shot in that bright Technicolor favored for Fox musicals, and a lot of fun and nonsense. Miss Faye sings only one song, while Miss Miranda gets the big production numbers. It's a lot of fun; the Latin American Musical Genre had not grown stale by the time this was made. While the songs are not particularly memorable, save the charming "Buy A Lollipop", it's fun and frothy, the costumes are great -- except for Romero's baggy pants -- and you can't tell that Miss Faye is expecting her first child.

For all you MAGA Cubans down in Miami longing for a return of Batista (or worse) to your ancestral shores, this is your movie. You expect to see Fredo Corleone strolling by with Senator Pat Geary, only I very much doubt that those two louche boulevardiers would wish to linger at the dull, G rated night spots of this dull, G rated film. Certainly the forgettable songs, admittedly sung with verve by Alice and Carmen, would not tempt them. Of course the racist depiction of Cubans as bongo playing, sugar cane picking, tuxedo wearing mini Dezis and spitfires would meet with their approval but there are far more sinful venues that provide those stereotypes. C minus.

Despite the super-lovely Alice Faye's top billing, exotic Carmen Miranda manages to steal the show. She not only has the pick of the songs, the liveliest dances and the most colorful costumes, but shares the movie's funniest moments with Cesar Romero. Mind you, Alice is most attractively photographed, does wear some beautiful clothes, and does get to sing the haunting "Tropical Magic", one of Harry Warren's loveliest tunes. (Harry, incidentally, hated the picture. He loved Alice, but was somewhat ambivalent about Carmen Miranda and John Payne with "his limited and rather ordinary singing voice." Harry also complained that Fox treated him badly, forcing him to work night and day for four weeks because Carmen had scheduled the movie between other engagements. "I turned out a lot of music, some of which was dropped from the picture. I fell ill and was hospitalized for three months with pneumonia. When I returned to the studio, I found I'd been taken off salary for the whole time, whereas Mack Gordon had been kept on. Waving my walking stick, I stormed into Zanuck's office but his yes-men wouldn't let me see him. Maybe Zanuck knew nothing about it, but his lieutenants did. They were horrible people." In Fox's defense, it should be pointed out that Mack Gordon did write lyrics for "Romance and Rhumba" during Harry Warren's absence).

To my surprise, John Payne's role is more of a character part than that of a romantic lead. It's the lively, personable Cesar Romero who not only shares most of the comedy with both Alice and Carmen, has some delightful run-ins with the heavy (Sheldon Leonard), but supplies romance as well.

The comedy is also helped out by George Barbier as the peppery president and Billy Gilbert as a self-important innkeeper. In the scenes with both these expert comics, Payne plays the fall-guy. And he makes an amusing job of it too.

Walter Lang has directed with his customary expertise and no-one will feel short-changed by the lavish Miranda dance numbers choreographed by Hermes Pan.

John Payne works for a travel agency. When a cruise liner hits a snag, he's sent to give reimbursements to all the passengers in exchange for a signed waver to ensure they won't sue. Only one passenger won't sign: Alice Faye. She insists a reimbursement won't make up for a ruined vacation, so John and his company fly her to Havana for the weekend. She says she'll sign the waver after she's enjoyed herself. When John has to make sure she has a good time, he has no idea he'll be making good her gambling debts, paying Cesar Romero to seduce her, and falling in love with her himself!

This movie is actually really cute, if you can use that little fast-forward button on your remote whenever Carmen Miranda comes on the screen. She's just as annoying as she usually is, but since the main plot doesn't involve her, she's easy to skip over. It's Alice's movie, with John and Cesar in the background, and Carmen even further in the background. Alice is given a couple of songs, some witty dialogue, and absolutely adorable costumes that look like a precursor to Doris Day's wardrobe in Romance on the High Seas. Very far in the background you'll be able to see Sheldon Leonard desperately trying, and mostly succeeding, to hide his signature gangster accent, which is fun.

While normally I'm a John Payne fan, this movie doesn't do anything to showcase him. He's a wooden, bespectacled pencil pusher, and given the choice, Alice would be an idiot not to choose the handsome, charming Cesar Romero instead-even though he's being paid to pay attention to her! Alice and John made quite a few movies together, so check out a different one if you want to like him.

DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. There's a roulette scene about half an hour in, and the spinning wheel will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"

I know this is going to offend a lot of fans, but "Weekend in Havana" does not come anywhere near "Down Argentine Way" or "That Night in Rio" both of which were made around the same time. Certainly, Carmen Miranda (the main attraction of the movie) has more to do in this, bus the talent of Alice Faye is wasted, and I felt it needed someone like Charlotte Greenwood to really lift the tempo and interest. No need to recap the story as it is one that has been done before many times, but I do give full marks for the Technicolor which was absolutely brilliant (in more ways than one!). John Payne and Caesar Romero were adequate, and it was good fortune to have some of the standard actors in Leonid Kinsky, Billy Gilbert and Sheldon Leonard to help move it along.

Splashy TCF musical with an imaginative plot, but also with an unfortunate lineup of undistinguished musical numbers. Payne's supposed to keep Faye happy on her Havanna vacation so she won't sue his cruise ship line. That might be okay if Payne didn't have an impatient fiancée, Wright Jr., waiting back home. Worse, Faye wants romance and thinks she's found it with handsome gold-digger Romero. But what happens when the greedy Romero doesn't pan out. Payne's got a big juggling act to do. And through it all, Miranda rhumbas her way, sporting a permanent smile and a half dozen top-heavy hats. The mystery is how she gets them to stay on.

Faye's her usual winning self, while Payne gets to go Tarzan-like shirtless. But together they do make a compelling couple, as a dozen of these TCF musicals show. Meanwhile, Romero and Wright get to model some impressive high fashion, as compensation, I guess. Fortunately, director Lang keeps the circus running smoothly, but don't let all that splashy Technicolor overwhelm you. Nothing special here, just a truckload of eye-catching Hollywood escapism.

Shop girl Nan Spencer (Alice Faye) saved all her lunch money for a two week cruise vacation to Havana. Only the ship has run aground. The company sends Jay Williams (John Payne) to fix any problems. Nan claims malpractice by the Captain and she refuses to sign Jay's waiver. Now, he has to arrange for her best possible vacation in Havana.

This starts with Carmen Miranda doing a musical performance in Technicolor. It's a lot of fake Havana which is too bad. The little bit of beautiful Havana exterior shots are amazing if only they do that for the whole film. The premise is functional although the comedy isn't that great. Everybody is trying their broad comedic best, but I'm not feeling it. It's an old rom-com musical.

'Week-End in Havana' couldn't be missed due to the anticipation of seeing Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, Cesar Romero and John Payne in the same film and being a fan of musicals. It didn't disappoint me at all, getting more or less what was expected and wanted, and anybody who likes films of this type or musicals from this era are likely to find it very difficult to resist.

Pretty much the only not so good thing about 'Week-End in Havana' is the story, which is as thin, predictable and nonsensical as one would expect from particularly a WW2-era musical. Also wouldn't have said no to Alice Faye having more to do than she did, and even the presence of Charlotte Greenwood, Edward Everett Horton or both may have enlivened things even more.

However, as far as escapist entertainment goes and for anybody wanting a fun, delightful hour and a half diversion to blow any troubles away, 'Week-End in Havana' regardless of any reservations with the story delivers one hundred percent. The film looks gorgeous, with lavish set and costume design, big, bold, rich colours that leap out at the screen that always dazzle rather than nauseate and photographed in a way that shows a lot of love and care.

The music is both infectious and beautiful, Carmen Miranda's numbers "Rebola a Bola" and "When I Love I Love" are uproarious, "Tropical Magic" is melodious magic beautifully sung in all its reprises (especially with Faye and Payne) and "Romance and Rhumba" benefits from particularly clever and nostalgic choreography in a film full of it.

Furthermore the script is filled with snappy lines that crackle in energy and wit, the whole film is breezily directed with a clear love for the content and while a long way from perfect the story is never dull and has its charms.

Miranda comes very close often to stealing the show in a hilarious performance, while Romero is the epitome of confident charisma and suavity and Faye is charmingly luminous and sings with beauty and heartfelt emotion. Payne is more at ease than he can be and is a suitably attractive leading man. Billy Gilbert, Georges Barbier and Leonid Kinskey are fun in supporting roles.

All in all, one fun, delightful weekend indeed. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Alice Faye is on a vacation to Havana by cruise ship that she saved up for and had eager expectations for a good time, when the ship encountered problems. Everyone else on board signed a waiver saying this wasn't an inconvenience and that they could get on another cruise ship! But Alice Faye had to be back to work in a short time and could not take a vacation any other time, despite all the courteous cooperativeness of John Payne, the agent of the company. He finally offers her the Havana vacation and her expenses to be paid by the company. The catch is she won't sign the waiver (to not sue) until after she had the good time promised. John Payne is ordered to be at her side at all times, despite the fact he is engaged to be married and the wedding will have to be postponed due to Alice's vacation. What movie musical problems! Enter Cesar Romero, who thinks she's rich! John does not like him, but Alice keeps thinking, where's this good time you've been promising me? She's taking it with Cesar. Then, there's Carmen Miranda who likes Cesar, or does she? He was her manager, but he kept borrowing her money for gambling. With Ms. Miranda's colorful musical numbers, this to-do over Alice's good time and complications to boot, this makes for an upbeat and fun film for a weekend in Havana!

"Week-End in Havana was the third American film for Carmen Miranda after she went from Brazil to the States in 1939 to appear on Broadway. 20th Century Fox did much to spread the popularity of Latin music at the time, with Miranda in several films. The earlier two, "Down Argentine Way" of 1940 and "That Night in Rio" of 1941 had slightly more prominent casts, but this film is a notch of above them for its much better comedy.

Alice Faye has the lead, and was very popular at the time, with her low, sultry singing voice. And John Payne was a very good second leading man. Their roles - as Nan Spencer and Jay Williams, are very good and set the plot for all of these people to come together. And while they have some very funny lines, it is Miranda and Cesar Romero who push the comedy to the top as Rosita Rivas and Monte Blanco. Three supporting cast members, Leonid Kinskey as Rafael, Billy Gilbert as Abolardo, and Sheldon Leonard as Boris add many laughs.

This was one of the last comedy musicals (or musical comedies) that Americans got to enjoy before going to war in 1941. Less than two months after its release, the U. S. A. Was engulfed, with much of the rest of the globe, in World War II. And somewhat ironically, the scenes of Havana shot for this movie are some of the last scenic portrayals of the once glittering Caribbean playground and tourist attraction. After the Cuban revolution in the 1950s, and rise of the communist dictatorship of Fidel Castro, Havana was no longer a prime vacationland, or Cuba a welcoming tourist country.

The comedy includes a little satire of the wealthy, and of their resort haunts, and of some of the preying clientele that may be found there. Miranda, Romero and Billy Gilbert are especially funny with their lines that are plays on words - malapropisms and spoonerisms. Miranda and Romero, dominate any scene they are in, especially with their dialog. And they have the expressions and body postures that go with each line perfectly. That adds more to their humor.

Here are some favorite lines of many very good ones in this film.

Nan Spencer, "Well, how do I know I'll have a good time?" Jay Williams, "Well, that we can't guarantee. All we can do is expose you having a good time."

Jay Williams, "It's the, uh, presidential suite, you know." Nan Spencer, "Well, the whole cabinet could use the bathtub. They ought a have lifeguards."

Monte Blanca, "You, uh, are sure she is wealthy?" Rafael, "It's the surest thing in the whole world. She has the most expensive suite in the hotel. Her clothes - they are the most luxurious and the thinnest I have ever seen. And if this is not proof enough, she tipped me only 10 cents." Monte Blanca, "She must be very wealthy."

Jay Williams, dictates a telegram to Rafael, "Walter McCracken, McCracken Building, New York City. Human element hard at work. Girl getting happier by the minute. Read that back to me." Rafael, "Walt McCrack, Cincinnati. Humane elephant hardly works." Williams, "Give me that! I'll write it myself." Rafael, "Senor, it is not so easy to write standing up."

Rosita Rivas, "Come on." Let's go away from this eaves dripper." (sic)

Boris, "So she was a wealthy girl?" Monte Blanca, "No, listen, Boris." Boris, "She owns half of America?" Monte, "I can explain." Boris, "She loses thousands every night." Monte, "Boris, please. My information - there was a slip."

Monte Blanca, "I, uh, suppose you have some way in mind I can repay you?" Boris, "That, too, has been arranged." Monte, "Oh, fine, fine. But killing is out. I will not kill."

Arbolado, "This room down here is only for those who can't pay for anything better. Tight-skates and cheap-wads."

Rosita Rivas, "For me, you are chase with that little blondie floogie?" Nan Spencer, "Hey, you can't call me a floozy." Rosita, "Oh, can't I? Floogie, floogie." (sic)

Nan Spencer, rummaging through the wastebasket for the cashier's check she had thrown away, "There's a thousand dollars in here." Monte Blanca, "Oh, senorita, you are clever. What a place to hide money."

Monte Blanca, "Rosita, please. No matter what this appears like to you, it is the opposite."

Rosita Rivas, "Ah hah! Now I have got you where you want me."

Jay Williams, "I'm looking for a young lady." Arbolado, "I know a redhead. I could get her here in ten minutes." Williams, "No, no. I'm supposed to meet this young lady here - Senorita Rivas."

Rosita Rivas, "You are big and strong." Jay Williams, "Wellll, I've had the usual childhood diseases... but I think I'm well enough to handle any deals that come up."

Jay Williams, "Now, what kind of a contract did you have with Monte?" Rosita Rivas, "It was a verbal contract, but I tear it up."

Monte Blanca, "No no! Please, Rosita, listen to me. I have spent your money. I have lost at gambling. I have lied to you. But never have I been untrue to you."

Nan Spencer, "Help me up... Oh, take your hands off me."

Rosita Rivas, "And what did you think of your blonde?" Monte Blanca, "Uh, the blonde?" Rosita, "Yeah, yeah. I am told you are upstairs with a blonde." Monte, "But there are many blondes upstairs. If you stand next to a women, it is 35 to one she is a blonde." Rosita, "If was not 35 blondes, it was one blonde."

Nan Spencer, "I'm never gonna see Senor Williams again. Never." Monte Blanca, slaps his forehead. "Then I die. When you leave, my body will be floating in the harbor."

Rosita Rivas, "Aha, so you are going upstairs." (To the gambling room) Monte Blanca, "Only to test myself." Rosita, "You are through testing yourself. It is too expensive."