Carnival in Costa Rica (
1947) is an American musical film directed by
Gregory Ratoff and written by
Samuel Hoffenstein,
John Larkin, and
Elizabeth Reinhardt. It was released in
Technicolor by
Twentieth Century Fox.
Dick Haymes, Vera-Ellen, Cesar
Romero, and Celeste Holm starred as
two pairs of lovers who try to thwart an arranged marriage at
Carnival time in Costa Rica
.
Plot
Luisa, daughter of Rico and Elsa Molina, returns to Costa Rica from
school in the U.S. to find that her parents have arranged for her
to marry Pepe Castro, a family acquaintance whom she has never met.
Pepe has also recently returned from the States, bringing with him
his girl friend, Celeste, who plans to work in Costa Rica and
become acquainted with Pepe's parents. When Pepe confesses he has
not yet told his father about her, Celeste becomes suspicious,
prompting him to tell her about the situation with Luisa. The
Castros come to visit the Molinas for the formal introduction of
the couple, but Pepe arrives wearing dark glasses and faking a bad
cold. Once alone with Luisa, Pepe insists that he is sickly and
later, at the Gran Hotel Estrada, Jeff Stephens, an American coffee
buyer, learns that his evening flight has been canceled and to pass
the time, takes a stroll around the plaza. During a kind of
traditional flirtation promenade, Jeff meets Luisa and whisks her
off to the El Sestéo nightclub, where she spots a very healthy
looking Pepe dancing with Celeste. Luisa runs out of the club
followed by Jeff. As it is fiesta time, they go on a
Ferris wheel ride and begin to fall in love.
Back at his hotel, Jeff meets his old friend Pepe, who tells him
about the predicament he is in without mentioning Luisa's name. The
next morning, at breakfast, Jeff comes to serenade an elated Luisa
and sends her flowers, asking her to meet him at his hotel by noon.
As they walk to lunch, Luisa sees both Pepe and his parents
approaching from different directions and makes her escape by
jumping on a carnival float on which Celeste is appearing as "The
Spirit of the Melon." Later, still feigning illness, Pepe takes
Luisa dancing, and they meet Jeff escorting Celeste. Jeff pretends
he doesn't know Luisa, and when Celeste discovers that Luisa is
Pepe's intended, she tells her she can have him. Both sets of
parents are also at the club and are introduced to Celeste and
Jeff. Jeff reveals to Luisa's American-born mother that he, too, is
from Kansas. After Celeste realizes that Luisa's father thinks she
is still enamoured of Pepe, she pushes Pepe to tell him the truth.
Later that night, Jeff drives Luisa home, and she invites him to a
New Year's Eve party. Father Rafael, who has come to visit the
family, sees the couple embrace, and when Luisa goes indoors for a
coat, Jeff tells the priest that he is in love with her. Doubting
their sudden love, the priest tells Jeff about the conservative
courtship traditions of Costa Rica. The next day, Jeff begins to
have doubts about the validity of his relationship with Luisa due
to the differences in their backgrounds. At the New Year's Eve
party Pepe and Luisa are thrown together, and he tells her that
Jeff is leaving and is waiting in the lobby to say goodbye. After
the couple part, Luisa disappears. Her concerned father phones
Pepe's father, and they agree to meet at the hotel. There the
fathers learn that Pepe has checked in with his new bride. Both
fathers assume Pepe and Luisa have eloped and are stunned to
discover that Pepe has actually married Celeste. Pepe tells them
that Jeff and Luisa are in love and that she may have left with
Jeff. The fathers find out that Jeff is still in town and is at
Luisa's house. When they arrive there, they find Mrs. Molina calmly
knitting. She tells them that she has given her and her husband's
consent for the boy from Kansas to marry the girl from Costa
Rica
Cast
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