DOWN ARGENTINE WAY (Twentieth Century-Fox, 1940). Directed by Irving Cummings. Screenplay by Darrell Ware and Karl Tunberg, from an original story by Rian James and Ralph Spence. With Don Ameche, Betty Grable, Carmen Miranda, Charlotte Greenwood, J. Carrol Naish, Henry Stephenson. (89 min, Technicolor, 35mm print from the Twentieth Century-Fox Collection)
The son of a wealthy Argentinian racehorse owner falls in love with an American girl related to his father’s sworn enemy. A scintillating Technicolor musical which propelled Betty Grable to stardom and introduced American audiences to Carmen Miranda after the Portuguese-born Brazilian singer made a splash on Broadway in the musical revue “The Streets of Paris.” The film was an early product of Hollywood’s adoption of Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor Policy which aimed to build stronger ties to South America and thereby compensate for the rapidly declining profits from the European market. The catchy tunes were written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren and the Nicholas Brothers appear in one of their signature showstopping dance numbers. Selected for the National Film Registry in 2014.
Introduced by Elizabeth Castaldo Lunden, 2024 Kluge Fellow, University of Southern California.
Seating is on a first-come first-serve basis. Doors open at 6:30 pm.
Thursday, January 15, 2026
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm EDT
Madison Building – Pickford Theater (LM302)
101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20540