Escape to Paradise (1939) - A Tropical South American Romance/Adventure of Love and Discovery

Описание: Richard Fleming (Kent Taylor) is a wealthy but disillusioned American playboy who has grown tired of a life of privilege and amusement. Seeking a change of scenery, he travels to Rosarita, in the fictional South American country of San Jacinto. Expecting little more than another adventure, Richard instead finds himself drawn into a culture and way of life very different from his own.

Soon after arriving, Richard meets Roberto Ramos (Bobby Breen), an energetic local youth who earns money as a guide and knows every corner of the countryside. Traveling by motorcycle, Roberto introduces Richard to the people, customs, and opportunities of Rosarita. Through their growing friendship, Richard begins to develop a new appreciation for the country and its inhabitants.

Among those he meets are Don Miguel (Pedro de Cordoba), a respected local businessman, Roberto's mother Señora Ramos (Anna Demetrio), Brigida the Dueña (Rosina Galli), Manuel the Taxi Driver (Frank Yaconelli), Perez (Francisco Marán), and Gonzales (Carlos Villarías). Their warmth and hospitality gradually change Richard's outlook on life.

Richard also meets the beautiful Juanita (Marla Shelton). What begins as an attraction soon develops into genuine love. Unlike the shallow romances of his past, his relationship with Juanita gives him a sense of purpose and belonging. At the same time, he encounters Alexander Komac (Rudolph Anders), whose self-serving schemes remind Richard of the values he is beginning to reject. Penelope Carter (Joyce Compton), a glamorous acquaintance, rwhose presence helps him reflect on the life he has left behind.

As Richard spends more time in Rosarita, he becomes interested in the production and export of yerba mate, an important regional crop. Encouraged by Roberto and inspired by his growing feelings for Juanita, he abandons his idle existence and devotes himself to building a legitimate business. What begins as curiosity develops into a successful new career.
By the end of the film, Richard has undergone a complete transformation. No longer a restless playboy drifting from one diversion to another, he has found both love and purpose.

Choosing to remain in Rosarita, he embraces a future with Juanita and a promising career in the yerba mate trade. Thanks largely to Roberto's friendship and guidance, Richard discovers that the paradise he sought was not a place of luxury, but a life filled with meaningful work, lasting relationships, and genuine happiness.

A 1939 American Black & White film directed by Erle C. Kenton, Barney Briskin associate producer, screenplay by Weldon Melick, original story by Ian Hunter and Herbert Lewis, cinematography by Charles Schoenbaum, starring Bobby Breen, Kent Taylor, Marla Shelton, Rudolph Anders, Joyce Compton, Pedro de Cordoba, Rosina Galli, Anna Demetrio, Francisco Marán, Carlos Villarías, and Frank Yaconelli. Released by RKO Pictures.

Bobby Breen (1925-2016), born Isadore Borsuk in Montréal, Quebec, Canada, was a Canadian American actor and singer. He was a popular male child singer during the 1930s and reached major popularity with film and radio appearances. His parents were poor Jewish immigrants from Ukraine, and along with Breen's three older siblings migrated from Kyiv to Montreal, in 1927. Soon after, they relocated to Toronto. His singing talent as a boy soprano was discovered at the age of three. After traveling to Chicago in 1934, he began working with Gloria Swanson and Milton Berle in local theater productions. Breen went to Hollywood in 1935, where he received singing lessons from a vocal coach. Film producer Sol Lesser, who had discovered Jackie Coogan, signed Breen to RKO Radio Pictures. The boy soprano became a regular performer on Eddie Cantor's weekly CBS radio show. He signed a contract with Decca Records for a series of 78 rpm records in the late 1930s. The title song from "Let's Sing Again" (1936) became a success in the summer of 1936. Breen enlisted in the infantry in the U.S. Army during World War II. He and fellow Hollywood actor Mickey Rooney were assigned to entertain the troops. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. In the 1950s and 1960s, he worked as a singer in nightclubs and as a musical performer in stock theatre, later serving as a guest pianist for the NBC Symphony Orchestra on radio, and hosting a local TV show in New York. Breen was a favorite of The Beatles, and can be found between the "real" George Harrison and Marlene Dietrich on your "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album.

Soundtrack music:
"Tra-La-La" - Music by Nilo Menendez, Lyrics by Eddie Cherkose
"Rhythm of the Rio" - Music by Nilo Menendez, Lyrics by Eddie Cherkose

Mainly a vehicle for 12-year-old Bobby Breen, a young boy with the voice of a grown woman. This cheaply and indifferently made "filler" uses Breen's talents as a growing adult. Largely forgettable. By the way, yerba mate is real and sometimes consumed for health reasons. Whether that's a good thing is up for debate.