Friday Night Videos

Today, Carmen Miranda is remembered--if she's remembered at all--as the lady who wore outrageous hats piled high with fruit. That's pretty much it. It's kind of astonishing that this woman, who was one of the highest-paid stars in Hollywood during the 1940s, is so utterly forgotten. Part of that is probably due to her death from a massive heart attack at the young age of 46. Even so, it's hard to believe her legacy is so forgotten. The Brazilian performer had an excellent singing voice, was a skilled dancer but, more importantly, simply oozed carisma. Her facial expressions and body language effortlessly convey more personality in a few moments than most performers manage in an entire career. She rocketed to fame fueled by her "exotic" image, but as her career progressed (or failed to progress, depending on one's perspective) she grew to resent being typecast as "South American Woman" and not allowed to display her entire range. So, she was wildly successful yet that success boxed her in. I think all of those elements are on display in "The Lady in the Tutti Frutti Hat." Sometimes a giant banana is just a giant banana.

Previously on Friday Night Videos... Otyken.

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