Nancy Goes to Rio is a 1950 American Technicolor musical-comedy film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and produced by Joe Pasternak from a screenplay by Sidney Sheldon, based on a story by Jane Hall, Frederick Kohner, and Ralph Block.

On the closing night of a Broadway play, leading actress Frances Elliott (Ann Sothern) hosts a party attended by many guests, including her eccentric father Gregory (Louis Calhern), who is also an actor; her seventeen-year-old daughter, Nancy Barklay (Jane Powell), an aspiring actress; and Brazilian playwright Ricardo Domingos, who is considering starring Frances in his next play.

On board the ship, businessman Paul Berten overhears Nancy rehearsing her lines and mistakenly concludes that she is a deserted wife and an expectant mother.

The 1940 Universal film It's a Date, produced by Joe Pasternak, directed by William A. Seiter and starring Deanna Durbin and Kay Francis, was also based on Jane Hall, Frederick Kohner and Ralph Block's screen story.

He criticizes the plot as trivial and lacking strength, though he acknowledges a few pleasant songs and charismatic performances, particularly from Powell, Ann Sothern, and Louis Calhern.

Crowther also points out a misunderstanding in the plot that adds forced humor and notes that, while Powell is talented, she falls short of her potential in this type of film.

Director Robert Z. Leonard is praised for keeping the film's pace dynamic and avoiding heavy moments, ensuring the story remains escapist.

[6] The St. Petersburg Times lauds Nancy Goes to Rio, noting its "cheerful songs, harmonious costumes, abundant laughter, and beautiful landscapes," making it a "thoroughly enjoyable" movie.

[7] Dave Kehr of the Chicago Reader considers Nancy Goes to Rio an interesting idea for an MGM musical, with the dynamic of a mother and daughter team of prospectors, but he points out that Robert Z. Leonard’s direction leaves the film lacking in charm.

He mentions the cast, which includes Ann Sothern, Jane Powell, Barry Sullivan, Carmen Miranda (whose career was winding down), and Louis Calhern.