Lost in Translation: odd classic film titles in Portuguese - screwball comedy edition

 

Here we are again, at yet another edition of the beloved - at least by me - series “Lost in Translation”. This time we talk about one of the most cherished film genres, that produced movies that made people laugh and forget their troubles. Many screwball masterpieces were also a box-office failure when they were first exhibited, but they stood the test of time and are now considered some of the best movies ever made by critics, filmmakers and cinephiles.

One curious tidbit is that there is no direct translation of “screwball comedy” in Portuguese. We either refer to the original term or try an approximation - I usually say “zany” or “wacky” comedies whe talking about screwball. Now let’s see some fun titles in Brazilian Portuguese:    

“Bombshell” (1933) received the title “Mademoiselle Dynamite” (“Mademoiselle Dinamite”)

“The Thin Man” (1934) is here “The Accused’s Supper” (“A Ceia dos Acusados”)

“Mr Deeds Goes to Town” (1936) got the title “The Dashing Mr Deeds” (“O Galante Mr Deeds”)

“My Man Godfrey” (1936) became “Irene, the Stubborn” (“Irene, a Teimosa”)

“Libeled Lady” (1936) is here “Married to my Fiancée” (“Casado com Minha Noiva”)

“Easy Living” (1937) received the title “Lucky Girl” (“Garota de Sorte”)

“The Awful Truth” (1937) is known as “Cupid is a Stubborn Brat” (“Cupido é Moleque Teimoso”)

“Bringing Up Baby” (1938) received the title “Mischievous” (“Levada da Breca” is a hard-to-translate slang)

“You Can’t Take It with You” (1938) was translated as “From the World You Take Nothing” (“Do Mundo Nada se Leva”)

“The Philadelphia Story” (1940) got the title “Wedding of Scandal” (“Núpcias de Escândalo”)

“His Girl Friday” (1940) is known as “Fasting of Love” (“Jejum de Amor”)

“The Lady Eve” (1941) became “The Three Nights of Eve” (“As Três Noites de Eva”)

“Sullivan’s Travels” (1941) received the title “Human Contrasts” (“Contrastes Humanos”)

“The Palm Beach Story” (1942) is known as “A Real Woman” (“Mulher de Verdade”)  

“The Man who Came to Dinner” (1942) received the title “Satan Dines with Us” (“Satã Janta Conosco”)

“The More the Merrier” (1943) is here “Original Sin” (“Original Pecado”)

“Arsenic and Old Lace” (1944) became “This World is a Loony House” (“Este Mundo é um Hospício”)

“Christmas in Connecticut” (1945) got the title “Indiscretion” (“Indiscrição”)

Lost in Translation: odd classic film titles in Portuguese - Hitchcock edition

 

August is a very Hitchcockian month. It marks Alfred Hitchcock’s birthday- on August 13th - and also the birthday of his wife and constant collaborator, Alma Reville - on August 14th. They were both born in 1899, which means that Alfred was only one day older than Alma!

I’ve written about Hitchcock’s life and work in several occasions over the years - I even wrote the opening article for a book about the Master of Suspense. He may not be my all-time favorite director - the soft spot in my heart belongs to my almost alter-ego Orson Welles - but, like many cinephiles and most classic film fans, I hold Hitchcock dearly. Now let’s take a look at how the titles of his movies were translated to Portuguese! As always, the titles not mentioned here were translated verbatim.

 

“Downhill” (1927) became “Decadence” (“Decadência”)

 

“Easy Virtue” (1927) is here “Public Woman” (“Mulher Pública”)

 

“The Manxman” (1929) received the title “Between the Law and the Heart” (“Entre a Lei e o Coração”)

 

“Blackmail” (1929) is known as “Blackmail and Confession” (“Chantagem e Confissão”)

 

“The Skin Game” (1931) became “Dirty Game” (“Jogo Sujo”)

 

“Number 17” (1932) is here “The Mystery of Number 17” (“O Mistério do N° 17”)

 

“Sabotage” (1936) received, on the original release, the title…. “The Husband was Guilty” (“O Marido era o Culpado”)

 

“The Lady Vanishes” (1938) is known as “The Hidden Woman” (“A Mulher Oculta”)

“Jamaica Inn” (1939) became “The Damned Inn” (“A Estalagem Maldita”)

 

“Rebecca” (1940), Hitchcock’s first Hollywood movie, received here a subtitle: “Rebecca, the Unforgettable Woman” (“Rebecca, a Mulher Inesquecível”)

 

“Mr and Mrs Smith” (1941) got a slang as a title that can be translated as “A Naughty Couple” (“Um Casal do Barulho”)

 

“Lifeboat” (1944) is known as “One Boat and Nine Destinies” (“Um Barco e Nove Destinos”)

 

“Spellbound” (1945) became “When the Heart Talks” (“Quando Fala o Coração”)

 

“Notorious” (1946) received the title “Interlude” (“Interlúdio”)

 

“The Paradine Case” (1947) is here “Love Agony” (Agonia de Amor”)

 

“Rope” (1948) is known as “Diabolical Feast” (“Festim Diabólico”)

 

“Stage Fright” (1950) got the title “Terror Backstage” (“Pavor nos Bastidores”)

 

“Strangers on a Train” (1951), my favorite Hitchcock movie, is here “Sinister Pact” (“Pacto Sinistro”)

 

“I Confess” (1953), became “The Torture of Silence” (“A Tortura do Silêncio”)

 

“Rear Window” (1954), is known here as “Indiscreet Window” (“Janela Indiscreta”)

“To Catch a Thief” (1955) received the title “White Collar Thief” (“Ladrão de Casaca”)

 

“The Trouble with Harry” (1955) is here “The Third Shot” (“O Terceiro Tiro”)

 

The masterpiece “Vertigo” (1958) received the title “A Body that Falls” (“Um Corpo que Cai”)

 

“North by Northwest” (1959) is known here as “International Intrigue” (“Intriga Internacional”)

 

“Psycho” is here “Psychosis” (“Psicose”)

 

“Marnie” (1964) also received a subtitle: “Marnie, Confessions of a Thief” (“Marnie, Confissões de uma Ladra”)

 

“Family Plot” (1976), Hitchcock’s final movie, is known as “Macabre Plot” (“Trama Macabra”)

Lost in Translation: odd classic film titles in Portuguese – Billy Wilder edition

 

Ah, Billy Wilder. A master, a genius, a legend. He was born in Austria-Hungary, where it is Poland now, and wanted to be a lawyer, but found everlasting fame working behind the scenes in Hollywood. Coming from Berlin to the US in 1933, without knowing how to speak English, Wilder and his roommate, Peter Lorre, ended up making it big in Hollywood. Wilder started as a screenwriter and later became a director. A fantastic director: he rarely made a bad movie. To honor him in the “Lost in Translation” series, I present some curious titles his films received in Brazil. The titles not mentioned in this article were translated verbatim.

“That Certain Age” (1938) became “Dangerous Age” (Idade Perigosa”)

“What a Life” (1939) received the title “Life Begins at 14” (“A Vida Começa aos 14”)

“Hold Back the Dawn” (1942) is here “The Golden Door” (“A Porta de Ouro”)

“The Major and the Minor” (1942) was released as “The Incredible Suzana” (“A Incrível Suzana”)

“Double Indemnity” (1944) is here “Blood Pact” (“Pacto de Sangue”)

“The Lost Weekend” (1945) became “Human Rag” (“Farrapo Humano”)

“The Bishop’s Wife” (1947) received the title “An Angel Fell from Heaven” (“Um Anjo Caiu do Céu”)

“Sunset Boulevard” (1950) is known as “Dawn of the Gods” (“Crepúsculo dos Deuses”)

“Ace in the Hole” (1951) is here “The Mountain of the 7 Vultures” (“A Montanha dos Sete Abutres”)

“Stalag 17” (1953) received the title “Hell Number 17” (“O Inferno Nº 17”)

“The Seven-Year Itch” (1955) is known as “Sin Lives Next Door” (“O Pecado Mora ao Lado”)

“The Spirit of St Louis” (1957) became “Lonely Eagle” (“Águia Solitária”)

“Some Like It Hot” (1959) is known as “The Hotter, the Better” (“Quanto Mais Quente Melhor”)

“The Apartment” (1960) was retitled as “If my Apartment Could Talk” (“Se meu Apartmento Falasse”)

“One, Two, Three” (1961) is here “Cupid has no Flag” (“Cupido não tem Bandeira”)

“The Fortune Cookie” (1966) was retitled as “A Blonde for a Million” (“Uma Loura por um Milhão”)

Lost in Translation: Odd classic film titles in Portuguese - musical edition

 

Mamma mia, here we go again! No, “Mamma Mia” is not among the titles showcased this time at yet another installment of “lost in translation”. This month, it’s all about singing and dancing flicks - it’s all about musicals! So let’s go:

“Dames” (1934) received the title “Women and Music” (“Mulheres e Música”)

“Top Hat” (1935) became “O Picolino” (“The Picolino”, after one of the songs)

“Swing Time” (1936) received the title “Crazy Rhythm” (“Ritmo Louco”)

“The Gang’s All Here” (1943) received the title “Between the Blonde and the Brunette” (“Entre a Loura e a Morena”)

The underrated “Blue Skies” (1946) became “Unfinished Romance” (“Romance Inacabado”) 

“Take Me Out to the Ball Game” (1949) is here “The Beautiful Dictator” (“A Bela Ditadora”)

“An American in Paris” (1951) became “Symphony from Paris” (“Sinfonia de Paris”)

“Million Dollar Mermaid” (1952) received the title “The Queen of the Sea” (“A Rainha do Mar”)

“Funny Face” (1957) is called “Cinderella in Paris” (“Cinderela em Paris”)

“West Side Story” (1961) became “Love, Sublime Love” (“Amor, Sublime Amor”)

“What a Way to Go!” (1962), one of my favorite movies, is here “The Lady and Her Husbands” (“A Senhora e seus Maridos”)

“The Sound of Music” (1965) is known as “The Rebellious Novice” (“A Noviça Rebelde”)

“All That Jazz” (1979) received the title “The Show Must Go On” (“O Show Deve Continuar”)