O Pátio das Cantigas

O Pátio das Cantigas (in English, The Courtyard of Songs) is a Portuguese film from 1942, directed by Francisco Ribeiro, "Ribeirinho", that takes place in a typical Lisbon neighbourhood during the Popular Saints festivals, through a maze of misunderstandings and innuendos, with Vasco Santana, António Silva, Laura Alves and Ribeirinho.

The film also stars António Silva, António Vilar, Armando Chagas, Barroso Lopes, Carlos Alves, Carlos Otero, Eliezer Kamenesky, Francisco de Castro, Graça Maria, Maria da Graça and Maria das Neves.

One of the most beloved comedies of the comédia à portuguesa, O Pátio das Cantigas represents the convergence of top talent of the time, most notably Ribeirinho who directed, his brother, António Lopes Ribeiro who produced and, joining both brothers on the writing credits, Vasco Santana. It was the first these three stars worked together and also the only film directed by Ribeirinho.

The script is based upon a set game of witty dialogues rife with innuendo and "double entendres", that admirably captured the atmosphere of a Lisbon neighbourhood and popular through the Saints celebrations, from a set of archetypical characters, meddling in their quarrels, confrontations and ambitions.