Panama Hattie (1942)

Director:

Norman Z. McLeod

Writers:

Herbert Fields (play), Buddy G. DeSylva (play),

Stars:

Red Skelton, Ann Sothern, Rags Ragland

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Red Skelton	...	Red
Ann Sothern	...	Hattie Maloney
Rags Ragland	...	Rags (as 'Rags' Ragland)
Ben Blue	...	Rowdy
Marsha Hunt	...	Leila Tree
Virginia O'Brien	...	Flo Foster
Alan Mowbray	...	Jay Jerkins, Dick's Butler
Dan Dailey	...	Dick Bulliard (as Dan Dailey Jr.)
Jackie Horner	...	Geraldine 'Gerry' Bulliet

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

father daughter relationship | navy | spy | bumbler | dancer | 

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Taglines:

Dance to the MIRACLE of COLE PORTER Songs!

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

September 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Loirinha do Panamá

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,097,907 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Loew's, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although Ethel Merman was passed over for the role of Hattie in this film, she later played the role in the TV production Panama Hattie costarring Art Carney and Ray Middleton.

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Crazy Credits

Lena Horne and The Berry Brothers are not credited in print, but are credited orally by the MC introducing "The Sping" number.

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Connections

Referenced in To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995)

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Soundtracks

"Hattie From Panama"
(1942) (uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Roger Edens
Sung and danced by Six Hits and a Miss and The Music Maids

User Reviews

More Talent Than Material

Okay, taken as a whole, the movie is pretty much a mess, particularly the storyline, which even by generous standards of the Hollywood musical is pretty much impossible. But then, the screenplay involves eight writers, eight, so no wonder the elements don't gel. Then too, I gather from TCM that portions were either added or re-shot after disastrous previews. That too is not surprising given the large number of featured players, with some like Dailey and Esmond left to drift around the edges. Add the undistinguished musical numbers, except of course for Horne's eye-catching and tuneful Just One of Those Things, and the 80- minutes amounts to a disappointment.

However, there are compensations. The first half is lively, featuring two amusing encounters —an irrepressible little Gerry versus an over-dressed Hattie; and a fiercely snooty Jenkins versus everyone else. These are energetic and colorful little comedy segments—too bad the rest doesn't reach this level, especially the under-inspired and over-long mansion knock- about sequence. Nonetheless, Ragland and Skelton are a natural team and would go on to bigger and better routines.

There's also a subtext typical of the times. Note how much of the comedic effort involves puncturing the pretensions of the stuffy Leila and Jenkins. It's really an effort to make "regular guys" out of the elite. After all, winning the war requires submerging social distinctions into the one-for-all and all-for-one democratic spirit, as symbolized in the everyone-on-stage finale. Anyway, the movie looks to me like a good example of a cast being a lot better than the material. .