''Panama Hattie'' is a 1942 American film based upon the Broadway musical of the same name. It was produced by

Arthur Freed Arthur Freed (September 9, 1894 – April 12, 1973) was an American lyricist and Hollywood film producer. He won the Academy Award for Best Picture twice, in 1951 for '' An American in Paris'' and in 1958 for '' Gigi''. Both films were musicals. ...

and directed by

Norman Z. McLeod Norman Zenos McLeod (September 20, 1898 – January 27, 1964) was an American film director, screenwriter and cartoonist. McLeod's most acclaimed work was made in collaboration with major comic performers of the 1930s, and included such films as ...

Plot summary

Cast

Red Skelton Richard Red Skelton (July 18, 1913September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer best known for his national radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the television program ''The Red Skelton Show''. He has stars ...

as Red *

Ann Sothern Ann Sothern (born Harriette Arlene Lake; January 22, 1909 – March 15, 2001) was an American actress who worked on stage, radio, film, and television, in a career that spanned nearly six decades. Sothern began her career in the late 1920 ...

as Hattie Maloney *

Rags Ragland Rags Ragland (born John Lee Morgan Beauregard Ragland, August 23, 1905 – August 20, 1946) was an American comedian and character actor. Personal life Ragland was born on August 23, 1905, in Louisville, Kentucky, to parents Adam Joseph Ragland ...

as Rags (as 'Rags' Ragland) *

Ben Blue Ben Blue (born Benjamin Bernstein; September 12, 1901 – March 7, 1975) was a Canadian-American actor and comedian who had a career that spanned nearly 50 years. Early life He was born Benjamin Bernstein in Montreal, Quebec on Septe ...

as Rowdy * Marsha Hunt as Leila Tree *

Virginia O'Brien Virginia Lee O'Brien (April 18, 1919 – January 16, 2001) was an American actress, singer, and radio personality known for her comedic singing roles in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musicals of the 1940s. Life and career O'Brien primarily performed in ...

as Flo Foster *

Alan Mowbray Alan Mowbray (born Alfred Ernest Allen; 18 August 1896 – 25 March 1969) was an English stage and film actor who found success in Hollywood. Early life Mowbray was born in London, England. He served with distinction in the British Army in Wo ...

as Jay Jerkins, Dick's Butler *

Dan Dailey Daniel James Dailey Jr. (December 14, 1915 – October 16, 1978) was an American dancer and actor. He is best remembered for a series of popular musicals he made at 20th Century Fox such as '' Mother Wore Tights'' (1947). Biography Early life D ...

as Dick Bulliard (as Dan Dailey Jr.) *

Jackie Horner Jackie or Jacky may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackie (given name), a list of people and fictional characters named Jackie or Jacky ** Jackie, current ring name of female professional wrestler Jacqueline Moore ** Jackie Lee (I ...

as Geraldine 'Gerry' Bulliard

Notes

Substantial retakes were directed by

Roy Del Ruth Roy Del Ruth (October 18, 1893, Delaware – April 27, 1961) was an American filmmaker. Early career Beginning his Hollywood career as a writer for Mack Sennett in 1915, Del Ruth later directed his first short film ''Hungry Lions'' (1919) ...

with choreography by

Danny Dare Danny Dare (March 20, 1905, New York City – November 20, 1996, Tarzana, Los Angeles, California) was an American choreographer, actor, director, writer, and producer of the stage, screen, and film.Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 1996: Film, ...

and musical numbers staged by

Vincente Minnelli Vincente Minnelli (born Lester Anthony Minnelli; February 28, 1903 – July 25, 1986) was an American stage director and film director. He directed the classic movie musicals '' Meet Me in St. Louis'' (1944), '' An American in Paris'' (1951), ' ...

. The film used only four of Porter's songs and substituted other songs."'Panama Hattie' Film Version"
sondheimguide.com, accessed January 11, 2011 The cast featured

as Red,

as Hattie Maloney,

as Rags,

as Rowdy, Marsha Hunt as Leila Tree,

as Flo Foster,

as Jay Jerkins,

as Dick Bulliard and

Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American dancer, actress, singer, and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years, appearing in film, television, and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of th ...

as Singer in Phil's Place. Songs used in the film are as follows: * "Hattie from Panama" ( Roger Edens) – Chorus * "I've Still Got My Health" (Porter) – Ann Sothern * "Berry Me Not" ( Phil Moore) nstrumental, danced by the Berry Brothers* " Just One of Those Things" (Porter) – Lena Horne rom ''Jubilee''* "Fresh As a Daisy" (Porter) – Virginia O'Brien * "Good Neighbors" (Edens) – Red Skelton, Rags Ragland, Ben Blue and Chorus * "Let's Be Buddies" (Porter) – Sothern with Jackie Horner, and O'Brien with Alan Mowbray * " Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here" (

Arthur Sullivan Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (13 May 1842 – 22 November 1900) was an English composer. He is best known for 14 comic opera, operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including ''H.M.S. Pinaf ...

; Theodore F. Morse) nstrumental* "Did I Get Stinkin' At the Savoy" ( E. Y. Harburg and Walter Donaldson) – O'Brien * "The Sping" (Moore and J. LeGon) – Horne anced by the Berry Brothers* "The Son of a Gun Who Picks on Uncle Sam" (Harburg and Burton Lane) – Company

Reception

According to MGM records the film earned $1,798,000 in the US and Canada, $528,000 elsewhere, making the studio a profit of $474,000."101 Pix Gross in Millions" ''Variety'' 6 Jan 1943 p 58
/ref>

References

External links

* * * * {{Authority control 1942 films 1942 musical films American black-and-white films American musical films Films directed by Norman Z. McLeod Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films set in Panama 1940s American films