''Panama Flo'' is a 1932 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was an era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry that occurred between the widespread adoption of sound in film in the late 1920s and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship gui ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Ralph Murphy Ralph Murphy (May 1, 1895 – February 10, 1967) was an American film and television director. Born in Rockville, Connecticut, Murphy was active in films from 1931 through 1962, with some work in television. From 1941 to 1944 he was married to G ...

and written by Garrett Fort. The film stars

Helen Twelvetrees Helen Marie Twelvetrees ( Jurgens; December 25, 1908 – February 13, 1958) was an American actress. She starred in Hollywood films in the sound film era from 1929 to 1939. Many of her roles were of "suffering women,” which reflected her tumul ...

Robert Armstrong Robert Armstrong may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Robert Armstrong (actor) (1890–1973), film actor *Robert Armstrong (cartoonist) (born 1950), American underground comics artist and musician, coined the term "couch potato" Fictional charac ...

Charles Bickford Charles Ambrose Bickford (January 1, 1891 – November 9, 1967) was an American actor known for supporting roles. He was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for '' The Song of Bernadette'' (1943), '' The Fa ...

, Marjorie Peterson and

Maude Eburne Maude Eburne (born Maud Eburne Riggs, November 10, 1875 – October 15, 1960) was a Canadian character actress of stage and screen, known for playing eccentric roles. Early years Eburne was born the daughter of John and Mary Riggs, in Bron ...

. The film was released on January 19, 1932, by

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the major film studios, "Big Five" film studios of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood's Clas ...

. In the film, an American dancer is stranded in South America following the cancellation of a contract. She steals money from a

wildcatter A wildcatter is an individual who drills wildcat wells, which are exploration oil wells drilled in areas not known to be oil fields. Notable wildcatters include Glenn McCarthy, Thomas Baker Slick Sr., Mike Benedum, Joe Trees, Clem S. Clark ...

in hope of returning to New York City, but the money is in turn stolen from her. The wildcatter forces the captured dancer to work as his housekeeper to repay her debt. They live together in a jungle area. The dancer's boyfriend contacts her with a money-making scheme, but he turns out to be untrustworthy.

Plot

In New York City, chorus girl Flo slips into a

speakeasy A speakeasy, also called a beer flat or blind pig or blind tiger, was an illicit establishment that sold alcoholic beverages. The term may also refer to a retro style bar that replicates aspects of historical speakeasies. In the United State ...

and says that she is being followed. She then orders a drink. A man is buzzed into the speakeasy and it turns out that he was following Flo. The two know each other and the man tells Flo she must return with him to South America. Flashback to Sadie's Place in South America a few years ago. Flo is stranded and broke when her dance troupe's contract is canceled. Sadie introduces Flo to McTeague, a wildcatter with a large bankroll, to steal his money to get back to New York. When the theft is discovered, McTeague drags Flo to where she lives. Flo had passed the money to her friend, who assisted the theft by leaving and was to meet Flo back at her apartment. Flo soon realizes her friend has run off without her and is threatened by McTeague that he will have Flo thrown in prison. After Flo pleads for mercy (while on the floor with some breast and leg exposed), McTeague is inspired to hire her as his housekeeper. She grudgingly accepts. McTeague takes Flo to his home in the jungle where he continues to harass her. Babe, a pilot and Flo's boyfriend, left Flo for a two-week assignment the day that Flo met McTeague. Babe lands his plane that needs repairs at McTeague's. Babe is unaware of Flo's presence, but she knows he is there and sneaks away to him that night. Sadie sent Babe to rescue Flo and they pretend to not know each other. Earlier during a night of binge-drinking, McTeague had told Flo he knew where the richest oil fields are and one day he would be king. Babe finds a chance to tell Flo that McTeague is a crook and they need to find the information on the oil. The next day Babe takes off on his seaplane but lets Flo know he'll be back for her. Before Babe leaves he says he'll probably see him again in Panama. McTeague seems puzzled about the reference and leaves Flo alone to visit the natives and before leaving, gives her a loaded gun in case of trouble. Babe returns for Flo but won't leave until he find the papers regarding the oil. In his excitement over finding the papers, he reveals he is the criminal and would never marry her. Intent on getting away, Flo threatens to shoot Babe and does so when he tries to leave. McTeague realizes the Panama reference and heads home where he finds Babe dead. Flo believes she killed Babe and McTeague lets her believe it. He puts Babe's body in his plane and sinks it. McTeague sends Flo to New York. Back to the present, Flo learns she didn't kill Babe and that McTeague shot Babe through the heart. McTeague tries to explain why he let her believe she killed Babe. Flo refuses his offer of making it up to her, tells McTeague she has no need of his money and points to a Rolls-Royce parked on the street. She tells him it belongs to the richest oilman and it's hers too. Flo leaves McTeague, approaches the car and asks the driver to let her get in and simply drive around the block. The driver refuses and she walks down the street forlornly. The owner of the car approaches and the driver tells the man he has something on his tie. The owner is McTeague and he tells the driver to follow Flo. Flo stops at a window to adjust her outdated clothing. She turns to walk away as the feet of a man are shown approaching, presumably McTeague.

Cast

as Flo *

as Babe *

as McTeague *Marjorie Peterson as Pearl *

as Sadie *

Paul Hurst Paul Michael Hurst (born 25 September 1974) is an English football manager and former player. As a player, he was a left back from 1993 to 2008, notably playing his entire career at Rotherham United, bar a brief loan spell with Burton Albion i ...

as Al *Reina Velez as Chacra *

Hans Joby Hans Joby (3 August 1884 – 30 April 1943) was an Austrian film actor. He appeared in 63 films between 1920 and 1944. He was also billed as "Captain John Peters", and often played aristocratic Prussian-types, memorably in Laurel and Hardy' ...

as Pilot

Release

''Panama Flo'' was previewed at the Alexandria Theatre in Glendale, California, before its general released.

Critical Response

''International Cinematographer'' said that Bickford gave the film's strongest performance as the second lead, outshining stars Twelvetrees and Armstrong; the film's "abundance of color, particularly in the jungle and water scenes and general atmosphere" was noted, and reviewer George Blaisdell singled out Maude Eburne's and Paul Hurst's performances for special praise.Blaisdell, George. "Looking In on Just a Few New Ones." ''The International Photographer'' Vol. 3 No. 12 p30. February, 1932. Accessed 7 May 2023.

Remake

The film was remade into the

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedian, producer, and studio executive. She was recognized by ''Time (magazine), Time'' in 2020 as one of the most influential women of the 20th century for h ...

vehicle '' Panama Lady'' (1939), though the remake offered a sanitized version of the plot's events.

References

External links

* {{Ralph Murphy 1932 films 1930s dance films American black-and-white films RKO Pictures films Films directed by Ralph Murphy 1932 drama films American drama films Films scored by Arthur Lange 1930s English-language films Films with screenplays by Garrett Fort Films set in New York City Films set in South America Films set in jungles Films about petroleum Domestic workers in films 1930s American films