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Panama Hattie

Play trailer Poster for Panama Hattie 1942 1h 19m Musical Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 4 Reviews 36% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Hattie (Ann Sothern), the boisterous, lovable owner of a Panama hotel --- which is more of a temporary home to American sailors with names like Red (Red Skelton) and Rowdy (Ben Blue) than high-society types --- finds herself thrown for a loop when she falls for the rich and urbane Dick Bullitt. Though love supposedly can conquer all, including obvious class differences, Dick and Hattie must first survive the sabotaging attempts from Dick's enamored admirer, rich girl Leila Tree (Marsha Hunt).
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Panama Hattie

Critics Reviews

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Paul Trench London Evening Standard 05/26/2021
Red Skelton is a comic sailor. Virginia O'Brien, the dead-pan singer, stops the show with a Cole Porter number. Go to Full Review Michael E. Grost Classic Film and Television 05/14/2017
Otherwise poor musical has some good dance numbers directed by Vincente Minnelli, as an apprentice starting Hollywood film making. Go to Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 04/26/2011
C
A low-brow musical that doesn't bear the stylistic signature of Vincente Minnelli, not to mention the fact that Ann Sothern is not Ethel Merman, who did it on Broadway. Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 05/21/2010
C
The wartime musical/comedy Panama Hattie was a hit on Broadway for songwriter Cole Porter and its star Ethel Merman. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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08/09/2019 Watch this for the lovely Ann Sothern. See more 12/03/2017 Not the best script, but several great ideas are well shot and strung together well enough to entertain. See more 06/04/2015 Much-maligned MGM musical is pretty good until the half-way point when it disintegrates into a silly WWII spy spoof; based on the Cole Porter Broadway hit and including the songs "I've Still Got My Health," "Let's Be Buddies," "Fresh As a Daisy" and "Just One of Those Things" sung by Lena Horne. See more Read all reviews
Panama Hattie

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Cast & Crew

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Norman Z. McLeod

Director

Ann Sothern

Hattie Maloney

Red Skelton

Red

Rags Ragland

Rags

Ben Blue

Rowdy

Marsha Hunt

Leila Tree
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Panama Hattie

Panama Hattie (1942) Panama Hattie (1942) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Hattie (Ann Sothern), the boisterous, lovable owner of a Panama hotel --- which is more of a temporary home to American sailors with names like Red (Red Skelton) and Rowdy (Ben Blue) than high-society types --- finds herself thrown for a loop when she falls for the rich and urbane Dick Bullitt. Though love supposedly can conquer all, including obvious class differences, Dick and Hattie must first survive the sabotaging attempts from Dick's enamored admirer, rich girl Leila Tree (Marsha Hunt).
Director
Norman Z. McLeod
Producer
Arthur Freed
Screenwriter
Jack McGowan, Wilkie C. Mahoney
Production Co
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre
Musical
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 1, 1942, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 1, 2009
Runtime
1h 19m
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