Panama Hattie

Ann Sothern is "Panama Hattie" in this 1942 film based on the Broadway musical starring Ethel Merman. Also starring are Dan Dailey, Red Skelton, Rags Ragland, Ben Blue, Virginia O'Brien (as Flo, originated on Broadway by Betty Hutton), Marsha Hunt, Lena Horne and the Berry Brothers. The story concerns a vivacious nightclub singer (Sothern) who falls in love with a man (Dailey) who has a young daughter, but she has competition from a socially prominent woman who warns Hattie that she's not of his class and won't make a good wife. There is a subplot concerning spies who are uncovered by three sailors (Skelton, Ragland and Blue).

This a very old-fashioned musical comedy plot with pleasant music, the highlight being "Just One of Those Things" as sung by the beautiful Lena Horne. The singing from Sothern and O'Brien is very good, and Sothern does well as the insecure, vulnerable and sometimes overdressed singer. The problem for me are the Three Stooges-like sailors - a little bit of that goes a long way.

Watch it for the singing and the patriotic "Good Neighbors" finale - it was wartime.