While the credits list Red Skelton and Ann Sothern as the leads in this film, it certainly is NOT a Skelton film...though he is in it. In fact, he plays a smaller supporting role--one of three lovable dumbbell sailors who help out the title character. So, if you are a big Skelton fan (like me),you'll probably find the film to be a big disappointment.

The film is set in Panama but clearly is a script based on a stage production in style. In other words, the plot seems to be very thin and often nonsensical and the production is stuffed full of songs. The songs, while by Cole Porter, aren't especially memorable but the dance numbers by the uncredited Berry Brothers are awfully good.

The plot is just plain goofy. Hattie (Sothern) has somehow fallen in love with a soldier (Dan Dailey) who comes from a fancy-shmancy family...which is a problem since Hattie is just a dame who sings in nightclubs. The mismatch is obvious when she meets the guy's daughter, a precocious brat if you've ever seen one. Can Hattie, with help from her three idiot friends, somehow win over the child and marry the guy? Along the way, it gets SUPER strange--with spies, big production numbers and none of of makes a lot of sense. On top of that, the writing is occasionally poor...and I found myself guessing the punchlines of most of the jokes. It isn't that I am some genius...the writing was just very weak. Overall, mildly entertaining at best.

Cole Porter and Ethel Merman struck gold on stage with half a dozen hits but the movie versions of these shows greatly edited down his songs, made alterations to the stories, and gave da Merm's part to contract players. "Panama Hattie" went to M.G.M's Maisie, only changing the name to Hattie which makes the role indistinguishable for star Ann Sothern. Add in newcomer Red Skelton, comic sidekicks Rags Ragland and Ben Blue, and it is obvious that this is a streamlined version of a stage hit that ran for over 500 performances.

The plot switches gears from romance to farce, easily wrapping up each plot in order to throw in some specialty numbers. Lena Horne has a cameo singing, very briefly, "Just one of Those Things", and later the mediocre "The Sping", which at least a lively dance sequence to go with it. Virginia O'Brien gets at least a character to play in addition to her two deadpan songs. Sothern does get two of Merman's hits and is especially memorable with "I've still got my Health". Also retained is "Let's Be Buddies", Hattie's duet with potential stepdaughter Jackie Horner. Future Betty Grable partner Dan Dailey is Sothern's love interest and Marsha Hunt a bitchy rival, but both are wasted. But in retrospect, this has a rushed together feeling that makes it no more special than many of M.G.M.'s programmers.

After years of only reading a bit about this movie, I finally saw Panama Hattie on a DVD I borrowed from the library. Adapted from a Cole Porter musical comedy, this film version only retains 4 of his songs from it with another one he wrote called "Just One of Those Things" from another musical he wrote it for. Lena Horne sang that one and another song written by someone else which she performs with The Berry Brothers dancers who also have another number. The stars are Ann Sothern in the title role and Red Skelton as one of three sailors-the others being Rags Ragland and Ben Blue-who are involved in a plot to expose spies. Ms. Sothern has a romantic subplot involving her romance with Dan Dailey but really, it doesn't really go anywhere while the sailors/spies one at least has some good laughs. Oh, and since this was made during wartime, it ends with a number meant to get America cheering the eventual destruction of the Japs which while understandable for the time it was made sounds very politically incorrect today. But none of this is supposed to be taken seriously so on that note, Panama Hattie is worth a look for anyone interested in these vintage old movies.