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This one feels like a second-tier throwaway from MGM’s infamous Arthur Freed unit. Panama Hattie is only as good and entertaining as any individual scene in the movie, and some of it is truly uninspired or downright dumb. I’m thinking of just about any of the scenes with a precocious Jackie Horner and several scenes with a mugging trio of sailors (Red Skelton, Rags Ragland, and Ben Blue) as particular low points. While Ann Sothern is a brassy delight throughout, giving her all and a charismatic movie star-style performance no matter how questionable the material. The undeniable highlight of the film is “The Spring,” a musical sequence that brings together Lena Horne’s vocals, the Berry Brothers dancing, and Vincente Minnelli’s staging. It’s an isolated moment of solid gold in an otherwise tepid, uneven film.
