Panama Lady

directed by Jack Hively
Category: "Drama"
Year of Release:1939
Date Added:09/15/2023
Date Watched:09/15/2023
Description:Lucy (Lucille Ball) is a dancer in a Panamanian nightclub. She's in love with Roy, a pilot and arms smuggler (although Lucy doesn't realize this). She gets fired by her boss and stranded by Roy. With no place to turn, she cooperates with her boss in the theft of money by oil prospector Dennis (Allan Lane). Dennis gives her a choice—jail or come to South America and be his "housekeeper." Lucy goes along, but to Dennis' surprise, she makes it clear that she intends to be his housekeeper and nothing more. Dennis already has a native housekeeper, Cheema, who is jealous of Lucy and tries to poison her. Soon, Lucy and Dennis become friends (and nothing more), and he agrees that she's paid off her debt from the robbery. Just then, his well strikes oil and he heads to the oil field. Roy shows up—his smuggling operation was broken up, and he's convinced Lucy talked. He intends to kill her on the way back to Panama by dropping her out of his plane. Then he finds Dennis' land claim for the oil well and intends to steal it. Lucy, glad at first that Roy came, can't let him steal Dennis' well. She tries to stop him. He hits her with a chair. She shoots at him and misses, then passes out. When she comes to, Dennis is there and Roy is dead. She and Dennis think Lucy shot him, so they hurry to get Lucy out of the country. She returns to New York where she tries to find work. Meanwhile Dennis discovers that it was really Cheema who killed Roy and tried to frame Lucy. Also, his oil well made him rich so he sold it and came looking for Lucy. He proposes. She refuses at first, but soon changes her mind.
My Rating:7

Reviews for Panama Lady

Review - Panama Lady

Some cheesy dialogue and B-movie sets and pacing. But I've become a fan of Lucille Ball's early film roles, somewhat to my surprise since I've never cared for her TV show. This is a remake of an earlier film in which it was made obvious that Lucy's character was a prostitute. This time, because of the code, I guess, it wasn't portrayed that way. Instead, she was just an innocent girl who couldn't get a break, and that's what made the movie for me. I could really feel for Lucy who kept getting in binds but kept her honor.

Reviewed by Roger on 2023-09-15 13:55:25

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