It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
Pan-Americana (1945) – Musical #435

Studio:
RKO Radio Pictures

Director:
John H. Auer

Starring:
Phillip Terry, Eve Arden, Audrey Long, Robert Benchley, Lita Baron (billed as Isabelita), Ernest Truex, Mac Cramer, Jane Greer (uncredited)
Specialty Acts: Rosario, Antonio El Bailarín, Miguelito Valdés, Harold and Lola Liebman, Louise Burnette, Chinita, Chuy Reyes and His Orchestra, Nestor Amaral and His Samba Band

Plot:
Western World magazine sends a womanizing photographer, Dan Jordan (Terry), to South America to photograph beautiful women. The magazine’s editor, Helen Hopkins (Arden), and staff writer Jo Anne Benson (Long), travel with Dan. Jo Anne is using the assignment to get to South America where her fiancé (Cramer) awaits. Meanwhile, Dan and Jo Anne fall in love.

Trivia:
• Robert Benchley was on loan from Paramount for this film.
• Jane Greer’s first film

Phillip Terry and Audrey Long

Highlights:
• Eve Arden
• Seeing the film scene through the “lens” of Phillip Terry’s camera.
• The dancing of Rosario and Antonio

Notable Songs:
• “Rumba Matumba” performed by Lita Baron
• “Guadalajara”
• “Stars in Your Eyes”
• “Babalu” performed by Miguelito Valdés
• “Negra Leono” performed by Lita Baron
• “Cuban Challenge”

My review:
In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced the Good Neighbor Policy to strength relations with South American countries. From that time until the mid-1940s, Latin American influence was infused into music, fashion trends and film themes — from the tunes of Xavier Cugat to Carmen Miranda becoming a star.

“Pan-Americana” (1945) is a movie musical of that era that reflects this sentiment in spades. In the film, a photographer played by Phillip Terry is assigned to travel through Mexico and South America to find the most beautiful woman in each country. The women will then be featured in a special issue of Western World Magazine. Eve Arden plays the magazine editor and Audrey Long plays the feature writer who travels with Terry.

Throughout the film, the music is filled with Latin American music, which is very enjoyable. Unfortunately, I was unable to note who some of the performers were above, because the online sources weren’t as detailed with that information. This is a shame, because I’d like to give them credit.

There are several excellent performances, but there is one standout. Audiences have the treat of hearing Miguelito Valdés perform “Babalu,” who made the son famous before Desi Arnaz performed it on “I Love Lucy.” The song includes an impressive dance number.

For me, the musical performances and elaborate costumes are what make this film fun. The leading cast is almost window dressing with a weak, but pleasant plot.

Phillip Terry is fairly bland, but he somehow works. Audrey Long is gorgeous, but not terribly memorable. Unsurprisingly, it’s Eve Arden and Robert Benchley who steal the show with their humor.

On a sad note, while Benchley still appeared in 11 feature films after this movie, several of those appearances were posthumous, as he died the same year “Pan Americana” was released.

Also don’t blink, or you’ll miss Jane Greer at the start of the film in her first film role.

As an added bonus, “Pan-Americana” is only 84 minutes, and much of that is filled with music.

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