For thirty years (1936-66), this American screenwriter, director and producer of popular comedy fare worked mostly successfully in collaboration with college chum Melvin Frank, forming an unusual partnership in which they not only shared writing and producing duties, but also co-directed features. Panama and Frank met while undergraduates at the University of Chicago, where they formed a writing team. Migrating to Hollywood in 1938, they wrote comedy material for Bob Hope's radio broadcasts, eventually, working for Phil Baker and Rudy Vallee as well. In 1942, the duo was hired by Paramount and
