Panama hat mountain range. Hat weaving and wearing grew steadily in Ecuador through the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1835, Manuel Alfaro, a man who in many ways can be considered the grandfather of the Panama hat, arrived in Montecristi to make his name and fortune in Panama hats. He set up a Panama hat business with his main objective being exportation. Cargo ships from Guayaquil and Manta were filled with his merchandise and headed to the Gulf of Panama. His business prospered as more and more Gold Rush prospectors arrived and passed through Panama needing a hat for the sun. One
Hats Off (1927 film) police van eventually carts all those involved away except Stan and Ollie, who afterwards try to find their own headgear amongst the hundreds of others lying on the street. "Hats Off" was an enormous success when first released which made considerable headway in establishing the Laurel and Hardy team with the public. After being last publicly shown in Germany in 1930, "Hats Off" vanished without a trace, and is now considered a lost film. Laurel and Hardy historian Randy Skretvedt dubbed "Hats Off" the "Holy Grail of Laurel and Hardy movies." Hats Off (1927 film) Hats Off is a lost