1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a deep bowl, cream the cheese, sugar and ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon together, mashing and beating them against the sides of the bowl with a large spoon until light and fluffy. Set aside.
2. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat. When the foam begins to subside, add 4 or 5 of the banana halves and brown them lightly on sides, turning them over gently with a spatula and regulating the heat so that they color evenly without burning. As they brown, transfer the bananas to a plate and set them aside while you brown the remaining halves.
3. Lay 6 of the banana halves side by side cut side down in a shallow baking-and-serving dish large enough to hold them easily, and spread about half the cream-cheese mixture over them. Arrange the remaining bananas on top and spread them with the rest of the cream cheese.
4. Pour in the cream and bake in the middle of the oven until the bananas are tender but still intact and the cream-cheese sauce is golden brown and bubbly. Sprinkle the top with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and serve at once, directly from the baking dish.
