Episode #35 of Eventually Supertrain...

...is here.

Please, listen and enjoy.

This Way

Torchy Blane in Panama (1938)

 
There's been a bank robbery and murder during one of those awesome parades where guys dress up for their "Leopard Lodge" and act goofy in the name of whatever it is their lodge does. Gahagan is in the lodge. And he looks great in a leopard suit. McBride, Gahagan and a reporter named Canby follow the thief on a boat heading down to the Panama Canal. But, you can't leave Torchy Blane out of something like this. She parachutes into the ocean and gets picked up by the boat for Canal-related hijinks and a lot of time spend with a stuffed leopard.

 Gahagan?

Torchy Blane in Panama is #5 in the series. And there is no sign of Glenda Farrell. The story I remember hearing on TCM one morning when they aired one of the films was: Glenda's contract with WB was up. They tried to get her to stay but it didn't work. So, they brought on Lola Lane who was under contract. And, you know what? Lola's a charmer. She's superficially more attractive than Glenda. And she gets around quicker, what with the parachuting. But, she doesn't have the strange quirkiness that Glenda has. For one, she's missing the lisp. And Lola's missing those strange voices and inflections that Glenda would sometimes break into when surrounded by other reporters. Lola feels a little more calculated in her portrayal. Glenda seemed to embody the role.

Torchy #2 talks to McBride #2

Quirks gone, yes. But, Torchy #2 grows on the viewer as the film goes along. She's got all the gung-ho of Torchy #1 and it becomes charming, especially when she's snubbing McBride on the boat. And, I got to say, I really like the outfits she wears. especially the one at the climax. At one point, McBride says something like "There isn't another pair of pants like that in Panama." And he's probably right.

That's an outfit!

There isn't a whole lot of mystery in the movie. The burglar is pretty obvious and revealed fairly early on. He does, however, stuff all the money into the stuffed leopard. And that leopard almost falls off the boat several times. But, someone's always there to help save it. McBride doesn't actually do a whole heck of a lot, which is OK because Paul Kelly is too thin or something. I can't quite peg why he's wrong for the role. He needs more Load behind him to be McBride. And, they've toned down the Torchy/ Steve romance here, which is probably wise. Gahagan spends the movie dressed in leopard skins or showing Panamanian woman something written in Spanish that they laugh at a lot. I thought Gahagan was married? Well, that's Panama for you.

Action Torchy!

Torchy Blane in Panama is charming. As I said, Torchy #2 grows on you as the film goes along. By the end, I would have liked to see Lane take on another one of the series. But, it was not to be. Audiences weren't so thrilled. Torchy #1 and McBride #1 would return for three more adventures. Lola Lane would go on to do many more pictures, quite a few with her gaggle of sisters. Later in 1938, they would star in the Best Picture nominated Four Daughters. That film spawned three more films. I have not seen them so I don't know if Lola cracked wise throughout or not. Important things to remember: 1) her name is very similar to Lois Lane & 2) her birthday is the same as mine, May 21. So, I like her.

Some shots need no caption

If this bunch had returned for the next film, maybe I would have more to say. As it stands, Torchy Blane in Panama is a bit of a cul-de-sac in the series. Charming and entertaining but a cul-de-sac. Things would return to "normal" with Film #6.

 After the Ordeal

Blondes At Work (1938)

(Warning: This review contains spoilers.)

This is a weird one.

Marvin Spencer, owner of the Bon Ton Department store (not the one from Fibber McGee & Molly), is murdered. A big police investigation begins with Lt. McBride in charge. Reporter Torchy Blane is still out there, scooping everyone, one step ahead. (McBride and Torchy - still not married.) It all culminates in the "Trial of the Century." Or, at least, "the trial at the end of this movie."

 Torchy, lose the hat.

My description of the plot above is vague because Blondes at Work (the 4th Torchy film in about one year) isn't about the mystery. The Spencer investigation isn't terribly interesting. There are only two suspects and one of them is put on trial. The explanation for the murder is tossed off in the exact opposite way that everything was explained in Fly Away Baby. (That one had rapid fire, exciting realizations. This one has McBride casually describing what happened. Torchy nods along and occasionally interjects.) The mystery simply doesn't seem to be all that important.

 She's thinking about trading hats

This movie expands upon an element in the first half of the previous film, The Adventurous Blonde. Everyone thinks that McBride is giving his fiancee, Torchy, inside info so she can get the Big Scoops. I thought we'd resolved the issue in that movie. With the answer being: No. Torchy gets the scoops because she's a very good reporter. Apparently, someone felt that this needed to be dealt with in more detail so that's what Blondes At Work is all about. Frankly, I wasn't thrilled.

 What is Torchy's favorite food?

Once again, McBride is accused, by his boss, of giving Torchy inside info. McBride cuts Torchy's supply off. But, somehow, she remains on top of everything. Constantly scooping the police and their investigations. Extras from The Daily Star seem to be coming out hourly. How does she do it? Like the first film in the series (Smart Blonde), Torchy's investigations are followed at first. Then, McBride's sort of take over. But, in this film, there isn't much investigation going on. First, they talk to one suspect. Then, the next. It becomes all about Torchy being one step ahead.

 A room full of tough broads

And all this is fine and dandy. Torchy should be one step ahead. She's good at her job and she takes risks. But, then, the series shoots its whole premise in the foot with Gahagan's Diary. Now, Gahagan has spent three movies spouting poetry. So, why shouldn't be have a diary? But, his diary is not filled with poetry. It's filled with all the top secret info he found out during the day. And guess who sneaks into his car and reads it? Torchy. Can you see why this might be disappointing?

 That darn diary

Torchy is not getting all the hot leads through investigating. She is breaking into a police car and reading a diary filled with all her "hot leads." That's bad enough. But, Gahagan's Diary? Gahagan is the big, sweet, nice guy. Why him, Torchy? He always liked you? It's like discovering that The Count on Sesame Street  didn't go out and learn about numbers and counting on his own. He broke into Grover's townhouse and copied all of that monster's math notes, passing them off as his own. It's disappointing.

You were able to lose the first hat. How did you find this one?

The film almost gets away with it by having McBride cut off that avenue of information near the end and Torchy still has a final coup at the close of the trial. But, then it pulls out the narrative pistol and takes aim at its other foot. And it does not miss. Torchy hears that the verdict is going to be guilty and phones in the scoop. Then, she fakes a not guilty scoop so a rival paper will put out the wrong headline. (Sort of like what those reporters did to her in the previous film.) So far, so good.

But, it all ends with Torchy being arrested for Contempt of Court and put in jail. The final scene is her in jail, with McBride, waiting to go in front of the judge. McBride tells her how the mystery resolved itself. And, we see The Daily Star headline announcing the outcome...  and it's written by "Torchy Blane." McBride submitted the story under her name. The movie ends.

 Framed by Lola Lane

I don't know. This one left a sour taste in my mouth. The structure of the film reminded me of The Guermantes Way, the third volume of Proust's In Search of Lost Time. That book spends what, to me, seemed like an inordinate amount of time with the de Guermantes, an unpleasant couple. Page after page made me think "Where is this all going?" And then, right at the end, there's a moment that sums the whole thing up and it is so perfect, so awesome, that it justifies everything. Blondes At Work is sort of like that because the mystery is pretty useless and so much time is spent on the police wondering "How is Torchy doing all this?" In the final scene, I hoped that there would be a moment that would make all this worthwhile. There isn't. It simply puts Torchy in her place and makes McBride the Big Man. And, to add insult to injury, Glenda Farrell will not be around for the next film.

I'm not sure if this guy is funny or not. (I'm not counting the combover.)

Blondes At Work is, technically, really no different from the other films in the series, just the tone and the De-emphasis of the mystery portion. It's always nice to see the characters but I can't say that I was altogether happy at the end of this film. Maybe a reboot (of sorts) will haul me back into it. Bring on, Lola Lane! Torchy #2.

The Adventurous Blonde (1937)

The third film in the Torchy Blane saga. Also, the third one released in 1937. This one expands the world of the reporters around Torchy and also features quite a bit of MacBride's superior, who does have an Irish accent. There's another murder to be solved. Gahagan is as gregarious as ever. And, in a very nice touch, reference is made to the previous Torchy films.

The Almost, but not quite, Happy Couple

That reference comes about from the plotline that drives the movie. A batch of reporters in the city believe that Torchy is getting all the great stories because she's engaged to Lt. MacBride. (They are trying to up that status to "married." The couple spend quite a bit of the movie trying to get married.) Now, Torchy is not above using MacBride when she needs a story. She's also not above stealing his badge and using it to open doors. But, the other reporters are mostly jealous. Torchy is very good.
That's why she gets the big stories.

Four Reporters & A Publisher

With the help of a newspaper publisher, a gaggle of four fast-talking reporters get a "fake murder" created using an actor, Harvey Hammond. as the victim. MacBride will investigate. Torchy will be there and report it. Then, it will be exposed as a fake, proving their point. But, as one might imagine, the actor actually winds up dead. And, it turns out that all the people in his household were actors that held grudges against him. Plus, there is the newspaper publisher's wife who may have had an affair Hammond...

 He's not dead yet...

The Adventurous Blonde is a fast-moving good time of a film. It begins with Torchy and MacBride on the way to get married. But, then that fake murder comes up. The investigation begins. There is a lot of time spent with the four reporters. And they all seem to be trying to do some sort of variation of The Dead End Kids. They're into mugging and being "wacky" as they set up their elaborate scheme. They may be a bit much. Once, however, the killing occurs, they fade and Torchy, with MacBride, take over.

 One of many headlines & news stories

I think the four reporters yakking it up in this film make me realize that I prefer my fast-talking and sharp-tongued reporters to be female. Male reporters acting like that just become annoying. I don't know if that makes me hilariously sexist but this film might make you think that too. Torchy is, as always, pretty wonderful. Luckily, the shenanigans between her and MacBride are still going strong. The fact that they can't quite seem to get married is a great running gag.

 Why has no one ever called me a mug?

The structure of the film is a bit wonky but, unlike Fly Away Baby, which also had an odd structure, this one is clearly moving towards a murder investigation. The body actually, properly, isn't discovered until halfway into the movie. Which means that the investigation is all in the second half. (Gosh, that is a lot of those four reporters in the first half, isn't it?) And something odd happens with the suspects for the murder. I'll try not to spoil anything...

There are four main suspects. One of them is the publisher's wife, who never seems to be an actual suspect. The other three are the actors in the "fake murder" who, throughout that portion of the film play other parts. Then, halfway through the movie, they become "themselves" and suspects. But, because they were playing different characters for so long, they never quite register as their actual characters. So, they become a series of faces that, out of their costumes, become a little tough to keep sorted in the mind. (Or, at least, my mind.)

 Gahagan!

At the same time, Torchy does some of the oddest detective work I've ever seen. It's quite cool to watch but, as with the suspects, it's slightly weird. Torchy arranges a final meeting for everyone in the police captain's office. Before all that, she spends much of the second half of the movie meeting with all of the suspects and convincing them that she thinks they didn't do it. So, during the final call out of the killer, the viewer really has no idea who Torchy is going to name. As the scene goes and the room fills up, events move faster and faster...  At some point in there, I realized who the killer was and was impressed with what Torchy did. It's not standard detective stuff. It's all done Torchy-style.

 MacBride draws his gun on a curtain

The Adventurous Blonde is pretty great. It's my favorite of the series so far. Those four reporters are annoying but they serve their plot purposes. And, luckily for us, Torchy and MacBride are still a strong couple, together or apart. The tying together of the three films through several references is a very nice touch. The series is flying high at this point. What's next?

Fly Away Baby (1937)

Torchy Blane hunts down a international jewel thief and murderer. With the climax in a zeppelin! That's Our Torchy. Welcome to the second film in the Torchy Blane series, which hit theaters around six months the first one, Smart Blonde. Torchy, McBride and Gahagan are back. This time, in a less concise film that the first one but definitely a more globe-trotting one.

A well-respected jeweler named Devereaux is murdered and a whole mess of diamonds are stolen. All fingers point towards Lucien (Sonny) Croy, the son of the publisher of one of Torchy's rival papers. Sonny goes on a round the world publicity trip. Torchy, along with several others including Gahagan, join them. But, is Sonny the killer? Or is it someone else on the trip? Or is it me? (It's not me.)

Torchy Stuns Extra!

The second film in the series kicks into high gear with a police car roaring through rear-projected streets. In quick succession, the viewer: a) learns that Gahagan is leaving the police force to become a detective b) finds out that Devereaux has been murdered c) discovers that Torchy was going to get a marriage license for her and McBride d) meets Hughie Sprague from another paper and e) meets Sonny Croy, who is, to put it gently, an entitled jackass.

 What a jackass. Right?

The investigations begin. Croy seems more and more guilty. A showgirl he was seeing (played by Marcia Ralston who was in Sh! The Octopus, which automatically makes Fly Away Baby a great movie by association) gives him an alibi. But, Torchy isn't convinced. And they all wind up on that round the world publicity trip where Torchy doggedly pursues her belief that Croy is the killer. We also get to hear Torchy pronounce Honolulu as "Ho-no-lu-la." That's the way my grandmother says it. I wonder if she was a reporter at one time?

Picture speaks for itself (It's a map of the U.S.)

This film is less of a mystery than the first film. I'm not 100% sure what genre this is exactly but...  it's when things are mysterious throughout. Then, in the end, the explanations fly together fast and crazy. It all makes sense. But, there's really no way the viewer could have pieced it all together. (Giallo films do that a lot.) It's not bad at all. In fact, the big rush of facts from Torchy and McBride as they stand in the hallway of a zeppelin, while a porter stares at them, is quite entertaining. But, it does mean that: if all the plot is going to pour it in the last four minutes, there's going to be some very fast talking. The best example of this is when McBride yells to the killer in the hallway. He's yelling the plot, proving that they know what's up. But, McBride almost stumbles across his words. It's charming. But, the viewer does need to pay attention because the actors are not allowing for pauses. (And, there's a possibility that something important may have been left out. I was previously satisfied that everything got explained. But, now I'm not so sure.)

 Exposition Whirlwind!

The film itself, while being as much fun as the first one and providing for a lot more variety in location, is rather lopsided. The first 30 minutes consist of the investigation, alongside the slow buildup of the round the world trip. And then the last 30 minutes is the jaunt itself, taking in Alameda, Honolulu, Frankfurt and others. The first half feels like a bit of a repeat of most of Smart Blonde, except Torchy is fairly certain of who the killer is. The second half takes off and might be a little too jam packed for it's own good.

"Flying Against Men" Thanks, Morning Herald.

It could be the round the world aspect that's throwing me off a bit. The first film tossed us right into the world of these characters as if they were pals. Now, they're leaving New York City for half of the film. Usually, it's 4 or 5 pictures into a series before the location is drastically altered. (It's eight movies into the Bowery Boys series before they Go Out West. The Police Academy team didn't hit Miami Beach until Part 5.) It seems a little too soon to me to take Torchy out of her locale. But, one can't argue with the fact that Torchy is cool anywhere. So, I'm glad there is one where this happens.

 Enjoy this odd screenshot

Torchy and McBride are as argumentative as ever and then, when time permits, as charming as ever. Gahagan does branch out as a detective. SPOLIER! He fails. Which is too bad but it's good to have him back. Then, there are the two other main characters: Sonny and Hughie. Possibly what's throwing me off about the film is these two. Sonny is an entitled, arrogant jackass. He treats everyone who isn't him with contempt. And the viewer wants to see Torchy and Mcbride take him down. Frankly, Sonny is in far too many scenes being the exact same jerk in each of them.

 The gadabout is the one with the white hat & cane

Then, there's Hughie. He has a wealthy wife that he doesn't like. And he is what I would call a gadabout or possibly even a gadfly. He gets to humiliate Gahagan in the film so there's one point against him. Plus, he's a wiseacre who never actually does anything amusing. I'm not 100% sure how I was supposed to take that. And, most odd of all, he's never once the suspect for the murders. He's just some jovial fellow who thinks the world of himself and joined the trip.

 Gahagan!

None of these reservations should stop you from watching the movie, though. I do not like Fly Away Baby as much as Smart Blonde. It's a little looser and more diffuse. It has several characters that rub me the wrong way. Torchy doesn't get to be as smart as she was in the first film. And, it really does feel like the writers forgot to include an explanation for the movie's events. Watch the last five minutes and feel the exposition whirlwind blow back your hair.

It's Torchy and McBride 25 years down the line!

And German 

 I'm goofing with you. Here's the couple relaxing on a dirigible

I like this movie. But, it's a bit of a sophomore slump. Albeit a slump with Torchy giving it her all, traveling around the world and chasing a man with a gun through an airship.

 McBride always got tense when Torchy was about to whistle

Smart Blonde (1937)

The first film in the nine-film Torchy Blane saga. Glenda Farrel plays fast-talking, super-sharp Torchy, reporter for The Morning Herald. Her boyfriend is the hard-working, not-as-smart Detective Steve McBride, played by Barton MacLane.

Smart Blonde is a murder mystery revolving around the death of 'Tiny' Torgensen. Torgensen has recently purchased a popular nightclub from a semi-shady guy named Fitz Mularkey (which is a semi-shady name if ever I heard one). A group of people working and living in and around the nightclub all becomes suspects. McBride (known as "Skipper" to Torchy) and Torchy investigate. Sometimes in the same direction, sometimes not.

Mularkey? What's the derivation of that?

Glenda Farrell had been around for a while. She'd been in the very popular (and super entertaining) Gold Diggers of [Whenever] movies. She had also appeared in The Mystery of the Wax Museum as a wise-cracking reporter. Torchy is a lot like that character. We first see Torchy getting out of a cab and getting onto a moving train, hobo-style, to talk with Torgensen. She has a quick chat with "Tiny"before he is shot outside of the train station. She's clearly awesome from the get-go.

Stunt Torchy!

 McBride is the standard movie cop of his time. He can be super sweet to Torchy and then they're arguing with each other in the very next shot. He slowly moves closer and closer towards the solution of the mystery. While, almost off to one side, Torchy pieces together exactly what's going on. In fact, the film misdirects us for a bit as McBride investigates and investigates, while Torchy doesn't seem to be accomplishing much. 

Along with those two characters, we also meet Gahagan, the officer who drives the car for McBride. He's a big bruiser of a guy who loves poetry and gets very excited when he is allowed to put the sirens on. McBride treats Gahagan with slight indifference and condescension. Torchy clearly thinks he's the bee's knees. She relies on him quite a bit and he seems to enjoy helping her.

Gahagan about to spout some poetry.

 Early on in Smart Blonde, things happen quickly. The film dives right into the story. There are no pauses to really introduce characters to us. Things happen and the viewer is left to piece it all together. We meet Torchy and McBride. We meet the other police officers and newspaper employees. We meet all the suspects. We get a slew of names for assorted characters. And quite a few of the gals look kind of similar. And I confused Fitz with Chuck at one point. But, in the end, it all makes sense.

Torchy & the boys

 Somewhere about halfway in the film slows down a bit. (It gets perilously close to becoming a "McBride or Torchy questioning different people in different rooms that all look similar" movie. But, the Torchy-McBride interactions are thrown in at decent intervals to break things up.) I was able to get a handle on everything that was going on and who all of these people were. The only thing the film does that kind of throws a slight wrench into the mystery is that there aren't quite enough suspects in the end. But, the final revelations were good ones. Not exactly news to me but presented well and you want to cheer Torchy on when she explains the case.

Throughout it all, Glenda Farrell whirls through the film having a good time.  She is very charming and has the reporter world wrapped around her little finger. She's having a tougher time with McBride but he'll come over to her side eventually.

Smart Blonde is not the best of the Torchy Blane series. The quick fast opening means that one may want to go back a second time to get all the characters down. But, for a light B-picture, it's a hoot. There were so many fun series like this made at that time. For me, they actually overshadow many of the big productions from that era, simply because this is so much more fun.

 McBride questions, Torchy wonders about the dog

Oh, all 9 Torchy Blane movies are available on a Warner Archive set: Torchy!