The Adventurous Blonde (1937)

After rival reporters, jealous of Torchy's success, conspire to fake the murder of an actor in order to embarrass her, he ends up being strangled.

Director:

Frank McDonald

Writers:

Robertson White (original screenplay), David Diamond (original screenplay),

Stars:

Glenda Farrell, Barton MacLane, Anne Nagel

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Glenda Farrell	...	Torchy Blane
Barton MacLane	...	Lt. Steve 'Stevie' MacBride
Anne Nagel	...	Grace Brown
Tom Kennedy	...	Detective Gahagan
George E. Stone	...	Pete, a Reporter
Natalie Moorhead	...	Mrs. Theresa Gray
William Hopper	...	Matt, a Reporter
Charley Foy	...	Dud, a Reporter
Anderson Lawler	...	Hugo Brand
Bobby Watson	...	Mugsy, a Reporter
Charles C. Wilson	...	Mortimer Gray (as Charles Wilson)
Virginia Brissac	...	Mrs. Jenny Hammond
Leyland Hodgson	...	Harvey Hammond (as Leland Hodgson)
Raymond Hatton	...	Maxie
Frank Shannon	...	Police Captain McTavish

Storyline

Angry that police detective Steve McBride is giving preferential treatment to his fiancée, reporter Torchy Blane, reporters from a rival newspaper plan a fake murder with the idea that Torchy's paper will print the story and look foolish, teaching a lesson to Torchy and McBride. The tables are turned when the fake murder turns out to be the genuine article.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | reporter | newspaper | torchy blane | police | 

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Taglines:

With all the characters you roared at in "Smart Blonde" and "Fly Away Baby" (original poster)

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Genres:

Comedy | Mystery | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 November 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

Torchy Blane, the Adventurous Blonde

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., First National Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

61 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jack Mower (Driver), Robert Barrat and Hugh O'Connell are in studio records/casting call lists as actors in this movie, but were not seen in the print.

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Quotes

Dud, a Reporter: Slowly but surely I'm getting an idea.
Mugsy, a Reporter: [to the bartender] Yeah? Quick, Herman - the bromo!

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Connections

Followed by Torchy Blane in Chinatown (1939)

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Soundtracks

"Happy Birthday to You"
(1893)
Written by Mildred J. Hill and Patty S. Hill
Sung a cappella by the reporters with the modified lyrics, "Happy Marriage to You"

User Reviews

Odd setup develops into exciting and very fast paced mystery

Torchy and Steve just might get married this time around: they've got the license and the minister and are meeting at the station. But wait—the boys from the rival paper hatch a plan: they stage a phony murder, arrange for Steve to be called in to investigate, and hire an actor to play the corpse.

—Heavy on the comedy so far, but when the "corpse" is really murdered, the plot thickens into a somewhat convoluted but very funny comedy-mystery, the third film in the Torchy Blane series (and third of the same year!).

Barton McLane is fine in his third go-round as Steve McBride, serious-minded police detective; gruff but loyal and tenacious, Lieutenant McBride seems to be getting smarter and more appealing as the series progresses.

Glenda Farrell is just great as reporter Torchy Blane, once again mixed up in a murder investigation…once again scooping her rival reporters…and once again staying approximately one step of Steve in a case that sorely interferes with their wedding plans.

Tom Kennedy is also back as Officer Gahagan, composing poetry in his spare moments and hopefully asking, "Siren and all?" every time McBride orders him to drive somewhere in a hurry.

It's an unsettled first fifteen minutes; that phony murder plot really makes little sense. Once the real plot starts rolling, however—and once Torchy is on the case—this picture is great fun and moves at a terrific pace.

The supporting cast is steady if unspectacular; the plot itself is rather complicated at times, partly because Farrell talks so fast. Luckily, the appealing main characters, and a script that gives them some good moments together, do keep things zipping right along, whether they're talking murder or marriage:

Steve: "I never know what you're gonna do next." Torchy: "You wait'll we're married."

Exceedingly light but delicious.