Blondes at Work (1938)

Steve promises his captain not to favor Torchy with stories over other papers but becomes frustrated as to how she continues to scoop her rivals.

Director:

Frank McDonald

Writer:

Albert DeMond (original screen play)

Stars:

Glenda Farrell, Barton MacLane, Tom Kennedy

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Glenda Farrell	...	Torchy Blane
Barton MacLane	...	Lt. Steve McBride
Tom Kennedy	...	Gahagan
Rosella Towne	...	Louisa Revelle
Donald Briggs	...	Maitland Greer
John Ridgely	...	Regan
Betty Compson	...	Blanche Revelle
Thomas E. Jackson	...	Parker
Frank Shannon	...	Capt. McTavish
Jean Benedict	...	Miss Hilton - Salesgirl
Carole Landis	...	Carol
Suzanne Kaaren	...	Olive
Theodore von Eltz	...	District Attorney (as Theodor Von Eltz)
Charles Richman	...	Judge Wilson
Robert Middlemass	...	Boylan - Editor

Storyline

Marvin Spencer, of the Bon Ton Department Stores, is missing, and Torchy knows how to find him. When she does, he is dead and she is the first paper to headline the death. Then she finds his girlfriend and the Star once again scoops everyone, including the police. This upsets McBride, but she hits headline after headline, until the trial is to begin. Then torchy is a follower, but she does not believe that the accused is even guilty.

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Plot Keywords:

scoop | department store | police | trial | irish cop | 

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Taglines:

BEWARE! SNAPPY SNOOPY BLONDE AT WORK! (original poster - all caps)

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 February 1938 (USA)

Also Known As:

Flertando com o Perigo

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

63 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Several cast members in studio records/casting call lists did not appear or were not identifiable in the movie. These were (with their character names): David Newell (Bridegroom), Minerva Urecal (Fashion Editor), Jack Mower (Sergeant) and Loia Cheaney (Operator)

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Goofs

When Steve grumbles after Torchy sticks him with a bill for her steak, he reacts indicating that it must have been "an elephant steak," yet he plunks down only a single coin on the table.

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Quotes

Torchy Blane: [Upset that she's getting a parking ticket] You must be new on the force. I'm Torchy Blane of The Sun.
Police Officer Regan: I don't care if you're an eclipse of the sun.

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Connections

Follows Fly Away Baby (1937)

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Soundtracks

"Untitled"
(uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Played when Torchy is eating a steak at the restaurant

User Reviews

Hilarious if nonsensical mystery is extremely lightweight

Reporter Torchy Blane is getting all the scoops, and Captain McTavish is mad. He thinks Torchy's fiancé, Lieutenant McBride, is giving her inside police information. The rival newspaper's editor "wants to know if we're running the police department for the taxpayers or for Torchy Blane." McBride ought to keep her in line!

Glenda Farrell as Torchy is funnier than ever in this fast-moving farce with a bit of mystery tossed in. Torchy plays innocent when asked where she's getting her leads ("Oh, I don't know, those things just seem to come to me. I told you I was psychic") but has soon tracked a missing businessman to a hotel room where someone has been stabbed. Inside info or no, Torchy is consistently a step quicker than the cops.

Barton McLane is a good sport as the generally bewildered Lieutenant McBride; the character is solid enough but essentially a straight man for Torchy and for police chauffeur Gahagan.

Tom Kennedy is back as poetry-loving cop Gahagan and this time around he's keeping a diary—for "postererity," he says. He lets Torchy in on the secret diary; she asks if he has a good hiding place for it and encourages him to keep track of every little thing his boss McBride does….

The plot has a few thin spots. Could you really trace a person that easily from a single smudge of lipstick on a handkerchief? The ending is rather abrupt as well, wrapping things up in an awful hurry. However, such issues hardly matter since plot here is always secondary to the goofy character interplay. The mystery, such as it is, involves a disappearance and murder but is little more than a backdrop for the comic story of Torchy and her sources.

Not much suspense but lots of fun…. Farrell especially—hilarious and cute—appears to be having a ball.