Torchy Blane is a fictional female reporter starring in a series of films in the 1930s. Warner Bros. produced nine films between 1937 and 1939. The Torchy Blane series were popular second features during the later 1930s and were mixtures of mystery, action, adventure, and fun.
Character
During the pre-World War II period, newspaper reporter was one of the few roles in American cinema that portrayed women positively, as intelligent, competent, self-reliant, and career-oriented—virtually equal to men. Of these role models, Torchy Blane, a headline-hunting wisecracking female reporter was perhaps the best known. The typical plot of movies featuring the character have the resilient, fast-talking Torchy solving a crime before her less-than-perceptive boyfriend, loud-mouthed police detective Steve McBride, can.
Production
In 1936, Warner Bros. began to develop an adaptation of the MacBride and Kennedy stories by detective novelist Frederick Nebel. For the film version, Kennedy is changed to a woman named "Torchy" Blane and is now in love with MacBride's character. Torchy was loosely based on Kennedy. She was also more compatible with the Hays code than a faithful on-screen adaptation of Kennedy would have been. The first film was based on Nebel's Macbride and Kennedy story "No Hard Feelings." The story was later adapted again as the 1941 filmA Shot in the Dark. Director Frank MacDonald immediately knew who he wanted for the role of Torchy Blane. Glenda Farrell had already played hard-boiled reporters in earlier Warner Bros. films, Mystery of the Wax Museum and Hi, Nellie!, she was quickly cast in the first Torchy Blane movie, Smart Blonde, with Barton MacLane playing detective Steve McBride. Farrell and MacLane would co-star in seven of the nine Torchy Blane films by Warner Bros. Smart Blonde was released on January 2, 1937, the film was a surprise hit, and Warner Bros. made eight more movies from 1937 to 1939. In the fifth Torchy Blane film, Torchy Blane in Panama, Warner Bros. replaced Farrell and MacLane with Lola Lane and Paul Kelly as Torchy and Steve. Negative fan reaction led Warner Bros. to recast Farrell and MacLane in the leading roles. They starred in three more Torchy Blane films. In 1939, Farrell left the studio, and Warner Bros. recast the roles with Jane Wyman and Allen Jenkins. The public again reacted negatively to the new casting. Torchy Blane... Playing with Dynamite would be the final film in the series. A leftover Torchy Blane script was adapted into the 1939 film Private Detective, also starring Jane Wyman. The only actor appearing in all nine Torchy Blane films was Tom Kennedy as Gahagan, McBride's slow-witted cop sidekick given to bursts of poetry.
Portrayals
In seven of the nine films featuring the character, Torchy Blane was played by Glenda Farrell. In her role as Torchy, Farrell was promoted as being able to speak 400 words in 40 seconds. On her portrayal of the character, Farrell said in her 1969 Time interview: "So before I undertook to do the first Torchy, I determined to create a real human being—and not an exaggerated comedy type. I met those who visited Hollywood and watched them work on visits to New York City. They were generally young, intelligent, refined and attractive. By making Torchy true to life, I tried to create a character practically unique in movies."
Influence
co-creator Jerry Siegel credited Glenda Farrell's portrayal of Torchy Blane as the inspiration for the Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane and the name of actress Lola Lane as his inspiration for Lois' name. Joanne Siegel, Siegel's wife and the original model for Lois Lane, also cited Farrell's portrayal of Torchy as Siegel's inspiration for Lois.
Home media
released a boxed set DVD collection featuring all nine Torchy Blane films on March 29, 2010.
