Mystery | Comedy | Action | USA | English | B&W | 59min
w/ Lola Lane, Paul Kelly as Torchy & Steve, Tom Kennedy, Betty Compson
Glenda Farrell & Barton McClane held out for more money for thi, the 5th Torchy Blane film, so the producers just replaced them with Lola Lane and Paul Kelly. This Torchy Blane flopped at the box office, and Farrell and McClane were quickly re-hired for
#6.
The fifth of nine Torchy Blane films see's different lead actors (Lola Lane and Paul Kelly replacing Glenda Farrell and Barton Maclane as Torchy and Steve for just this one film) and a new director (William Clemons taking over from Frank McDonald).
Determined to scoop the other newspapers, reporter Torchy Blane (Lola Lane) convinces her boyfriend, police lieutenant Steve McBride (Paul Kelly), that the only way the perpetrator of a recent bank robbery could fence the stolen money is to exchange it in Panama. Torchy, accompanied by McBride, blundering police sergeant Gahagan and smarmy rival reporter Bill Canby are off on a luxury liner to Panama carrying a boat load of Los Angeles Leopard lodge members, one of whom figures to be the robbery suspect.
Torchy Blane is a fictional female reporter who appeared in a series of light B films during the late 1930s, which were mixtures of mystery, action, adventure and fun. Torchy Blane is a fast-talking newspaper reporter of the 1930s. She often becomes involved in police investigations, eventually leading to the capture of criminals. As her fiance, Steve Macbride, is usually involved in these investigations, he often comes under suspicion of favoritism. During the pre-war period, the job of newspaper reporter was one of the few movie role models that portrayed intelligent, career-oriented women. Of these role models, Torchy Blane was perhaps the best known. The typical plot has the resilient, very-fast-talking Torchy solving the crime before her less-than-perceptive beau, the loud mouthed police detective Steve McBride. In all but two of the films, Torchy Blane was played by Glenda Farrell, and Steve McBride by Barton MacLane. Lola Lane played Torchy in Torchy Blane in Panama with Paul Kelly as McBride. In the final film of the series, Torchy Plays with Dynamite, Jane Wyman was Torchy, and Allen Jenkins Lt. Steve McBride.