Torchy Blane

During the pre-World War II period, the role of newspaper reporter was one of the few in American cinema that portrayed women as intelligent, competent, self-reliant, and career-oriented—virtually equal to men.

A typical plot had the daring, fast-talking Torchy unraveling a mystery by staying several steps ahead of her boyfriend, gruff police detective Steve McBride.

(1934), she was quickly cast in the first Torchy Blane movie, Smart Blonde, with Barton MacLane playing detective Steve McBride.

In the fifth film, Torchy Blane in Panama (1938), Warner Bros. replaced Farrell and MacLane with Lola Lane and Paul Kelly.

Tom Kennedy appeared in all nine Torchy Blane features as Gahagan, McBride's slow-witted cop sidekick given to bursts of poetry.

Character actor George Guhl made notable appearances in all but the last entry in the series as forgetful desk sergeant Graves.

In a review headlined "Failing Material Stymies Whole Cast," the Hollywood Reporter graded the film as routine, and noted, "It is impossible to believe that a pretty and smart young girl like Jane Wyman could possibly be in love with a broken down detective who looks like Jenkins.

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.