Torchy Runs for Mayor

Reporter Torchy Blane denounces City Hall corruption in a series of scathing newspaper stories that are raising some serious hackles. Her fiancé, Lieutenant Steve McBride, even goes to her editor and begs him to have somebody else write the stories—he's worried about Torchy's safety.

And Steve doesn't even know about Torchy's eavesdropping operation in the City Hall basement, from which she listens in on the mayor's office, where local crime boss Dr. Dolan gives the puppet mayor his orders.

Glenda Farrell is back once again as the intrepid reporter who loves to investigate. Barton McLane as Steve is plenty solid this time around—he's still generally a step behind Torchy but isn't as much of a dunce as in a couple of earlier series entries. ("Listen, Steve," Torchy tells him at one point, "I know more about this case than you." "Well," he replies, unimpressed, "if you do I'll find it out.")

John Miljan is appropriately sinister as the wicked Dr. Dolan. In true Warner Brothers style, he talks so fast when he's excited that you can hardly understand him.

Tom Kennedy returns as Gahagan, the poetry-loving police chauffeur who loves to blow the police car siren. Even Gahagan is fairly serious and competent this time around, though he does offer a few choice bits of comic relief (like when he commends Torchy for having such "international fortitude").

An exciting climax helps distinguish this as one of the better Torchy Blane pictures. The plot is a little ridiculous (see the title) but that's kind of beside the point—it's witty, acted with enthusiasm, and moves at a terrific pace.

I watched TRFM on TCM this Saturday morning. It's the last Torchy film with Glenda Farrell and Barton McLane. Warner Brothers made one more, with Jane Wyman and Allen Jenkins in the leading roles.

TRFM has a pretty wild plot, with an unscrupulous criminal boss/medical doctor named Dolan suddenly taking over the city. He controls the mayor and other key city officials, including the police commissioner. Torchy wages a one woman war against him. She commits a few felonies to get the goods on him, including illegally bugging the mayor's office, breaking into Dolan's house, and stealing a red notebook with key evidence inside it. When the newspapers refuse to print her sensational stories, she quits her reporter job and tries to convince someone to run against the crooked mayor. Steve secretly submits her name as a candidate. So, as the title says, Torchy runs for mayor. Dolan has Torchy drugged and kidnapped. Steve gets frustrated and resigns from the police force so that he won't be constrained by any rules in his search for Torchy. Gahagan goes along with him. But can they find Torchy in time?

If you can get past the implausible plot situations, this is an enjoyable last offering for Glenda and Barton. It's fast paced, with good action. But Gahagan's character is really in the background and his comic relief lessened. The ending seems to indicate that the series is ending or that it's taking a new turn. But the final Torchy movie with Jane Wyman continues on the original storyline as though the ending in TRFM never happened. Only in Hollywood.

The eighth film in the Torchy Blane series and the final one starring Glenda Farrell and Barton MacLane. This time Torchy is trying to take down a corrupt politician. The title of the movie eventually does happen, although not until late into the picture. It's an exciting, fast-paced B movie. Arguably the best in the series. There's less comedy and more grit in this one. Stars Farrell and MacLane are both in fine form here, as is Tom Kennedy as the lovable Gahagan. Great support from John Miljan, Frank Shannon, Joe Downing, and Irving Bacon.

The first four Torchy Blane movies were fun little B's with a snappy pace and a nice balance of comedy and murder mystery. Then Farrell and MacLane sat out the fifth film. When they returned, things were a little different. The focus was less on Torchy or the Torchy/Steve relationship and more on the movie's villains and comic relief sidekick Gahagan. He's a fun character but I'm glad his part is scaled back in this one. It allows Farrell to shine in her final Torchy movie. The series would continue on with one more movie starring Jane Wyman.

Final Glenda Farrell Torchy Blane comedy newspaper crime drama. Torchy, a hotshot newspaper reporter, illegally gathers evidence proving corruption on the part of the city Mayor and the real power behind the city administration -- Dr. Jeff Dolan. Dirty city politics and the fear of honest citizens of power reflect the times.

Glenda Farrell as Torchy is both annoying and an interesting feminine hero. She is a fast-talking, hard-boiled, strong woman lead -- which is what is needed to carry off the theme of the outsider who helps the police. Torchy's long-suffering fiancé, Detective Lieutenant Steve McBride (Barton MacLane), alternates between depending upon and rescuing Torchy. Actually Farrell and MacLane are a good team. Sidekick police officer Gahagan (Tom Kennedy) is in the mold of many other detective sidekicks of the era. As in most stores of this type, the police cannot succeed without the intervention of the amateur detective. John Miljan plays the part of Dolan most believably.

In the end, Torchy is tricked into running for Mayor, wins the election, but at the sight of a baby at a press conference, opts for marriage and a home rather than a career. That ending played much better in 1939 than it would today.

Glenda Farrell filed her last story and in a sense made her own new in this film. Just the title Torchy Runs For Mayor should tell you all you need to know.

Our showgirl turned reporter is after a crooked city administration this time. The mayor, Charles Richman, is a grafter, but he's just a puppet in the hands of the real political boss of the city, John Miljan. Miljan also happens to be a medical doctor which comes in quite handy in his criminal pursuits.

When the original reform candidate Irving Bacon is murdered and another guy framed, Torchy through a bit of a joke by boyfriend Barton MacLane finds herself the reform candidate.

Glenda Farrell is pretty resourceful in getting her news, including an illegal bug in the mayor's office. But Miljan is one clever guy and she gets in more harm's way here than in any other film in the series.

In fact that gives MacLane more of an opportunity. Usually he's just there both being shown up by her as a detective and also getting the accolades for the crimes that she helps solve. But when Farrell does get in harm's way she has need of MacLane.

There was only one more Torchy Blane film, Jane Wyman was given the role with Allen Jenkins as her detective boyfriend. That team set no box office records and Torchy filed her last story with Jane.

This last one with Farrell and MacLane though is pretty good and downright excellent for a B film out of Warner Brothers.