Torchy Blane in Panama

In the fifth installment of the series, Torchy Blane is tasked with solving an armed robbery and must travel to Panama in order to catch the criminal.

This is my first Torchy Blane movie that I have seen as I caught the show on TCM. As far as the story goes it feels pretty basic. There is very little amount of mystery or detective work going on in the movie. The majority of the plot seemed to be centered on side gags with the minor characters and getting a full taste of Lola Lane's character. I believe the studio tried to really sell the audience on her but turned out to be a failure as the studio brought back Glenda Farrell in the next movie.

One of the main gripe I have with this movie that really doesn't go with the story, but with the characters. If you recast both lead actors for a movie and still try to push their romantic chemistry as if nothing has changed, it is going to fail. The audience will not feel for the characters at all.

I however liked Torchy in this movie. It was the rest of the characters that brought this movie down. Given that I haven't seen the other entries in the series; I don't know if this is just how the character Steve McBride is. He felt like a push over way to many times and almost was no existent in the movie. If he wasn't the love interest, I might have forgotten he was even in the movie. Gahagan had his moments of funny comedy but he got annoying after awhile.

This was a okay movie and I feel more inclined to check out the prior movies because of this. This movie will fall in the below 6 range maybe a 5.7 out of 10.

Wide-eyed, beautiful brunette Lola Lane assumes the role of Torchy Blaine, a role Warner Bros. created for the blonde and brassy Glenda Farrell. She starred in the previous seven. No longer the smartest person in the room, this Torchy is probably the most athletic: parachuting, jitterbugging, jumping ship and climbing walls. The character is now more adventuress than working girl. Comedy now dominates the series, with Tom Kennedy's part expanded. A parade of his goofy Lodge of the Leopard opens the film. Briefly seen is a float of black-faced white guys in leopard skins. Lola was one of the Lane Sisters that Warner Bros. put under contract. Among her husbands were Lew Ayres and Roland West.

Sole appearance pairing Lola Lane and Paul Kelly in the hard-boiled Torchy Blane comedy newspaper crime series. Why Warner Brothers changed lead actors in this series and then resumed with the normal Glenda Farrell/Barton MacLane combination is probably a very interesting story.

Tom Kennedy as Detective Gahagan leads off this entry with the parade of Leopard lodge brothers that march through the robbery of the Hayward National Bank. Gahagan is the Royal Tomcat of New Rochelle Lair 666. Membership in this ancient and loyal order helps Gahagan identify the false member of Lair 394 from Los Angeles and thus solve the mystery. Gahagan is also the goat when he is tricked and told to impress the ladies of South America by telling them: `Usted tiene la cara de chiva' (You have the face of a nanny goat).

Torchy gets scooped at the bank robbery, left behind to boyfriend Detective Lieutenant Steve McBride, but she shows him up by parachuting next to a southbound steamer and follows the stolen money to Cuba and then Panama. Torchy is made Honorary Royal Tabby cat and gets custody of mascot Tommy Hollywood. A pair of colorful pajama-type ladies pants figures heavily in the final rescue.

As in the rest of the series, the police cannot solve the crime without Torchy's intervention but they are needed to save Torchy when she gets into trouble at the end.

Torchy Blane in Panama (1938)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

The fifth entry in the series finds Lola Lane taking over the role of Torchy Blane and Paul Kelly taking on the Detective McBride spot. This time out the two find themselves (and Detective Gahagan) on a ship heading towards Panama after they believe a bank robber has boarded it. Soon they arrive in Panama but Torchy finds herself in over her head. TORCHY BLANE IN PANAMA was a disappointment when originally released so Warner brought back the original stars for the next installment. With that said, for the most part this is an okay film that clocks in at just a hour so it flies by pretty good. Of course, the one thing missing are the original stars. Both Lane and Kelly are good in regards to the performances but they just don't have that chemistry like Glena Farrell and Barton MacLane had. Both Lane and Kelly are good on their own but they just don't add enough sparks together to help give the film that added charm. The great Tom Kennedy is back and manages to get some nice laughs including a bit where he's on the ocean looking for tornadoes. The mystery itself isn't all that spectacular but it's decent enough for a "B" movie. Fans of the series will certainly still want to check this entry out but there's no question it lacks the charm of the previous four.

Everybody wants Torchy off of the case: Her fiancé Lieutenant Steve McBride, police captain McTavish, rival reporter Bill Canby—all strongly discourage and ridicule Torchy's detecting abilities. –Which is kind of depressing because she's way smarter than any of these guys.

Lola Lane as reporter Torchy Blane is a bright spot in this otherwise pretty unimaginative series entry. Lane's Torchy is energetic, snappy, practically impossible to intimidate. She responds to Steve's efforts to push her away from playing detective by pinching his cheek: "Whatsa matter, Stevie, need help?"

Paul Kelly does not fare so well as Steve McBride….Unfortunately, the character this time around is neither sympathetic nor smart. Kelly does his best to inject some spirit into the character's sour disposition, but just isn't given much to work with.

Both Lane and Kelly made only this one appearance in the Torchy Blane series, and they really don't develop much chemistry in one short picture. (Original series stars Glenda Farrell and Barton McLane returned to the roles by the next entry.)

Tom Kennedy does appear once again as police driver Gahagan—he's still composing poetry, and he is also a member of a lodge called the Leopards whose parade leads them right past a bank that is being robbed. More than comic relief this time around, Gahagan actually spots at least one key clue….

Besides a bank robbery, the plot involves $90,000 of stolen money hidden inside of a stuffed leopard, a chase to Panama in pursuit of a suspect…and Torchy's striped pajamas.

Lane is definitely fun to watch…but overall, the story really lacks suspense and is only moderately amusing. Interesting for Torchy's fans but no great shakes.