Torchy Runs for Mayor

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.

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.

Near the end of the series, Glenda Farrell is "Torchy", a reporter for the local paper, hot on the trail of ciminals doing bad things in town. In this one, she's after Dr. Nolan, ( John Miljan) , who seems to be running things. Co-stars Barton MacLane and Tom Kennedy, as usual. Charles Richman is Mayor Saunders, on the take. Torchy never seems to get caught getting evidence on the sly, but it always works out for her. Directed by Ray McCarey, brother of famed Leo McCarey. Appears to have committed suicide at 44, according to Wikipedia. org

In her last appearance as Torchy Blane, Glenda Farrell writes a series of stories about the corrupt mayor. When the reform candidate is murdered, she becomes a candidate for the office.

Miss Farrell largely disappears from the last third of the movie when she disappears, and Barton MacLane investigates what he thinks is her kidnapping. I suspect Miss Farrell's contract was ending, and so her role was reduced. Even so, there are plenty amusing bits to this movie, with the usual gang appearing.

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.