6.2 /10 1 Votes
Directed by Noel M. Smith Story by Scott Littleton Initial release 12 August 1939 (USA) Film series Torchy Blane | 6.3/10 IMDb Produced by Bryan Foy Music by Howard Jackson Director Noel M. Smith Music director Howard Jackson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Screenplay by Earle Snell
Charles Belden Starring Jane Wyman
Allen Jenkins
Tom Kennedy Screenplay Kenneth Gamet, Charles Belden, Earle Snell Cast Jane Wyman, Tom Kennedy, Allen Jenkins, Sheila Bromley, John Ridgely Similar Jane Wyman movies, Journalism movies, Police movies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Torchy Blane... Playing with Dynamite is a 1939 American drama film directed by Noel M. Smith and written by Earle Snell and Charles Belden. The film stars Jane Wyman, Allen Jenkins, and Tom Kennedy. It was released on August 12, 1939. This is the final film in a series of nine "Torchy Blane" movies by Warner Bros. The first film Smart Blonde was released in 1937.
Contents
Plot
Torchy Blane (Jane Wyman) is covering a bank robbery, one of a series committed by Denver Eddie. Returning to her newspaper, Torchy is stopped by a policeman for speeding, because she doesn't have her driver's license with her, he takes her to court. While in court for her traffic ticket, Torchy encounters Jackie Maguire (Sheila Bromley) who is the girlfriend of notorious bank robber Denver Eddie and is sentenced to jail for shoplifting. After Torchy's boyfriend, Lt. Steve McBride (Allen Jenkins) identifies her, Torchy is released. However, Torchy ask Steve to put her back in jail, after realizing that Jackie is Denver Eddie's girlfriend.
Torchy gets herself thrown into jail so that she can befriend Jackie and use her to get a lead on Eddie. Torchy has no luck with her plan until she helps subdue another prisoner who tries to stab Jackie. Jackie suggests that she and Torchy escape from jail. Steve agrees to cooperate with Torchy's plan when she explains that the reward money for Eddie's capture will enable them to get married. With the help and collusion of the police and her boyfriend Steve, she escaped the women's prison with Jackie to San Francisco, where Jackie is meeting her boyfriend. After Torchy and Jackie escapes, they are followed by Steve and his assistant Gahagan (Tom Kennedy). Steve hopes to capture Denver Eddie to collected the $5000 reward as a down payment for a house for him and Torchy. He decides not notify the local police of Eddie's expected arrival, but his actions are so suspicious that the police think he and Gahagan are criminals. Jim Simmons (Edgar Dearing) a San Francisco policeman follows them, but Steve succeeds in convincing him that Gahagan is a wrestler and that he is his manager.
Meanwhile, Torchy has arranged to signal Steve when Eddie arrives by hanging her stockings on the fire escape. Gahagan sees Jackie hang her stockings out to dry and they burst into the room, only to find that Eddie has not arrived yet. Torchy quickly makes up a story to explain their presence. When Eddie finally arrived, one of his men recognizes Steve as a policeman but pretended that Steve is another criminal. Steve, not knowing that they recognize him, invites Eddie to join him in robbing the wrestling stadium. Eddie agreed to the plan but arranged for his men to kidnap Steve on the way there. At the wrestling arena, another reporter recognizes Torchy and reveals her identity. After getting rid of Eddie's men, Steve rushes to the arena where Gahagan, posed as a wrestler named Harry the Horse, gets thrown out of the ring just in time to land on Eddie who is trying to escape. Steve and Gahagan are credited with the arrest, and Torchy and Steve now have the money to marry.
Cast
Production
This is one of two movies in the film series to star an actress other than Glenda Farrell as Torchy and Barton MacLane as Steve. The fifth Torchy Blane movie Torchy Blane in Panama (1938) featured Lola Lane and Paul Kelly.
Home media
Warner Archive released a boxed set DVD collection featuring all nine Torchy Blane films on March 29, 2011.