MoPoshy
Absolutely brilliant
Comwayon
A Disappointing Continuation
Adeel Hail
Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.
duke1029
"Smart Blonde,' an above-average entry in the very popular "Torchy Blaine" B-film series about the feisty girl reporter who inspired the Lois Lane character, may be guilty of the same subconscious prejudice that pervaded many of the films of the Thirties.Although it is otherwise a wonderfully entertaining low-budget mystery, there is an isolated scene where tough guy cop Steve McBride, Torchy's boyfriend, insists that she remain in a locked car after he leaves her because they're in a "rat-hole" of a neighborhood. Glenda Farrell's Torchy is an especially aggressive and brassy professional in the typical fashion of other 1930s Warner heroines like Joan Blondell and Bette Davis, and she usually is confidently resourceful enough to strike out on her own in pursuit of a story in any circumstance.Four individuals are then shown in the street of that "rat-hole" neighborhood The first is an African-American aimlessly loitering by leaning against the wall of the building where Steve enters. The second is an Orthodox Jewish-American with beard, glasses, and hat walking past the door. The third is a Chinese-American who walks past Torchy in her car and suspiciously eyes her. The fourth is in the far background and not clearly identifiable as a ethnic type."Smart Blonde" was nothing more pretentious than any standard, assembly line programmer of the period. The "rat-hole" neighborhood was meant to suggest an area that the usually plucky and independent Torchy should be wary of. Although it's doubtful that any overt racism was intended, it's notable that the signifiers of the bad neighborhood are three readily identifiable minority types.Director Frank MacDonald was a workmanlike studio journeyman who told stories as quickly and efficiently as possible. The source material was one of the Kennedy and McBride stories by Frederick Lewis Nebel and went through six different Warner staff writers, emerging as assembly line product.Kennedy, the reporter half of the crime-fighting duo, was a male alcoholic in the original stories, so the problems of presenting drunks heroically under the newly-implemented motion picture code was easily solved by transforming him into the sober, female Torchy Blaine, whose only vice was a good sirloin steak. That change eliminated the problem while maintaining tensions in the relationship.It should be noted that pulp crime fiction writer Nebel(under the name Brett Halliday) was also the creator of another popular screen detective, Michael Shayne, portrayed by Lloyd Nolan in seven films for Fox in the Forties. Given the alterations of both characters by the studios only confirmed Nebel's contempt of Hollywood.
Hardwicke Benthow
Different people rate how good a movie is based on different criteria. I myself rate various different movies as being good or bad for various different reasons. I quite simply do not believe that one type of film should be judged by the standards of another. And although I like a meaningful film with a message as much as the next guy, I do not consider "pure entertainment" movies inferior. And if one succeeds very well at its intended task, in this case, entertaining, as well as being well-made in the various departments, such as acting, cinematography, etc, I will consider it as good or even great. And this movie is both very enjoyable and well-made. (And thus, in my eyes, great in its genre and intention). Glenda Farrell is perfect as Torchy Blane, a smart, sassy, wisecrackin' reporter always on the lookout for another scoop. Her sweetheart is Steve McBride(Barton Maclane), a tough flatfoot who is seldom right and a bit cranky, but all considered, he's a good egg.This is also a must-see for Superman fans, as Lois Lane was based on Torchy. Although the name Lois Lane was taken from Lola Lane, one of the two actresses who took over the part of Torchy, Jerry Siegel confirmed that the character was based on Torchy as played by Glenda Farrell. Smart Blonde is a mystery, but it's not the most challenging case you're likely to see, although is does keep you guessing. The real reason to watch this is Torchy herself. She is beautiful, smart, hilarious, and has a certain energy that you have to see to understand. She is one of a kind. Glenda Farrell was a great actress. She wasn't the Oscar-winning type, but she knew how to light up the screen with her presence like few others. She is one of the greatest scene-stealers of all time. Jane Wyman (who played Torchy in one of the later films, with mediocre results) is cute and funny in a small role as hat-check girl. This is also the first in a series of nine Torchy Blane movies made by Warner Brothers in the 1930s. Although seven (including this one) star Glenda Farrell and Barton Maclane as Torchy and Steve, in two she was replaced by other actresses, one being Jane Wyman, the other Lola Lane. These two both did disappointing jobs. Wyman tried her best, but it felt forced and didn't work well. Lola Lane was downright horrible in the role. Glenda Farrell was born for the part, and no one else could play it well. Overall, this is a hilarious, very entertaining comedy with a fairly interesting mystery. If you ever get the chance to see this or any of the other Glenda Farrell Torchy Blane movies, I highly recommend that you do. They are very good lighthearted, hilarious, feel-good movies that are ten times better than most comedies being made today.
MartinHafer
This is the first of nine Torchy Blane films. Glenda Farrell plays Torchy and Barton MacLane plays her fiancé, the police lieutenant. In an almost unrecognizable supporting role, you have a young Jane Wyman--look carefully, it really is her. This is ironic, as in the last Torchy Blane film (TORCHY BLANE...PLAYING WITH DYNAMITE), Wyman herself played the role of Blane. In total, Farrell played the lead in seven of the nine films--with Lola Lane playing Torchy in one of the films in the middle of the series.The film begins with Torchy rushing to meet a train so she can interview Tim Torgensen who just agreed to buy the business empire of Fitz Mularkey. However, just after they leave the train, Torgensen is shot and killed. Who did it is uncertain, but it happens right before Torchy's eyes. Naturally she calls her newspaper with the story, but in a pattern to be repeated in future films of the series, she helps her fiancé investigate the crime.Look quickly at the railway station. That's Wayne Morris behind the desk doing a tiny bit part just before he became a Warner Brothers star.Overall, the film is very typical of B-detective films of the era. While not nearly as interesting as the Charlie Chan or Saint films, it's pretty good for fans of the genre. For others, it's a pleasant little time-passer.
bkoganbing
Smart Blonde is the first film of the Torchy Blane series with Glenda Farrell as former showgirl turned reporter with a real keen sense of a scoop. She works the police beat where she constantly runs up against her boyfriend, homicide cop Barton MacLane. Depending on how you view things, Torchy's a help or a hindrance. But in this case she was literally on top of the story. Seconds after being interviewed by her, nightclub impresario Joseph Crehan is shot down in Union Station.Crehan was going to buy a nightclub owned by Addison Richards who was getting out of the business and getting ready to marry Charlotte Wynters and go into the real estate business with her and her brother Robert Paige, leaving his club singer Wini Shaw all in distress. Another one in distress is Max Wagner, Richards's gunsill because there's not much call for his line of work in real estate.One murder later of course Torchy's put it all together for MacLane and gets her paper the scoop. But the plot does take an interesting twist or two, it's not who you think it is.Jane Wyman has a small supporting role as a hatcheck girl with a tendency to gossip which aids Farrell in her story. This was of course at the beginning of Wyman's career which included a film as Torchy Blane herself when Farrell quit the series.Smart Blonde proves how popular the Torchy Blane series was at Warner Brothers and why it was so well received in the late Thirties.
