''Blondes at Work'' is a 1938 American

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

mystery film A mystery film is a film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, ...

directed by Frank McDonald and written by

Albert DeMond Albert DeMond (May 7, 1901 – February 20, 1973) was an American screenwriter.Martin p. 470 Selected filmography * '' His Foreign Wife'' (1927) * ''On Your Toes'' (1927) * ''The Fourflusher'' (1928) * '' Phyllis of the Follies'' (1928) * '' How ...

. The film stars

Glenda Farrell Glenda Farrell (June 30, 1904 – May 1, 1971) was an American actress. Farrell personified the smart and sassy, wisecracking blonde of the Classic Hollywood films. Her career spanned more than 50 years, and she appeared in numerous Broadwa ...

and

Barton MacLane Barton MacLane (December 25, 1902 – January 1, 1969) was an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter. He appeared in many classic films from the 1930s through the 1960s, including his role as General Martin Peterson on the 1960s NBC ...

. It is the fourth film in a series of

Torchy Blane Torchy Blane is a fictional female reporter, the main character of nine films produced by Warner Bros. between 1937 and 1939. The Torchy Blane series, which blend mystery, action, adventure and comedy, were popular B movie, second features. Char ...

movies by

Warner Bros Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American film studio, filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and th ...

. Released on February 6, 1938, it is followed by ''

Torchy Blane in Panama ''Torchy Blane in Panama'' is a 1938 American mystery film directed by William Clemens and starring Lola Lane, Paul Kelly, and Tom Kennedy. Released on May 7, 1938, the fifth film in a series of Torchy Blane movies by Warner Bros. It is follo ...

'' (1938). The film focuses on the actions undertaken by Torchy to evade the efforts of Lieutenant Steve McBride to keep her from using inside information to "scoop" rival newspapers on the progress of police investigations.

Plot

Lieutenant Steve McBride is in trouble with his boss, Captain McTavish, who suspects him of leaking police information to his girlfriend reporter Torchy Blane, which has resulted in complaints to the police department from rival newspapers. Torchy and Steve have an argument about this, and they agree that they will not exchange information about any police cases in the future. And Torchy is told by her boyfriend to lay off the latest murder case that he’s handling; the killing of Marvin Spencer, the heir to the Bon Ton department store. Marvin was seen by Torchy being escorted into a cab by his friend Maitland Greer shortly before he was found dead in his room at the Park Plaza Hotel. With Torchy's latest story of Marvin's murder hitting the front page of the newspaper, McBride's boss Capt. McTavish orders him to keep information away from Torchy. Capt. McTavish isn't really concerned about Torchy getting her hands on top-secret police information, he is secretly working for Torchy's rival newspaper, ''The Daily Express'', which wants Torchy's access to top-secret police investigations cut off. Maitland is arrested for Marvin's murder. Torchy finds a clue which leads her to Louisa Revelle, the woman who was with Marvin the night he was stabbed. She admits to Torchy that Maitland was present that night and is upset with his arrest for murder, but will not reveal any more information. Torchy decides to eavesdrop on the trial's jury from a nearby supply closet. She overhears the jury's decision to declare Maitland guilty, and out-maneuvers both Capt. McTavish and the ''Daily Express'' into thinking that the jury’s verdict is going to be “Not Guilty”. To their surprise, Maitland is found guilty, leaving the newspaper's editor red-faced. At the same time, Torchy breaks the story in an extra edition in her own newspaper, before the verdict is announced in court. However, the judge sentences her to jail for contempt. Steve visits Torchy a few days later and has her released from jail. He informs her that after the verdict was announced, Louisa confessed to the crime; she stabbed Marvin when he threatened to shoot Maitland, who had become her new lover. Steve says that it looks like self-defense and speculates that both Louisa and Maitland will be cleared. Torchy is disappointed because she didn't have time to write the story and have it make the front page. Steve tells her that he filed the story for her, before the other newspapers and once again Torchy scoops them all.

Cast

as Torchy Blane *

as Lieutenant Steve McBride * Tom Kennedy as Detective Gahagan *

Rosella Towne Rosella Towne (January 20, 1918 – August 29, 2014) was an American film actress. She was born in Youngstown, Ohio. Her film career began in 1937, after making a screen test for Warner Bros. and signing a contract for the studio. At first she ma ...

as Louisa Revelle *

Donald Briggs Donald Briggs (January 28, 1911 – February 3, 1986) was an American actor, who appeared in over 75 films and television shows between the 1930s and 1970s. Early life Briggs was born in Chicago, Illinois, and died in Woodland Hills, Californi ...

as Maitland Greer *

John Ridgely John Ridgely (born John Huntington Rea, September 6, 1909 – January 18, 1968 ) was an American film character actor with over 175 film credits. Early years Ridgely was born in Chicago, Illinois,Katz, Ephraim (1979). ''The Film Encyclopedia: ...

as Officer Regan *

Betty Compson Betty Compson (born Eleanor Luicime Compson; March 19, 1897 – April 18, 1974) was an American actress and film producer who got her start during Hollywood's silent era. She is best known for her performances in ''The Docks of New York'' and '' ...

as Blanche Revelle * Thomas E. Jackson as Detective Parker *

Frank Shannon Francis Connolly Shannon (27 July 1874 – 1 February 1959) was an Irish actor and writer. Career A stage actor and silent film pioneer, Shannon made his screen debut in 1913's '' The Artist's Joke''. He later appeared in dozens of fil ...

as Capt. McTavish * Jean Benedict as Salesgirl *

Carole Landis Carole Landis (born Frances Lillian Mary Ridste; January 1, 1919 – July 5, 1948) was an American actress and singer. She worked as a contract player for Twentieth Century-Fox in the 1940s. Her breakout role was as the female lead in the 1940 ...

as Carol *

Suzanne Kaaren Suzanne Kaaren (March 21, 1912 – August 27, 2004) was an American B-movie actress and dancer who starred in stock film genres of the 1930s and 1940s: horror films, Western movie, westerns, comedy, comedies, and romance film, romances. Early ...

as Olive * Theodor von Eltz as District Attorney * Charles Richman as Judge Wilson * Robert Middlemas as Boylan *

Kenneth Harlan Kenneth Daniel Harlan (July 26, 1895 – March 6, 1967) was a popular American actor during the silent film era, playing mostly romantic leads or adventurer roles. His career extended into the sound film era, but during that span he rarely c ...

as Marvin Spencer * George Guhl as Desk Sergeant

Home media

Warner Archive The Warner Archive Collection is a home video division for releasing classic and cult films from Warner Bros.' library. It started as a manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD series by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 23, 2009, with the int ...

released a boxed set DVD collection featuring all nine Torchy Blane films on March 29, 2010.

References

External links

* * * {{Torchy Blane 1938 films 1938 crime films American black-and-white films American crime films 1930s English-language films American police detective films Films about journalists Films directed by Frank McDonald Warner Bros. films American mystery films 1930s mystery films Torchy Blane films 1930s American films Films scored by Howard Jackson (composer) English-language crime films English-language mystery films