Torchy Blane
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Torchy Blane is a fictional female newsperson who appeared in a series of Warner Brothers "B" films during the 1930s. She was loosely based upon the Kennedy character in the MacBride and Kennedy stories by Louis Frederick Nebel, although the two characters actually only shared a common profession.
During the pre-war period, the job of newspaper reporter was one of the few movie role models that portrayed intelligent, career-oriented women. Of these role models, Torchy Blane was perhaps the best known.
Torchy is the girlfriend of police detective Steve McBride. The typical plot has the resilient, very-fast-talking Torchy solving the crime before her less-than-perceptive beau. In all but two of the films, Torchy Blane was played by Glenda Farrell, and Steve McBride by Barton MacLane. Lola Lane played Torchy in Torchy Blane in Panama (with Paul Kelly as McBride), while in the final film of the series, Torchy Plays with Dynamite, Jane Wyman was Torchy, and Allen Jenkins Lt. Steve McBride.
The character of Torchy Blane appeared in the following films:
| Film title | Released | Run time |
|---|---|---|
| Smart Blonde | 1937 | 59 min |
| Fly-Away Baby | 1937 | 60 min |
| The Adventurous Blonde | 1937 | 61 min |
| Blondes At Work | 1938 | 63 min |
| Torchy Blane in Panama | 1938 | 59 min |
| Torchy Gets Her Man | 1938 | 63 min |
| Torchy Blane in Chinatown | 1939 | 58 min |
| Torchy Runs for Mayor | 1939 | 60 min |
| Torchy Plays with Dynamite | 1939 | 59 min |
Torchy Blane was writer Jerry Siegel's inspiration for the character of Lois Lane in the Superman comic books (TIME Magazine, May 30, 1988, Letters to the Editor, P. 6-7). Siegel based her name on Torchy actress Lola Lane.
