''The Adventurous Blonde'' is a 1937 American

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

film directed by Frank McDonald and written by Robertson White and David Diamond. 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 Classical Hollywood films. Farrell's career spanned more than 50 years, appearing 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 was released on November 13, 1937. This is the third film in the

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 were popular second features during the later 1930s and were mixtures of mystery, action, adve ...

movie series by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

and is followed by ''

Blondes at Work ''Blondes at Work'' is a 1938 American comedy-drama film directed by Frank McDonald (director), Frank McDonald and written by Albert DeMond. The film stars Glenda Farrell and Barton MacLane. It is the fourth film in a series of Torchy Blane movie ...

'' (1938).

Plot

Torchy Blane (

) is handed a telegram, which she reads before realizing that it was actually for Theresa Gray (

Natalie Moorhead Natalie Moorhead (born Nathalian Morehead, July 27, 1901 – October 6, 1992) was an American film and stage actress of the 1920s and 1930s. She was known for distinctive platinum blond hair. Early years Moorehead grew up in Pittsburgh. ...

) the woman sitting next to her on the train. Torchy's own telegram is from her boyfriend detective Steve McBride (Barton MacLane) announcing that he will have a minister waiting to marry them when she arrives at the train station. When rival reporters jealous of Torchy's success, decides to get even for repeated news scoops by Torchy, and fearing that her forthcoming marriage to Steve McBride will forever keep them from getting news tips from the police department. Four reporters, Mat, Dud, Mugsy and Pete, decides to play a practical joke on her and conspire to fake the murder of an actor; for the dual purpose of blocking Steve's marriage to Torchy, and at the same time making her the laughing stock of all newspaper. The reporters hire an actor to play dead and phone Steve with the news. They hope that Torchy will report the death and that a second paper owned by publisher Mortimer Gray (Charles C. Wilson) will embarrass her by printing the truth. A fake broadcast comes to Steve and Torchy while driving to the minister in Steve's police car. The pair quickly goes to the scene of the crime and Torchy immediately phones her newspaper of the story. A newspaper extra edition, headlining the murder is quickly on the streets. The opposition newspapers print a denial of Torchy's story. It is later learned that the hoax victim, Harvey Hammond, has actually been murdered and Torchy once again beat other reporters to the story. Several persons are suspects in Harvey's death including Grace Brown (

Anne Nagel Anne Nagel (born Anna Marie Dolan; September 29, 1915 – July 6, 1966) was an American actress. She played in adventures, mysteries, and comedies for 25 years. She also appeared in television series in the 1950s. One book described her as "one ...

) an actress in Hammond's company, her boyfriend Hugo Brand (

Anderson Lawler Anderson Lawler (May 5, 1902 – April 6, 1959) was an American actor and producer in film and theatre who had a career lasting from the 1920s through the 1950s. He began on Broadway before moving to featured and supporting roles in Hollywood ove ...

) and Theresa Gray, Hammond's ex-lover. Torchy frames Theresa for the murder in order to force a confession from publisher Mortimer Gray, her husband. Mortimer, who knew about the proposed joke, was jealous of his wife's relationship with Hammond and seized the opportunity to kill him. He confessed to the crime before taking poison. Cleared of any suspicion, Hugo and Grace are married by Torchy's waiting magistrate, and Torchy and Steve postpone their wedding once again.

Cast

as Torchy Blane *

as Steve MacBride *

as Grace Brown *

Tom Kennedy Thomas or Tom Kennedy may refer to: Politics *Thomas Kennedy (Scottish judge) (1673–1754), joint Solicitor General for Scotland 1709–14, Lord Advocate 1714, Member of Parliament for Ayr Burghs 1720–21 * Thomas Kennedy, 9th Earl of Cassilis ...

as Gahagan *

George E. Stone George E. Stone (born Gerschon Lichtenstein; May 18, 1903 – May 26, 1967) was a Polish-born American character actor in films, radio, and television. Life and career Stone was born Gerschon Lichtenstein in Łódź, Congress Poland, into ...

as Pete *

as Theresa Gray *

William Hopper William DeWolf Hopper Jr. (January 26, 1915 – March 6, 1970) was an American stage, film, and television actor. The only child of actor DeWolf Hopper and actress and Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper, he appeared in predominantly minor ro ...

as Matt *

Charley Foy Charley Foy (June 12, 1898 – August 22, 1984) was an American actor of both the vaudeville stage and film. Son of Eddie Foy Sr., he was one of the famous "The Seven Little Foys", the seven children of the senior Foy, who joined him on stage in ...

as Dud *

as Hugo Brand * Bobby Watson as Mugsy * Charles C. Wilson as Mortimer Gray

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 inte ...

released a boxed set DVD collection featuring all nine Torchy Blane films on March 29, 2011.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Adventurous Blonde 1937 films 1937 romantic comedy films American black-and-white films American romantic comedy films American detective films Films about journalists Films directed by Frank McDonald Warner Bros. films American comedy mystery films 1930s comedy mystery films Torchy Blane films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films