Torchy Blane in Chinatown (Warner Bros.) (1939)

#/ scadatets Mat 201—230c TRIO OF SLEUTHS — try to solve the mystery of “Torchy Blane In Chinatown” now at the Strand, and get into a heap of trouble in the doing. Barton MacLane (holding paper) and Tom Kennedy, super-detectives, are wary of the intentions of Torchy, center, played by Glenda Farrell, (Opening Day) Latest ‘Torchy’ Adventure Opening At Strand Today STORY SYNOPSIS: (not for publication) Torchy Blane (Glenda Farrell) becomes embroiled in a maze of Orienental mystery, murder, and extortion. At her side are her two buddies Steve McBride (Barton MacLane) and his assistant Gahagan, (Tom Kennedy). An art col lector is killed, a young man is forced to hand over $250,000 to save his life, and things become more involved until Torchy brings the evil doers to justice in an exciting finish in which a submarine figures. “Torchy Blane in Chinatown,” the seventh picture in the popular Warner Bros. series, comes to the Strand Theatre today with Glenda Farrell again portraying the smart and saucy newspaper reporter she has made famous as a screen character and Barton MacLane again in the role of Lieut. Steve McBride, the slow but sure detective whom she likes but also annoys. Another familiar character seen in this latest adventure is Gahagan, the thick-witted but highly diverting assistant of Lieut. McBride, and, as in every previous picture of the series, he is played by that skillful comedian, Tom Kennedy. Other important roles are played by Henry O’Neill, Patric Knowles, James Stephenson, Janet Shaw, Frank Shannon and Richard Bond. Mat 103—15ec Glenda Farrell Torchy’s latest adventure is concerned with her effort to solve a series of mysterious murders and a brazen attempt to extort $250,000 from a rich youth. MeBride is working on the ease, and, as usual, he doesn’t want her around. But neither the detective’s efforts to keep Torchy from mixing into the matter, nor the spinechilling horror of the exploits of what seems to be a sinister band of wily orientals can deter or daunt her. The mysterious band frightens the rich youth into taking a speedboat and delivering $250,000 to three masked men on a launch that is riding the waves near the last buoy in New York Harbor. Before the extortioners can get away, however, a submarine rises from the depths of the bay and rakes their boat with gunfire. The criminals leap overboard but are fished out by the submarine’s crew. The submarine was, of course, Torchy’s idea, she is aboard it and she enjoys unmasking the extortioners and turning them over to MeBride when he arrives a few moments later on a police launch; Based on an original story by Murray Leinster and Will Jenkins, the screen play was written by George Bricker, and the production was directed by William Beaudine. SHORTS: A star’s skin protec Hen “725 Glenda Protects Skin ‘“Smart blondes,’’ says Glenda Farrell, ‘‘have tricks of their own in applying cleansing creams be-’ cause as a rule their skins are more sensitive than the skin of brunettes.’’ Glenda herself puts her cream on a piece of cotton which has been wrung out in ice water, smoothes it over her face, removes it with cleansing tissue, then pats her face with the merest bit of astringent. ‘‘It helps to give you that wide awake feeling.’’ Page Eight A director’s fetish Beaudine’s Eye-Shade On the first day of shooting on ‘‘Torchy Blane in Chinatown,’’ the Warner Bros. picture opening Friday at the Strand Theatre, Director William Beaudine wore the green eye-shade he wore in 1904 when he entered pictures with the Biograph Company. He makes this bid for good luck on all pictures he directs. During his 34 years in the picture business, he estimates, he has purchased more than 100 of the eye-shades. PUBLICITY SUCKED BY AN QAR FOR GLENDA FARRELL Glenda Farrell got a bump on the head and narrowly escaped serious injury from a blow with the edge of an oar during the filming of a scene of “Torchy Blane in Chinatown,” the latest of the Warner Bros. “Torchy” series, now showing at the Strand Theatre. The injury came as the result of missing a cue, the sound of which was drowned out by backfiring of a motorboat. An oar, lustily swung by Patric Knowles, was supposed to land edge-down on a bulge in a tarpaulin covering part of the motorboat. The bulge represented Miss Farrell’s head, In the scene, Glenda, spying on some criminals of the story, is nearly caught peeping from underneath the tarpaulin. One of them sees the bulge caused by her head and swings the oar edge-down. Glenda on the proper cue was supposed to duck her head, leaving a wire support to “Mat 101—15c DANGER overtakes Glenda Farrell and Barton MacLane, starring in ““Torchy Blane In Chinatown,’ now at the Strand. be smashed by the blow. The sputtering motor made her miss the cue, and she was a fraction of a second too late in ducking. Fortunately the edge of the oar blade missed her head. She was almost stunned, however, by the impact of the broad blade of the oar as it bounced sideways off the cockpit edge where it landed. Director William Beaudine noted that the lump under the canvas was still moving when hit, so he stopped the scene instantly and investigated. Glenda came up groggy, but with her usual smile. (Review) Glenda Farrell Scores In ALL IN DAY'S WORK = Wee «7 orchy’ Adventure Amid exotie and sinister surroundings, “Torchy Blane in Chinatown,” latest of the popular Warner Bros. series, which opened yesterday at the Strand Theatre, is another well-directed, wellwritten adventure hit with the irrepressible Torchy, the same courageous, smart and resourceful lass the public has long since adopted as its favorite girl reporter. Although Glenda — or Torchy — is the center of all action, the film is not without strong support. Again serving as a perfect foil for Torchy’s quick, sharp mind, the slower thinking but always reliable Lieut. Steve MeBride is played by Barton MacLane, so firmly established in the public mind as the police detective that the average filmgoer has probably forgotten he used to play nothing but villains. Tom Kennedy plays Gahagan, McBride’s not too helpful assistant, and his comic contributions to the latest Torchy picture are so expertly handled that it is easy to understand why he seems as indispensable to the series as either of the leading players. As the title suggests, there is a sinister, oriental overtone to the happenings in the latest Torchy adventure, and it has its quota of spine-chilling horror as well as the rapid-fire action that is characteristic of all the tales of which the intrepid girl reporter is the heroine. After three of the victims of an extortion gang have apparently been murdered, the band frightens a rich youth into paying $250,000 to save his life. The money is delivered by him on a speedboat to another boat near the last buoy in lower New York Bay. As the three masked men aboard the extortioners’ boat start to make their getaway, however, a submarine comes to the surface and rakes their boat with gunfire. They leap overboard but are easily captured by the submarine’s crew. Yes, of course, the submarine was Torehy’s idea and she is aboard it. McBride comes speeding to the scene in a police launch just a few moments later and, as graciously as he can, he takes the prisoners off the hands of the triumphant Torchy. The unmasking of the three men naturally explains all of the mysterious happenings that have preceded their capture. HENRY O'NEILL USES FRIENDS AS MODELS A friend was the pattern for the loquacious, pompous senator Henry O'Neill portrayed in “Torechy Blane in Chinatown,” latest in the Glenda Farrell-Barton MaclLane series for Warner 3ros., which is now showing at the Strand Theatre. “The characterization is not unkind,’ Henry says, “and has nothing at which this friend can take offense should he recognize himself. But I am sure he will not recognize himself unless somebody tells him it is a caricature — because those people never see themselves as others see them. He will probably laugh at it, convinced that in no way is he like the screen character. “T wouldn’t want it to be generally known, though, that I pattern screen characters after my friends occasionally. The characterizations as a rule are innocent enough, but I’m afraid many of the models for them couldn’t take it and I don’t want to lose their friendship.” “The important thing for an actor is to portray a role as realistically as possible. What better way than pattern his character after flesh and blood persons whom he has studied?” TOM KENNEDY FANS MAKE HIM STAY COP It’s quite all right with Tom Kennedy’s fans if he portrays not-so-bright policemen on the screen. In fact they won't let him play anything else, he revealed during the filming of “Torchy Blane in Chinatown,” the Warner Bros. picture currently at the Strand Theatre. Once in a while he aecepts an assignment on the other side of law and order and brings to the screen a sterling performance as a dumb gangster. Immediately fans deluge him with letters of protest. “I suppose their reaction,” Tom says, “would mean something to a psychologist, but it’s beyond me when they say my characterization of a dumb gangster isn’t believable and to cut it out. If I were the police, I guess I’d kinda get sore about it. And to think that I nearly became a real cop once!” Mat 102—15e Tom Kennedy Knew Each Other When William Beaudine, who directed Tom Kennedy in ‘‘Torchy Blane in Chinatown,’’ the Warner Bros. picture now playing at the Strand Theatre, was assistant director on the first picture the comic acted in, which was made in 1915. The pieture was ‘‘One Round Hogan’’ with Jim Corbett, the pride of many a fight fan. Tom Kennedy often tells of the good times the three had together back in the old days. Fights Bore MacLane Barton MacLane, featured with Glenda Farrell in ‘‘Torchy Blane in Chinatown,’’ the Warner Bros. picture now showing at the Strand Theatre, has participated in many rough and tumble fights for the screen but he doesn’t care to watch prize fights as a spectator. His favorite spectator sports are football and rodeos, Mat 203—30c ALL DRESSED UP, and they’re going to Chinatown to solve the mystery of “Torchy Blane In Chinatown,” the Warner Bros. comedy-drama now at the Strand Theatre. Left to right, Tom Kennedy, Barton MacLane, Glenda Farrell, and Patric Knowles, acme nanan enema emma nnnimenemmennememnenene memememnnnmeeannn nen nese aamenednemnnmenieeamnaeeammnnnene nee ll