Plot: A notorious counterfeiter has been active for well over a decade, but the police have never been able to shut down his operation. The fake cash is nearly flawless and countless bills have been put into circulation, while the crook collects the real money in exchange for his faux creations. As if he wasn’t bold enough, the criminal now plans to expand his operation and the plot includes the lawmen themselves, who are going to be used as pawns. The criminal introduces himself to the police as Secret Service agent Charles (Willard Robertston) and asks them to cooperate with a sting investigation, one he claims will finally rope in the counterfeiter for good. Of course, he really plans to use the sting operation to launder a fortune in fake bills, but the police once again fail to catch on. But Torchy Blane (Glenda Farrell) is on the case as well and as she gathers her story, she might uncover a lot more than she ever expected.

Entertainment Value: This was the sixth volume in the Torchy Blane, the fifth with Glenda Farrell in the lead role and after a misstep in the previous movie, the series rights itself with Torchy Gets Her Man. The narrative gets back to the series’ roots, with a focus on a tough case for Torchy to investigate, but we’re also given a great villain this time around. I think the premise of this one is among the best in the series, perhaps a little far fetched, but it really keeps you reeled in. I also like that there’s more emphasis on Torchy and she’s back to being a whip smart reporter here, after a couple movies where her character felt a little held back. She’s back to showing up the police and her rivals in Torchy Gets Her Man, which I think was a wise choice. I missed the dynamic between Farrell’s Torchy and Tom Kennedy’s Gahagan, but this movie once again delivers and those scenes are quite humorous. As with the previous volumes, the pace is super brisk and runs about an hour, so there’s little downtime here. The run time is used to efficient ends, getting in solid narrative depth and character development, but never rushing the experience. In short, this sequel gets the series back on track and it feels like Torchy’s adventures again.

After a rather lackluster sequel that saw new performers in the lead roles, fans of the series should be pleased to know that Glenda Farrell and Barton MacLane are back in Torchy Gets Her Man. I think Lola Lane was passable in the previous installment, but this role belongs to Farrell and her return alone elevates the movie. But there’s even more to this return than Farrell’s presence, as Torchy was put on the bench for a lot of the previous movie and she is back in the central position here, which is great news, since she is the main draw of the franchise. Farrell is charismatic and immensely fun to watch here, while she and Barton MacLane don’t miss a beat with the series’ trademark banter, picking right up where they left off. The two work so well together in these roles and they were greatly missed in the previous movie, so having them back is a real treat and fans will be delighted. The cast also includes Tom Kennedy, Frank Shannon, Willard Robertson, and John Ridgely.

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