Torchy Blane in Panama (1938)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
The fifth entry in the series finds Lola Lane taking over the role of Torchy Blane and Paul Kelly taking on the Detective McBride spot. This time out the two find themselves (and Detective Gahagan) on a ship heading towards Panama after they believe a bank robber has boarded it. Soon they arrive in Panama but Torchy finds herself in over her head. TORCHY BLANE IN PANAMA was a disappointment when originally released so Warner brought back the original stars for the next installment. With that said, for the most part this is an okay film that clocks in at just a hour so it flies by pretty good. Of course, the one thing missing are the original stars. Both Lane and Kelly are good in regards to the performances but they just don't have that chemistry like Glena Farrell and Barton MacLane had. Both Lane and Kelly are good on their own but they just don't add enough sparks together to help give the film that added charm. The great Tom Kennedy is back and manages to get some nice laughs including a bit where he's on the ocean looking for tornadoes. The mystery itself isn't all that spectacular but it's decent enough for a "B" movie. Fans of the series will certainly still want to check this entry out but there's no question it lacks the charm of the previous four.
** 1/2 (out of 4)
The fifth entry in the series finds Lola Lane taking over the role of Torchy Blane and Paul Kelly taking on the Detective McBride spot. This time out the two find themselves (and Detective Gahagan) on a ship heading towards Panama after they believe a bank robber has boarded it. Soon they arrive in Panama but Torchy finds herself in over her head. TORCHY BLANE IN PANAMA was a disappointment when originally released so Warner brought back the original stars for the next installment. With that said, for the most part this is an okay film that clocks in at just a hour so it flies by pretty good. Of course, the one thing missing are the original stars. Both Lane and Kelly are good in regards to the performances but they just don't have that chemistry like Glena Farrell and Barton MacLane had. Both Lane and Kelly are good on their own but they just don't add enough sparks together to help give the film that added charm. The great Tom Kennedy is back and manages to get some nice laughs including a bit where he's on the ocean looking for tornadoes. The mystery itself isn't all that spectacular but it's decent enough for a "B" movie. Fans of the series will certainly still want to check this entry out but there's no question it lacks the charm of the previous four.