User Reviews

....And she actually looked like the comic strip heroine as well!!! Rosella had had a career of mostly uncredited parts and she probably hoped that this movie would lead to a series but it was an ordinary production and didn't really have much in common with the original comic strip. Unfortunately it was the highpoint of Rosella's career and after that it was back to anonymity. Apart from William Gargan, the most well known member of the cast was the beautiful Peggy Shannon, who was ending her career in bit parts after succumbing to alcoholism. To me, she always added interest to any film she appeared in.

Jane Arden first appeared as a comic strip in 1928. Back then women reporters were often referred to as "sob sisters" but Jane Arden paved the way for being as hard hitting as any man - she was more interested in putting crooks out of action. Rather like Brenda Starr, except Jane was the original. She was given her own radio show in 1937 which lasted a couple of years, then came the movie. Ed Towers (William Gargan) newspaper editor, is sick of the front page always being filled with the exploits of dizzy socialite Martha Blanton (Maris Wrixon) but Jane is sure there is a story there somewhere as the Blanton family "haven't got a dime" yet Martha always finds money for cruises and trips. There is something fishy going on - jewel smuggling and Martha now demands out but is killed before she can get very far along the dusty, lonely road.

Jane has already worked out what is happening and like all good reporters goes undercover as a pretty socialite down on her luck who is not concerned how she makes her money. She is soon on her way to Bermuda to pick up some jewels to smuggle back to the States. On board the ship she meets the charming Dr. Vander (James Stevenson) and his "patient" Lola (Peggy Shannon). By the end of the voyage there has been an attempted kidnapping (of Ed) and a chase in the night where several people fall off their horse wagons (Lola for one)!!!

The movie was nothing to get excited about but another new talent appearing, Maris Wrixon, proved to have a more enduring career (only just) than Towne!!!

"I'm going to get me a drink of scotch, rye, and gin. Maybe it will clear my head". So says Dennie Moore, a poor man's Gracie Allen, who tries to add some dim-witted wisdom to a film that was obviously made to create another "Torchy Blane" like series. Rosella Towne and William Gargan do their best to make the predictable story exciting, but it's only the short running time that makes this passable.

The story deals with the brutal murder of an heiress which makes ambitious reporter Towne go undercover, encountering danger through a phone doctor (James Stephenson) and his supposedly troubled patient (Peggy Shannon) which leads to Towne's boyfriend boss (Gargan) rushing in for the rescue.

Had this been any longer, it would have rated less. Benny Rubin is wasted as Moore's stereotypical 30's Jewish boyfriend. It's too bad "Will and Grace's" Karen didn't get ahold of the quote written above. It's right up her alley. The film seems more like a feature length compilation of a serial where character development and plot aren't important, only the action. I was not surprised to learn that this was actually based on a "Brenda Starr" like comic strip.