Torrid Zone (1940)

 

Torrid Zone - 1940

Coming up next we have 1940's "Torrid Zone", a film about a man who restores order to a banana plantation hounded by a Central American revolutionary.

The film's cast includes James Cagney, Ann Sheridan, Pat O'Brien, Andy Devine, Helen Vinson, George Tobias, George Reeves, Frank Puglia, and Grady Sutton.

In Central America, feared revolutionary outlaw Rosario La Mata is on the run.

Also in Central America is American songstress Lee Donley.  The man who runs the town she's in, American banana plantation owner Steve Case, doesn't like her, and wants her out of town.  He directs the chief of police to get her away.

Lee doesn't want to get out of town, and she resents Case forcing her to go.  "Mister, the stork that brought you must've been a vulture," she tells him.

Case gets an old friend of his, Nick Butler, to work for him.  Nick will be taking over the management of Case's banana plantation, where things have gotten lax and the crop that comes to town isn't good.

Lee meets Nick, and things are electric between them.  Seeing her opportunity to avoid returning to America, Lee hides out on Nick's train and accompanies him to the plantation.

When Lee arrives at the banana plantation, she meets Nick's old girlfriend Gloria, the wife of the outgoing plantation manager.  The two fight like cats and dogs.  "Why do you walk around making noises like a lady?  All a guy has to do is wink at you and he hits the jackpot," Lee tells Gloria, who is greatly offended.

Rosario La Mata has rounded up a gang of vigilantes who are wreaking havoc on the banana plantation, threatening to ruin Case's crop and destroy the lives of the men who work there.

Meanwhile, Gloria still has feelings for Nick, and she wants him to take her to America with him after the job is over.  Nick keeps putting her off, not wanting to commit himself.

While Nick is busy sorting out his love life and getting the banana plantation into shape, Rosario is hard at work thwarting all of his plans.  He blows up his access to town and even has two spies working on Nick's plantation staff, who are meant to lure Nick to a place where Rosario can kill him.

Lee and Gloria are still at it, verbally sparring with each other any time they are within each other's sights.  "Oh, I get it.  You've finally stepped down to your own level," Gloria tells Lee, who retorts, "That's still three floors above you."

Rosario succeeds in getting into a gunfight with Nick, but Nick surprises him by showing up in an unexpected location.  Nick is wounded, but Rosario is eventually caught and handed over to the proper authorities.

And Nick decides to stay in Central America and make a life with Lee.  The two kiss and embrace.

Cast rundown:

   James Cagney...............................Nick Butler

   Ann Sheridan................................Lee Donley

   Pat O'Brien...................................Steve Case

   Andy Devine.................................Wally Davis

   Helen Vinson.................................Gloria Anderson

   George Tobias...............................Rosario La Mata

   George Reeves..............................Sancho

   Frank Puglia..................................Juan Rodriguez

   Grady Sutton.................................Sam

And that's it for Torrid Zone.  Though he is top-billed in the film, James Cagney doesn't appear until twenty-two minutes into the movie.  In the film, Ann Sheridan is referred to as someone who has a lot of "oomph".  In real life, Sheridan was nicknamed "the oomph girl" in the late 1930s, a moniker for which she did not care.  This film was nominated for inclusion on the list of the Top 100 Funniest American Movies.

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The Thin Man Goes Home (1944)

The Thin Man Goes Home - 1944

Coming up next, we have 1944's "The Thin Man Goes Home", in which we see the continuing story of Nick and Nora Charles as they solve yet another murder case and save the day.

The film's cast includes William Powell, Myrna Loy, Lucile Watson, Gloria DeHaven, Anne Revere, Helen Vinson, Harry Davenport, Leon Ames, Donald Meek, Edward Brophy, Donald MacBride, Anita Sharp-Bolster, Minor Watson, Irving Bacon, Etta McDaniel, and Asta.

Nick and Nora Charles, along with their faithful hound Asta, are going on a trip to Nick's hometown of Sycamore Springs.  Leaving their son at school, the Charles's are looking forward to getting away for a brief time to relax and recharge their batteries.

Asta, of course, makes things difficult at the train station when he sees a girl he likes.  He runs after her, and Nick runs after him.

Knowing animals must ride in the baggage car, Nick and Nora disguise Asta under Nora's fur coat.  The conductor comes by and sees the coat and says, "All animals must go in the baggage car."  "That's not an animal," Nora protests, "that's my fur coat."  To which the conductor replies, "If it can wag its tail, it goes in the baggage car."  Nick and Nora don't make Asta ride alone.  They intend to go where he goes.

Some goats scare Asta, and he scampers up on a crate that holds some geese.  Unfortunately, one of them bites his tail.  It's not a very fun trip for the poor little guy.

Once in Sycamore Springs, Nick's parents are glad to see them.  Nick's father, however, doesn't really think that Nick's chosen profession is worthwhile.

When a murder happens right at their front door, Nick gets a chance to show his father what he can do.

The suspects are wide and varied.  There's a man who seems to know Nick pretty well.  He also seems to show up at the time when he could've had opportunity to commit the crime.

A well-to-do young lady and her father anxious to cover up any involvement in the scandal continually try and antagonize Nick into stopping any investigation.

Crazy Mary, the town character, is particularly violent when it comes to revealing any information.  Nick is eager to question her, too.

And a husband and wife team who have a particular interest in a painting that Nora buys Nick for his birthday also come under suspicion.

During the course of the investigation, Nick and Nora attend a local charity dance.  When Nora wants to help, Nick puts her off by handing her over to a very eager young sailor to dance.  Poor Nora is flipped upside down and whirled mercilessly around the dance floor.

Nick can only watch in amazement as his wife gets more than she bargained for while dancing.

Afterwards, Nora staggers off to find Nick.  She's in a daze from her experience, and it's no wonder!

As always and in true Nick Charles fashion, Nick gathers up all the suspects and tells them how the murder happened.  He even draws out the murderer, which causes the police to arrest him and the case is closed.

When all is said and done, Nick's father congratulates his son on a job well done.  Nick is so full of pride that he puffs out his chest and a few buttons pop on his vest to the delight of the onlookers.

Cast rundown:

   William Powell...........................Nick Charles

   Myrna Loy.................................Nora Charles

   Lucile Watson............................Mrs. Charles

   Gloria DeHaven.........................Laurabelle Ronson

   Anne Revere.............................Crazy Mary

   Helen Vinson.............................Helena Draque

   Harry Davenport........................Dr. Bertram Charles

   Leon Ames................................Edgar Draque

   Donald Meek.............................Willie Crump

   Edward Brophy...........................Brogan

   Donald MacBride........................Police Inspector MacGregor

   Anita Sharp-Bolster....................Hilda

   Minor Watson............................Sam Ronson

   Irving Bacon.............................Tom

   Etta McDaniel............................Ronson's Maid

   Asta.........................................Asta

And that's it for The Thin Man Goes Home.  This was the first film that Myrna Loy starred in after a brief acting hiatus during World War II to work for the Red Cross.  Her last film had been 1941's "Shadow Of The Thin Man".  It was thought that Irene Dunne would replace Loy in the Thin Man series, but audiences demanded that Nora Charles could only be played by Myrna Loy.

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