Torrid Zone (1940)

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

People are voting emotionally.

One of my all time favorites.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

HAVING OPENED ON Broadway at The Times Square Theatre (August 14, 1928 to April 29, 1929), the Ben Hecht-Charles MacArthur comedy had been adopted many times to the screen, of both the Movie and TV varieties.AS FAR AS theatrical productions are concerned, we had various "Front Pages" in 1931, 1940 (as HIS GIRL Friday) and 1974. In 1988, we were presented with SWITCHING CHANNELS; in which the setting and business underwent sort of a superficial 'plastic surgery', transforming the subject's media from the printed page to the electronic world of a Cable News Channel.BUT ONE FILM that is often overlooked as a reworking of the original play is the James Cagney/Anne Sheridan/Pat O'Brien vehicle, TORRID ZONE (Warner Brothers, 1940). Perhaps the extreme change of locales and business that makes up the heart of the story were transformed so drastically because of another production, over at Columbia Pictures.THIS WAS THE very same year that Howard Hawks' HIS GIRL Friday was released. Being that this was THE FRONT PAGE with a sex change for character Hildy Johnson (to Rosiland Russell's feminine guile), why would Warners bring out a picture, which would repeat all of the same action and story? HENCE, THE TRANSFORMATION from newspapers to a banana plantation in a fictional Central American country.IN THE CAST, we find Mr. James Cagney as the main character, who is the one being tricked into staying on as manager of the plantation. Doing the manipulation is Mr. Pat O'Brien, as the conniving, lying and totally unscrupulous big shot; who will do anything to exact the desired tasks from the now former employee.WITH THE CASTING of Pat O'Brien in this role, it was a sort of 180 degree turnabout from his portrayal of Hildy Johnson in THE FRONT PAGE of 1931. It was also a sort of reversal of on-screen images for Cagney and O'Brien; making Pat the heavy and Jimmy the innocent patsy.* IN PLACE OF a lot of what we can only call "Damon Runyonesque" type of underworld characters, the Central American gives us Banditos. George Tobias portrays 'Rosario' and is supported in highly exaggerated and now politically incorrect characters of Sancho and Carlos (George Reeves & Victor Killian); doing some very 'Speedy Gonzalez' type dialect.LIKE ALL THE other versions of the play, it's strictly a comedy or (more precisely) a Farce; being a true farce, much like so much of the "Media" is today.NOTE * Inspite of the roles that they portrayed and the chosen images that Jack Warner and company had chosen for them, Cagney and O'Brien were basically the opposite in real life. The 'brash, cocky Cagney was much more introverted and O'Brien's personality was outgoing and extroverted. Can you say "Typecasting?"

"Mister, the stork that brought you must have been a vulture!" That's how American chanteuse Ann Sheridan refers to South American plantation owner Pat O'Brien when he has her fired and deported in this reunion of the three stars of "Angels With Dirty Faces". James Cagney, with pencil thin mustache, is the nuisance hero that annoys O'Brien but is also someone he can't run the plantation without. Some might find the bandito character played by George Tobias as offensive. He recites common phrases with humorous alterations such as, Now you see the tables are inside out and I save this money for a rainstorm. At times, Tobias sounds like Bela Lugosi as Igor. The best dialog is Sheridan's romantic denials towards Cagney and her verbal sparring with Vinson. O'Brien is a borderline villain, manipulating Cagney, harassing Sheridan and threatening his two aids, . Andy Devine and Grady Sutton every time they take a collect wire from Cagney.As for Devine, it is interesting to note how maliciously Sheridan's character treats him with, such obvious contempt displayed simply because of his appearance. She never even looks him in the face. But his loyalty towards Cagney over his own boss is touching and he delivers each comical line with squeaky voiced glee. A mix of comedy, adventure and romance makes this a sure crowd pleaser.

This was the final film for James Cagney and Pat O'Brien who in my opinion invented the buddy film. O'Brien would be leaving Warner Brothers the following year and the two of them would not get together in another film until Ragtime in 1981 in which they both had small parts.It's a typical fast paced comedy for both of them, they were incapable of doing anything else together. O'Brien slowed down when he was in a clerical collar and Cagney when he was doing a nostalgic film, but together the lines go at light speed. Except when Ann Sheridan is concerned. Director Bill Keighley always slowed the pace for Sheridan because he didn't want anyone to miss some of her tart sayings. She has some of the best lines ever in her career. Typical being when she tells O'Brien that the stork that brought him must have been a vulture. Or when she's constantly one upping Helen Vinson who made a career of playing the other woman.O'Brien is the hardnosed manager of a tropical fruit company and he's in big trouble because a local Sandinista type bandit leader, George Tobias, is wrecking his operations. Another distraction is Ann Sheridan whose redheaded beauty he figures is too much of a distraction to the men where redheads are scarce. Notice how O'Brien tells the local authorities what to do. More truth than humor in that situation.He's desperate enough to hire back his number one troubleshooter James Cagney who gets the job done, but always gets himself in a jackpot where women are concerned. He's taken a fancy to Sheridan and she him.A couple of other reviewers have pointed out the obvious similarities between this and The Front Page. The first film version of that classic play is the one where Pat O'Brien made his screen debut as the ace reporter. However he did it on Broadway in the role of the editor which he's playing here.Perhaps this might be better described as another version of His Girl Friday. I can't say remake because both films came out at the same time. Sheridan comes off the same way as Rosalind Russell does in His Girl Friday, but Keighley also wants to accent her sensuality as well as her sharp tongue. He succeeds admirably because no woman in their previous films quite put off both Cagney and O'Brien the way Sheridan does.The woman sure had oomph.

I think this is one of the funniest comedies ever made. This film should be considered a masterpiece. James Cagney, Ann Sheridan, Pat O'Brien, Helen Vinson, Jerome Cowan, Andy Devine, George Tobias and George Reeves star in this fast-paced action comedy. The dialog is very very fast and so funny. Why this film isn't on DVD is a crying shame. The real star of the movie is the legendary movie star and sex goddess Ann Sheridan. She steals every scene she is in. Its not easy to steal a film from James Cagney, but Ann Sheridan does in this one. I remember when the American Film Institute picked the 100 funniest films of all time, this was missing, but it was in their top 500 for the voting category. It should have been in the top 100 as far as I am concerned. If you never saw the film, please look for it on Turner Classic Movies they play it often. Why they don't release this movie as part of an Ann Sheridan box set is beyond me, she is an incredible actress and even a better comedienne. I won't give anything away. Just sit back and enjoy a bunch of pros do it for you.