Everybody wants Torchy off of the case: Her fiancé Lieutenant Steve McBride, police captain McTavish, rival reporter Bill Canby—all strongly discourage and ridicule Torchy's detecting abilities. –Which is kind of depressing because she's way smarter than any of these guys.
Lola Lane as reporter Torchy Blane is a bright spot in this otherwise pretty unimaginative series entry. Lane's Torchy is energetic, snappy, practically impossible to intimidate. She responds to Steve's efforts to push her away from playing detective by pinching his cheek: "Whatsa matter, Stevie, need help?"
Paul Kelly does not fare so well as Steve McBride
.Unfortunately, the character this time around is neither sympathetic nor smart. Kelly does his best to inject some spirit into the character's sour disposition, but just isn't given much to work with.
Both Lane and Kelly made only this one appearance in the Torchy Blane series, and they really don't develop much chemistry in one short picture. (Original series stars Glenda Farrell and Barton McLane returned to the roles by the next entry.)
Tom Kennedy does appear once again as police driver Gahagan—he's still composing poetry, and he is also a member of a lodge called the Leopards whose parade leads them right past a bank that is being robbed. More than comic relief this time around, Gahagan actually spots at least one key clue
.
Besides a bank robbery, the plot involves $90,000 of stolen money hidden inside of a stuffed leopard, a chase to Panama in pursuit of a suspect
and Torchy's striped pajamas.
Lane is definitely fun to watch
but overall, the story really lacks suspense and is only moderately amusing. Interesting for Torchy's fans but no great shakes.
