Torrid Zone

source: Torrid Zone

Trailer—Torrid Zone

Torrid Zone

This remake of "The Front Page" is an improvement, as far as I'm concerned. The combination of Wald/Macaulay and the Warner Brothers stock company is sure-fire ("They Drive By Night"!) Ann Sheridan is vivacious as a trodden-upon showgirl, singing "My Caballero" and trading vicious quips with the scheming O'Brien and the dynamic Cagney. Special mention must go to George Tobias, one of the funniest character actors of the studio age, who plays Rosario, the guerilla leader sentenced to death "just because I shoot a man..."

Torrid Zone (1940) ** 1/2 (out of 4) A banana plantation owner (Pat O'Brien) hires a tough guy (James Cagney) to look after everything but an escaped bandit (George Tobias) causes some trouble as does a woman (Ann Sheridan). This is a slightly entertaining film that offers some nice performances but in the end there's nothing too special with the screenplay, which at times wonders around. O'Brien steals the show as the tough talking owner and this is one exception where he steals the film from Cagney. Cagney is decent in his role but he doesn't bring too much energy to the film. I'm not a fan of Sheridan but she's actually very good her delivering a tough performance. Tobias is great as the villain and Andy Devine offers nice comic support. The cast makes the film entertaining but I wish the screenplay had tried to do a tad bit more. The movie is pretty light weight, which keeps it from being better.

Good movie - love the way Ann Sheridan goes head to head toe to toe with Cagney in some very snappy dialogue.

When seen in the 21st century, "Torrid Zone" is a very strange and dated film. After all, it's set in some unnamed Banana Republic where Americans pretty much run things...a colonial style story indeed! "Torrid Zone" is an odd movie because the star of the film, Jimmy Cagney, doesn't even appear in the film until about 20 minutes into the story. Until then, it mostly involves an incredibly bilious Steve (Pat O'Brien) and Lee (Ann Sheridan) verbally sparring with each other. Later, when Nick (Cagney) arrives. Then, there's some more sparring between Nick and Lee as well as Nick fighting with a local revolutionary wannabe as well as Nick trying, once again, to have his way with another man's wife. Despite a convoluted pro-colonial plot, the film has some decent scenes, decent acting (aside from O'Brien, who mostly yells and acts grouchy in every scene) and the Warner Brothers style you might expect. Is the story good? Not especially...but it's never dull.

Life at a banana plantation must have its compensations, judging from the way things turn out in this fast-moving, wise-cracking comedy directed stylishly by William Keighley. PAT O'BRIEN is the hard-nosed manager of a plantation who needs his former overseer's help in keeping some criminal elements from causing too much trouble. So JAMES CAGNEY comes back to help him--but trouble brews when he and O'Brien quarrel over red-headed ANN SHERIDAN, who just about walks off with the film's best lines. It's strictly a Warner comedy-melodrama with stock players turning up in some good supporting roles, particularly GEORGE TOBIAS, ANDY DEVINE, JEROME COWAN and, in a small role, GEORGE (Superman) REEVES. The real surprise of the film is ANN SHERIDAN, handling herself in every situation as a gal to be reckoned with. It's fun all the way.