Movie Review for ---> Torrid Zone (1940)

Torrid Zone (1940)


Directed by William Keighley

WARNER BROTHERS


INFORMATION FROM IMDb


Plot Summary


Banana Company executive Steve Case on a Caribean plantation group tries to convince his former co-worker Nick Butler to take over the plantation No 7. But he is on his way to Chicago, to take over a job as a manager for another company himself. He has also troubles with US night-club singer Lee Donley, whom he wants aboard a ship back to the US, and rebel Rosario. He is able to get Nick to the plantation, but is he able to keep him there or will he leave it in a few days with Gloria, the wife of the former exectutive of No 7, Mr. Anderson ?




Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Richard Macaulay (screenplay) and
Jerry Wald (screenplay)


Full Cast


James Cagney ... Nick 'Nicky' Butler
Ann Sheridan ... Lee Donley
Pat O'Brien ... Mr. Steve Case
Andy Devine ... Wally Davis
Helen Vinson ... Mrs. Gloria Anderson
Jerome Cowan ... Bob 'Bill' Anderson
George Tobias ... Rosario 'Rosie' La Mata
George Reeves ... Sancho, Rosario's Henchman
Victor Kilian ... Carlos (Rosario's henchman)
Frank Puglia ... Police Chief Juan Rodriguez
John Ridgely ... Gardner
Grady Sutton ... Sam, Steve's Secretary
Paul Porcasi ... Garcia, Hotel Bar Proprietor
Frank Yaconelli ... Lopez, Plantation Driver (as Frank Yaconnelli)
Dick Botiller ... Hernandez, Plantation Worker (as Dick Boteler)
Frank Mayo ... Shaffer
Jack Mower ... McNamara
Paul Hurst ... Daniels, Ship Captain
George Regas ... Sergeant of Police
Elvira S·nchez ... Rita, Gloria's Servant (as Elvira Sanchez)

rest of cast listed alphabetically:

Trevor Bardette ... Policeman Escorting Lee on Ship (uncredited)
Max Blum ... Bit Part (uncredited)
Joe Dominguez ... Manuel, Rosario's Henchman (uncredited)
George Humbert ... Hotel Manager (uncredited)
Manuel LÛpez ... Chico, Rasario's Henchman (uncredited)
Joe Molinas ... Native (uncredited)
Don Orlando ... Hotel Employee Hanging Mosquito Netting (uncredited)
Tony Paton ... Charley (plantation worker) (uncredited)
Ralph Peters ... First Train Engineer (uncredited)
Ernesto Piedra ... Policeman (uncredited)
Paul Renay ... Jose, Rosario's Henchman (uncredited)
Victor Sabuni ... Bit Part (uncredited)
Betty Sanko ... Bit Part (uncredited)
Rafael Storm ... Man (uncredited)
Leo White ... Smiling Man to Whom Lee Sings (uncredited)
Tom Wilson ... Passerby as Train Moves (uncredited)



Produced by
Mark Hellinger .... associate producer
Hal B. Wallis .... executive producer
William Cagney .... producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Adolph Deutsch

Cinematography by
James Wong Howe

Trivia:

George Reeves, Victor Varconi, Joseph Calleia, Alan Hale and George Tobias all tested for the role of Rosario, with the part going to Tobias.


Links


Amazon.com: Torrid Zone: James Cagney,Ann Sheridan,Pat O'Brien,Andy Devine,Helen Vinson,Jerome Cowan,George Tobias,George Reeves,Victor Kilian,Frank Puglia,John Ridgely,Grady Sutton,Paul Porcasi,Frank Yaconelli,Dick Botiller,Frank Mayo,Jack Mower,Paul Hurst,George Regas,Elvira Sánchez,William Keighley: Movies & TV

Amazon.com: James Cagney - The Signature Collection (The Bride Came C.O.D. / Captains of the Clouds / The Fighting 69th / Torrid Zone / The West Point Story): James Cagney,Jimmy Cagney: Movies & TV

Well, I'm continuing my series of reviews with this excellent Cagney-O'Brien film. This was a movie I hadn't seen until recently when it was released on DVD as part of Warner's "James Cagney Signature Collection" and I have to say, it really blew me away. Having never seen it before, I wasn't expecting all that much (I was mainly looking forward to the other movies in the set) and I was pleasantly surprised at how entertaining this movie was.

O'Brien is the "big boss" of a fruit company operating in Central America, and Cagney is the foreman of one of his most profitable plantations. They have to deal with a local revolutionary leader (George Tobias) who is harassing their shipping and destroying the railroad tracks they use to ship their fruit to the coast. It also features a GREAT supporting role for Andy Devine as Cagney's right-hand man (one of Andy's top five screen performances, IMHO, right up there with Stagecoach and Island in the Sky). Ann Sheridan is a girl with a shady past that both Cagney and O'Brien have some dealings with. She gets some of the best lines in this witty script that is filled with snappy dialog. Hollywood veteran James Wong Howe provides the film with excellent black & white cinematography.

Like I said, I wound up really liking this movie, and would highly recommend it. One of Cagney & O'Brien's best.

Well, this is something I started a while ago, but their didn't seem to be much interest. I'm thinking about reviving this and writing up a few more of these reviews, and I was wondering if maybe some of our new members (or maybe some "old" ones) would be interested in my writing some more of these?