Warner Bros. to recast Farrell and MacLane in the lead roles. They starred in three more Torchy Blane films. In 1939, Farrell left Warner Bros., and the studio recast the roles with Jane Wyman and Allen Jenkins for the series' final entry, Torchy Blane... Playing with Dynamite (1939). Public reaction was tepid. A leftover Torchy Blane script was adapted into a 1939 film Private Detective, also starring Jane Wyman, but not as the Torchy character. The only actor to appear in all nine Torchy Blane films was Tom Kennedy as Gahagan, McBride's slow-witted cop sidekick given to bursts of poetry. Various other Warner stock actors were also used repeatedly. Character actor George Guhl made notable appearances in all but the last entry in the series, as forgetful Desk Sergeant Graves, while bit part players Harry Seymour and Jack Wise were in seven. Composer Howard Jackson was credited with scoring all nine films. Portrayals In seven of the nine films featuring the character, Torchy Blane was played by Glenda Farrell. In her role as Torchy, Farrell was promoted as being able to speak 400 words in 40 seconds. On her portrayal of the character, Farrell said in her 1969 Time interview: "So before I undertook to do the first Torchy, I determined to create a real human being—and not an exaggerated comedy type. I met those [newswomen] who visited Hollywood and watched them work on visits to New York City. They were generally young, intelligent, refined and attractive. By making Torchy true to life, I tried to create a character practically unique in movies." Influence Comic book writer and Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel credited Glenda Farrell's portrayal of Torchy Blane as the inspiration for the DC Comics reporter Lois Lane and the name of actress Lola Lane for Lois' name. Joanne Siegel, the wife of Jerry Siegel and the original model for Lois Lane, also cited Farrell's portrayal of Torchy as Siegel's inspiration for Lois. Home media Warner Archive released a boxed set DVD collection featuring all nine Torchy Blane films on March 29, 2010. Films References External links Torchy Blane at The Thrilling detective Film characters introduced in 1937 Film series introduced in 1937 Fictional amateur detectives American film series Warner Bros. Pictures franchises Fictional reporters Female characters in film