Torrid and Tart, Lucky and Comatose

Time for another old movie double bill: The Torrid Zone (1940) and If I'm Lucky (1946).

Torrid Zone answers the age old question - can anyone talk faster than James Cagney? It turns out that Pat O’Brien can. He plays the high-handed, hard-charging boss of a South American banana plantation. We first see him rousting Ann Sheridan from her singing job at a cantina, because in this town, what he says, goes. Because she won’t be rousted, she winds up in jail, playing cards with Latin revolutionary George Tobias. He gets taken out to be shot, which seems a little heavy for a comedy, but he escapes - and starts making trouble for the plantation.

But where’s Cagney in all this? He used to be O’Brien’s right-hand man, but he got a promotion and is heading back to Chicago - on the very boat that Sheridan is being sent home on. Of course, O’Brien will bully, sweet-talk, and swindle him into staying over for just a week, to take care of the revolutionaries. Also of course, he is going to romance Ann Sheridan into the bargain.

This has a lot going for it: O’Brien and Cagney quarreling twenty to the dozen, a pinch of Grady Sutton, a large helping of Andy Devine, and even George Reeves as Revolutionary #2. But the best part is probably Sheridan’s tart tongue - she gets off a number of zingers, including some clever ways to call someone a hoor.

If I’m Lucky isn’t quite so good. It sort of stars trumpeter Harry James as a band leader, with Vivian Blaine as singer and Carmen Miranda as his novelty act. When their agent, Phil Silvers can’t get them a gig, they find work bringing in crowds at Edgar Buchanan’s political rally. Then Perry Comotose shows up to pitch a song and pitch some woo at Blaine.

With that kind of talent, what can go wrong? Well, let’s see... Miranda gets one number and only a few chances to cuss someone out in Portuguese. Perry Como is a wet dud. Harry James is a good trumpet, but the musical numbers aren’t much to my taste - too square. Maybe 1946 just wasn’t a great year for white swing. Even Silvers doesn’t have much to do.

It might have worked with better music, or maybe removing some extraneous material. Hate to say it, but they could have dropped Miranda or Silvers and given the one they kept something to do.

Still, a pleasant pastime, if you like that sort of thing.