I try to check out the TCM line-up every day or two, so I don't miss any of my favorite movies or miss the chance to discover some that I've never seen. When I get busy I often forget. Apparently that's what I did because I got to this week before I realized that Glenda Farrell was TCM's Star of the Month.
I missed the first Monday night movies including classics Little Caesar and I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang and an early Bette Davis film The Big Shakedown. The next Monday night brought Glenda's seven Torchy Blaine movies. I made sure to record Smart Blonde, Torchy's introduction, to save on my DVR.
Later weeks brought Three on a Match and Bureau of Missing Persons.
The three in the pre-Code Three on a Match (1932) are Ann Dvorak, Joan Blondell and Bette Davis. Ann has the juicy role of the bored socialite wife who descends into a life of debauchery after being seduced by Lyle Talbot. Bette has a small, essentially meaningless role because the film needed a "three" on the match. Glenda's role is minuscule. She's credited as Vivian's friend although I thought I saw her as Mary's friend in reform school. I didn't save the recording, so I'll have to look for her the next time around. Other cast members are Warren William--check him out in suit and tie at the beach--Humphrey Bogart and Allen Jenkins as henchmen of Ace, chillingly played by Edward Arnold. In his first scene, he's plucking out his nose hairs in a mirror.
Bureau of Missing Persons (1934) gives both Bette and Glenda larger roles. Bette is the female lead: pretending to find a missing husband, while searching for a murderer. Pat O'Brien is newly assigned to the Bureau. He falls hard for Bette even though she lies to him constantly. Glenda is his ex-wife looking for alimony. When a new client arrives, Pat learns Glenda has remarried. The "comedic" ending of the film has him beating her off screen before he and Bette stroll off together. What fun.
One more Glenda film to watch with Barbara Stanwyck: Breakfast for Two.
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