"Torrid Zone" is a fine fast-paced action/comedy/romance film starring one of America's favorite tough guys, "oomph" girls, and Irishmen: James Cagney, Ann Sheridan, and Pat O'Brien, respectively. Featuring mounds of witty dialogue, this film takes place south of the border in Puerto Aguilar, where the cheap cigar-chomping son-of-a-bitch scoundrel Steve Case (O'Brien), general manager of a struggling fruit company, finesses the mustachioed wiseass Nick Butler (Cagney), who he needs to be the foreman at his banana plantation, to postpone his plans to leave for the States. Along for the ride is the glamorous entertainer Lee Donley (Sheridan), an adorable card shark extraordinaire who can wisecrack with the best of them. And that's only the beginning, folks. Add a colorful group of supporting players such as Andy Devine, Helen Vinson, Jerome Cowan, and George Tobias, and you have a smashingly good flick. Two memorable scenes include the opening number "Mi Caballero" sung by Lee Donley, and the exciting shoot-out between the plantation workers and the banditos. In closing, my favorite characters in this film are the aforementioned completely unlikable Steve Case, the notorious yet likable bandito Rosario La Mata (brilliantly portrayed by George Tobias), and the absolutely lovable but dimwitted Wally Davis (Andy Devine).
Review of Torrid Zone
