Torrid Zone (1940)

In an unnamed Central American country, the manager (Pat O'Brien) of a banana exporting company lures his ex-foreman (James Cagney) back to run the failing business. Meanwhile, there are some serious distractions like a sultry redhead (Ann Sheridan) and a revolutionary (George Tobias) intent on taking back the land! The old Hollywood studio system at its very best! Take a trio of likable contract players, back them up with ace character actors and give them rapid fire clever dialogue and you've got a winner! This expert farce whizzes along tossing barbs and quips so quickly that you're practically hanging on every word lest you miss a laugh. It plays out a little differently today perhaps in that we're much more sympathetic to the Latin revolutionaries rather than the American exploiters and capitalists but it's all good fun. Directed by William Keighley. With Andy Devine, Helen Vinson, Jerome Cowan and George Reeves.