Hollywood's Hardboiled Dame: Glenda Farrell

By Scott Allen Nollen

Torchy Blane: Model for Superman’s Lois Lane. Five-foot-three firecracker. Smart, adventurous blonde. Gimme girl. Wry eyes, pouty kisser. Wicked wisecrack. Sly double take. Fast-talking, no-nonsense, straight-shooting, standup, hardboiled dame.

Anyone for Glenda?

As often as she played a blonde, Glenda Farrell actually had light brown hair and dark gray eyes. And regardless of the hundreds of witty one-liners she tossed off in countless films, she really wasn’t hardboiled at all.