Larry Simms – MRQE

Beware of Blondie

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

After 12 years and 28 films, Columbia’s Blondie series came to a close with 1950’s Beware of Blondie. Mr. Dithers leaving Dagwood (Arthur Lake) in charge of the office for a short period. Poor old Dagwood manages to gum things up when he falls for a confidence scam engineered by the duplicitous Toby Clifton (Adele Jergens). He even finds himself in a compromising position that seriously endangers his future connubial happiness with wife Blondie (Penny Singleton). Once again, it’s up to Blondie to straighten out the mess. Mr. Dithers is played by an uncredited Edward Earle, who is seen only from the back; Earle’s voice is dubbed over with an old recording of Jonathan Hale, the series’ original Dithers.

Blondie Hits the Jackpot

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The “Blondie” series reaches Number 26 with Blondie Hits the Jackpot. Fired for messing up an important contract, Dagwood (Arthur Lake) takes a job as a manual laborer for a construction firm. Of interest is the fact that Dagwood and Blondie’s son Alexander (Larry Simms), is now shaving and going out with girls–a far cry from his “Baby Dumpling” days in the series’ earliest entries.

Blondie’s Reward

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

After bungling a real-estate transaction, Dagwood Bumstead (Arthur Lake) is demoted to office boy by his flustered boss Radcliffe (Jerome Cowan). Number 23 in the long-running Blondie series.

Blondie in the Dough

Sat, 23 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Blondie #21: Blondie opens a bakery in her home to help fill the family cookie jar in this entry in the long-running domestic comedy series based on the popular comic strip. Her tasty cookies become so popular that a cookie magnate makes her an offer that is difficult to refuse. Unfortunately, this creates all kinds of problems for the Bumsteads.

Blondie’s Holiday

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Dagwood gets a raise due to a new contract with a bank manager. Blondie misunderstanding the amount of the raise pledges more than they can afford to Dagwood’s high school reunion organizer who was also Dagwood’s high school sweetheart. To make matters worse Dagwood becomes involved with a gang running a gambling establishment.

Blondie Knows Best

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Dagwood Bumstead (Arthur Lake) poses as his boss Mr. Dithers (Jonathan Hale) so that a big business deal can be consummated while Dithers avoids nearsighted process server Jim Gray (Shemp Howard). The upshot of all this is that Dagwood ends up in a lunatic asylum, forcing Blondie (Penny Singleton) to come to the rescue. Number 18 in the long running Blondie series. Blondie Knows Best was writer/director Edward Bernds’ first entry in the long-running “Blondie” series, and arguably his funniest. Bernds was a big fan of comedian Shemp Howard (whom he’d directed in several Columbia 2-reelers) and accordingly he gives Shemp free reign in his scenes, resulting in some hystericially funny moments. Blondie Knows Best represented Jonathan Hale’s farewell to the series; in the next entry, Blondie’s Big Moment, he would be replaced by Jerome Cowan as Mr. Radcliffe

Footlight Glamour

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Mr. Dithers is trying to encourage a businessman to build a war-time manufacturing plant on land he owns while Dagwood tries to prevent the businessman from learning his daughter is involved in a local theatre production.

The Gay Sisters

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The eldest of three sisters protects their Fifth Avenue mansion from a developer she once married.

Blondie Goes to College

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Number 10 in the Blondie series, Blondie Goes to College is predicated on the notion that Dagwood Bumstead (Arthur Lake) must receive a college diploma or lose his job with the Dithers Construction Company. Not wishing to be separated from her husband, Blondie (Penny Singleton) enrolls in college as well. But Leighton College rules stipulate “No Married Couples”, forcing Blondie and Dagwood to pretend that they’re not married. This causes quite a dilemma when coed Laura Wadsworth (Janet Blair) begins flirting with Dagwood and Rusty Bryant (Larry Parks) does same with Blondie. And Blondie’s discovery of a very pleasant secret threatens to expose her and Dagwood’s marital status too. The student body at this particular seat of learning is comprised of quite a few familiar faces, including Lloyd Bridges, Sid Melton, and Adele Mara.