The Bumstead Family: Baby Dumpling, Blondie, Dagwood. Image: IMDb
We loved newspaper comic strips as a kid.
We felt there was something Grown Up about reading a newspaper, even if it was just the funny pages. Lots of adults read the funny pages, too, we told ourselves. They just don’t admit it.
One comic strip that baffled us, though, was Blondie, the series about a beautiful housewife/caterer with two growing children and an unremarkable husband. We never read Blondie because, to us, it lacked charm and wit. (Such was our Literary Taste at 10 years old.)
You’re likely familiar with the comic strip, created by cartoonist Chic Young, which was first published in 1930, and is still being published today.
Image: The Saleroom
We recently developed an interest in the Blondie universe when – lo and behold – we discovered a set of Blondie DVDs in our collection.
Columbia Pictures produced a series of twenty-eight (28!) Blondie movies between 1938 and 1950, with a two-year hiatus from 1943-1945. That’s a pretty grueling schedule, especially when you consider the actors also starred in a weekly half-hour radio show from 1939-1950.
Penny Singleton is the titular Blondie, and she’s perfectly cast as a woman equally exasperated and enamored with her husband. Dagwood is played by the very funny Arthur Lake, who bravely adopted the hairstyle of the comic strip husband.
One thing is immediately established in these films: These are comic-strip characters with comic-strip lives. Even so, we want the problèmes du jour to be sorted out satisfactorily, and for the Bumstead marriage to remain intact.
That marriage is remarkable for its longevity. The kind but dim-witted Dagwood finds himself in countless scrapes, while Blondie tidies up the mess. Yet, on screen, the chemistry between Singleton and Lake is palpable. For all their predicaments, the attraction between this on-screen couple always finds a way through the débacles.
As you probably guessed, these films are episodic in nature. Each “episode” runs a little over an hour, with plots that develop and resolve quickly. It’s a marvelous series to binge-watch, especially the early films, but be warned: As funny as he is, too much Dagwood is too much.
Image: IMDb
The Blondie movies are an unexpected comfort in our greatly troubled world, as they may have been to folks Back in the Day. The biggest reason is the amusing, optimistic scripts.
Consistency is key, too. The sets in the Bumstead house are virtually unchanged throughout the series; even the telephone is the same in 1950 as it was in 1938.
The children are the only characters in these movies that undergo physical changes. The producers cast the same youngsters in each film, and their characters age and grow just like the children in the comic strip. Everyone else, happily, remains the same.
In our opinion, the best character in the early films is the couple’s son. Four-year-old child actor Larry Simms was cast as the toddler known as “Baby Dumpling” (a.k.a. Alexander). This kid handles his lines like a pro and, at barely three feet tall, he steals every scene.
Blondie to the rescue yet again. Image: Philo.com
The Blondie movies are surprisingly engaging and charming, with running jokes borrowed from the comic strip, such as Dagwood’s multi-layered sandwiches, the nosy neighbour kid, and the mail carrier who gets knocked over by Dagwood running to catch his bus.
We’ve become enchanted with these films. The characters, sans deep psychological motivations, are who they are, and we love them all the more for it.
If you’re ever stuck indoors during a blizzard – like we were – we hope you’ll take the opportunity to enjoy these lighthearted films.
FYI: In terms of production quality, some Blondie films are better preserved than others.
The only Blondie movie I ever saw was Blondie on a Budget, costarring the young Rita Hayworth. It was fun – your beautifully written and illustrated article makes me want to seek out some more entries in the series!
My mom often talks about these films. They used to regularly play on TV when she was a kid in the ’70s. Always been curious about them. Thanks for the review!
I was also an avid comic strip reader, as we got the paper from our grandma each Sunday and she’d leave “the funnies” on top. And these snapshots from the films look exactly like the Blondie characters have come to life, so they succeeded there! I’ll have to check these out sometime, so thank you for introducing me to them!
To think how people complain about sequels nowadays.
Anyhoo, I’ve seen maybe 2 of the Blondie films many years ago. Now, after your review, I’m curious to explore this cinematic comic strip world! I am especially intrigued by the filmmakers using the same actors for the kids throughout the franchise. It feels like a rather inspired idea that potentially added different plot elements as the kids grew up.
Yup, 28 films, which is incredible. As for the films themselves, some are better than others, but it’s a really enjoyable series. I hope you get the chance to revisit some of these flicks!
Penny Singleton has always been one of my favorite Stars since the early 1980s even though she made very few starring films outside of the Blondie series. Given how many she made though, there was hardly a little time for others! She was a very lovely lady and great to fans, one of the best signers by mail although I think she didn’t do so as often in her final decade perhaps due to health issues. A wonderful biography was published about her not that long ago and proves she was just as lovable off screen as on screen.
Hi Tom, thanks for the heads up re: the Penny Singleton bio. I’ll look for it. It’s refreshing to hear that a talented, famous person was also decent. Did you, by chance, happen to ger her autograph?
Silver Screenings 
Never watched a Blondie movie but I was a dedicated comic strip fan. Its a sure bet I got my eating habits from Dagwood.
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Haha! Some of the Blondie movies include Dagwood sandwiches, and they look mighty tasty.
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The only Blondie movie I ever saw was Blondie on a Budget, costarring the young Rita Hayworth. It was fun – your beautifully written and illustrated article makes me want to seek out some more entries in the series!
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Oh yes, I love the movie with Rita Hayworth as Dagwood’s ex. But it makes me wonder…how on earth does Dagwood attract all these beautiful women?
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Not heard of this series but sounds like a charming series.. will be checking it out.
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There are a lot of very funny lines, especially in the early films. I hope you get the chance to see at least a couple of ’em.
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My mom often talks about these films. They used to regularly play on TV when she was a kid in the ’70s. Always been curious about them. Thanks for the review!
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These films are lots of fun, and perfect for television. I’m still making my way through them – I can’t quit!
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I was also an avid comic strip reader, as we got the paper from our grandma each Sunday and she’d leave “the funnies” on top. And these snapshots from the films look exactly like the Blondie characters have come to life, so they succeeded there! I’ll have to check these out sometime, so thank you for introducing me to them!
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The Blondie movies really tried to stay true to the comic strip. They’re delightful.
I love that your grandmother saved the funny pages for you – so did mine! Which comic strips were your favourites?
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I’ve long wondered if these were as fun as the comic strip — I will keep my eye out for them!
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They are a lot of fun, especially the earliest films.
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28!!!!!!
To think how people complain about sequels nowadays.
Anyhoo, I’ve seen maybe 2 of the Blondie films many years ago. Now, after your review, I’m curious to explore this cinematic comic strip world! I am especially intrigued by the filmmakers using the same actors for the kids throughout the franchise. It feels like a rather inspired idea that potentially added different plot elements as the kids grew up.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yup, 28 films, which is incredible. As for the films themselves, some are better than others, but it’s a really enjoyable series. I hope you get the chance to revisit some of these flicks!
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Thank you for the reminder 🙂
I did enjoy watching the funnies come to life
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Thanks again! I watched 2 of them today, and you are right. Baby dumpling steals ever show, every good line ^_^
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Penny Singleton has always been one of my favorite Stars since the early 1980s even though she made very few starring films outside of the Blondie series. Given how many she made though, there was hardly a little time for others! She was a very lovely lady and great to fans, one of the best signers by mail although I think she didn’t do so as often in her final decade perhaps due to health issues. A wonderful biography was published about her not that long ago and proves she was just as lovable off screen as on screen.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Tom, thanks for the heads up re: the Penny Singleton bio. I’ll look for it. It’s refreshing to hear that a talented, famous person was also decent. Did you, by chance, happen to ger her autograph?
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