Early one Sunday morning, I was jolted awake by my parents' laughter echoing from the living room, where they were watching a classic Blondie movie on AMC—back in the day when the channel was free of commercials. Mornings have never been my strong suit, and by the time I dragged myself out of bed, I could only catch the tail end of each film. Eventually, AMC stopped broadcasting those beloved films on Sundays, leaving me with nothing but a nostalgic hole in my routine.
A few summers later, I stumbled upon one of these movies listed in the TV Guide. Eagerly, I recorded it on a VHS tape, but my luck quickly ran cold. Week after week, I scoured the listings to no avail until, fortuitously, Christmas Eve arrived with a marathon of Blondie films. It was a moment etched in my memory—the beginning of my Christmas break, albeit with a touch of flu, racing between two rooms to capture the movies on two VCRs. Those tapes have since deteriorated into a near-unplayable state, but I did manage to get the first ten Blondie films on DVD. Yet, I often find myself longing for a complete remastered collection—imagine the joy of seeing those films polished to a sparkle!
Recently, while indulging in a Google search for "Blondie and Dagwood," I stumbled across a book titled Blondie Goes to Hollywood [*] by Carol Lynn Scherling. To my delight, this author had meticulously chronicled the extraordinary journey of the Blondie comic strip, which evolved into 28 films, a long-running radio show, and several short-lived television series. As a blogger and reviewer, I reached out to the publisher for a review copy, not expecting much—but lo and behold, the next day, I received an enthusiastic email confirming they’d be happy to send me one.
The book kicks off with a thoughtful introduction by Will Hutchins, the last actor to portray Dagwood Bumstead. It quickly plunges into the first chapter, which details the early development of the film franchise at Columbia Pictures. Between 1938 and 1950, a staggering twenty-eight movies were released, all starring Penny Singleton as Blondie (1908-2003) and Arthur Lake as Dagwood Bumstead (1905-1987), with Larry Simms (1934-2009) as Alexander "Baby Dumplings" Bumstead. And who could forget Daisy, the Bumstead's beloved dog? Later in the series, Marjorie Ann Mutchie (1939-present) joined the cast as Cookie Bumstead, adding a fresh layer of charm. The series also saw memorable co-stars like Jonathan Hale (1891-1966) as Mr. Dithers, Danny Mummert (1934-1974) as Alvin Fuddle, and Jerome Cowan (1987-1972) as Mr. Radcliffe.
Scherling provides detailed synopses for each movie, peppered with fascinating trivia at the end of each chapter. I was surprised to learn there had once been a Blondie radio show that aired from 1939 to 1950, with Arthur Lake and Penny Singleton reprising their roles. Lake returned as Dagwood for a short-lived television series in 1957, while another attempt at a Blondie series in 1968 featured Hutchins and Patricia Harty but faded into obscurity after a brief run.
The immense effort Scherling poured into researching the Blondie franchise is evident, as much of the production information has remained elusive over the years. The book is adorned with an array of delightful photographs—actors, film stills, and rare publicity shots that had never before seen the light of day. Did you know that Daisy was actually a male? Or that he once had his own line of dog food? The Bumsteads’ last appearance came in the 1989 cartoon Second Wedding Workout, and it baffles me that, given the comic strip’s ongoing publication, there hasn’t been a resurrection of some kind—be it film or television.
I smiled throughout my reading of Blondie Goes to Hollywood [*]. The quirky escapades of the Bumstead family have held a special place in my heart, an indelible mark of nostalgia that lingers long after the credits roll. ╌★★★★★
〜B.J. Burgess
Sounds so very interesting...
ReplyDeleteHere is my review of Bleed for Me by Michael Robotham.