Penny Singleton IS "Blondie." Arthur Lake IS Dagwood Bumstead. In bringing to life the comic strip characters, they cast the perfect actors for the roles. Penny as Blondie brings a bright, perky disposition to it and at the same time conveys a vulnerability and sweetness. Arthur has that crooked smile and simplistic outlook on life. When asked what they had in the beginning before baby, he replied," We had each other." In this first entry of the long-running movies series, they have just payed off their furniture and she already wants to buy new furniture as a surprise to him for their wedding anniversary. When he gets in trouble for signing what was essentially a promissory note for a coworker and gets left holding the bag, he winds up having a debt and the furniture may be taken as payment. Sound incredible! He must get an advertising account to make good and keep his job. Gene Lockhart is the client but Dagwood doesn't know that when they start to disassemble a vacuum cleaner together. Long story! And then there's the confusion of Dagwood's attentions for another girl! By coincidence!, the coworker he signed the note for and the client's daughter have the same first name! When Blondie hears of two of them, she quips," You mean there are two of them! No wonder you're tired!" A very witty and quick, if you know what I mean, little movie this is. This first film is heads and shoulders better than sequels 2, 3, and 4. I have a set of ten films (out of the whole 27) and still watching, but I feel the rest won't measure up to this very fun, original, and satisfying first entry of the life of the Bumstead family. Blondie!!!
Review of Blondie
