Blondie's Holiday

Again a special providence watches out for people named Bumstead in Blondie's Holiday. This Blondie film concerns Arthur Lake and Penny Singleton's 15th high school reunion and we get a flashback to Blondie and Dagwood while in high school

Seeing them in high school makes you wonder why a homecoming queen like Blondie picked class klutz Dagwood to team up with. But as that scene ends Blondie predicts that Dagwood will be the biggest success story in the class of 1932 telling fellow classmates Jody Gilbert and Jeff York the same.

Her bragging gets Dagwood on the hook to pay for the class reunion dinner. And Dagwood once again gets fired for screwing up a deal with Grant Mitchell the town banker to build a new bank.

But the biggest bonehead move is Dagwood seeking quick money paying for an education in handicapping horses by racetrack tout Sid Tomack. When he gets picked up in a raid in a very funny sequence he's going to miss the reunion dinner because he's in the slam.

Still that Bumstead divine providence comes through. One of the better films of the Blondie series.

This is the twentieth in the Blondie movie series. In this one, Dagwood and his boss, Mr. Radcliffe, are to meet a bank president to get him to agree to approve a new building. He also has a 15-year high school reunion dinner to plan with Blondie. Oh, and there's also a subplot concerning gambling...This was another funny entry in the long-running Blondie series with quite a few colorful characters to, in Sheldon Leonard's words in my favorite movie-It's a Wonderful Life, "give the joint atmosphere", if you know what I mean. In this one, Bobby Larson appears one more time as Alexander's friend, Tommy Cooper, substituting for Danny Mummert's Alvin Fuddle. Also, Daisy's offspring Elmer is the scene-stealing pooch this time around. So on that note, Blondie's Holliday is well worth a look for the series' fans. P.S. This was Constance, or Connie, Lee's final script for the series having done writing on them since Blondie's Blessed Event.

BLONDIE'S HOLIDAY (Columbia, 1947), directed by Abby Berlin, the 20th installment to the popular series based on Chic Young's comic strip, is another agreeable programmer revolving around the day and the life of the Bumstead family, particularly Blondie and Dagwood. While Dagwood situations involve him getting fired again (nothing new here), Blondie takes time making arrangements for her upcoming class reunion (a new premise this time) and a thrill of meeting with her former classmates again. With the Bumstead children, Alexander (Larry Simms) and Cookie (Marjorie Kent), still around for moral support, BLONDIE'S HOLIDAY sees the absence of two series regulars: Daisy, the Bumstead dog, replaced temporarily by Elmer and "her" other pups; and next door neighbor, Alvin Fuddow (Danny Mummert),substituted once more by Bobby Larson as Tommy Cooper for the third and final time. As with the Alvin character, Tommy, being Alexander's other close friend, is also an intellectual with bright ideas.

Speaking of bright ideas, the story opens with Mr. Beasley (Eddie Acuff), the neighborhood postman, coming up with a new scheme of avoiding getting run down by Dagwood (Arthur Lake) as he does nearly on a daily basis, by giving the letters to one of Daisy's off-springs, Elmer. The postman lucks out this time around, as Dagwood, late for work as usual, rushes out of the house and into Blondie's former suitor, Paul Madison (Jeff York) whose come over to discuss matters involving the upcoming class reunion, instead. During the meeting with other former classmates, Bea Mason (Anne Nagel) and Cynthia Thompson(Jody Gilbert), all wanting to make this Class of 1932 reunion a success, they appoint Dagwood to pay for dinner arrangements, especially after overhearing Blondie's telephone conversation with her spouse of obtaining a $250 raise (unaware that he meant $2.50). During his day at the office, Dagwood accompanies his boss,George M. Radcliffe (Jerome Cowan) for an interview with bank president, Samuel Breckenridge (Grant Mitchell), to get his account and hoping to convince him to demolish the existing bank building, erected 1887, for a more modern one. The bank is not only falling apart, but staffed by elderly employees. Although Breckenridge is satisfied in leaving things the way they are, it is Dagwood's insistence by pounding on his desk(causing the ceiling plaster to fall on his head) does Breckenridge readily agrees to come to terms. For a job well done, Radcliffe rewards Dagwood with the raise as previously mentioned. The raise doesn't cut it, since Dagwood is to pay for Blondie's class reunion dinner. To obtain some extra money for the event, Dagwood encounters Pete Brody (Sid Tomack),a bookie, who guides him to an off-track betting facility. Accidentally placing $200 on a horse that hasn't a chance to win, it comes in first place. The very moment Dagwood is to collect his winnings at the window, the police break down the door and raid the place. During the commotion while everyone makes a hasty departure, Dagwood risks getting captured in order to help a sweet little old lady (Mary Young), unable to climb over the counter, to make her escape. Learning of the incident and his arrest, Radcliffe fires Dagwood, leaving Blondie at the class reunion holding the check, waiting for Dagwood to show up with the cash or else face some embarrassment from her classmates.

Aside from being an amusing story, energetic acting by its leading players, along with some good site gags, BLONDIE'S HOLIDAY is also redeemed with the presence of fine character actors, namely Grant Mitchell, a former contract player from Warner Brothers of the 1930s, as the old-fashioned thinking bank president. Others featured in the cast are Alyn Lockwood as Mary, the operator; Jack Rice as Ollie Merlin, Radcliffe's "Yes" man put for Dagwood's job; Tim Ryan as Mike, the bookie, among others.

And what's become of Daisy? According to the scenario, the Bumstead pooch is spending a few days in the kennel for a medical checkup, while in reality, was appearing in a motion picture outside the series titled IT'S A JOKE, SON (Eagle-Lion, 1947) starring Kenny Delmar and Una Merkel. As for Danny Mummert, he was taking time from his Alvin Fuddow role playing a crippled teenager in MAGIC TOWN (RKO Radio, 1947) starring James Stewart and Jane Wyman.

BLONDIE'S HOLIDAY, along with 27 others in the series, formerly distributed on video cassette through King Features, had a successful run on American Movie Classics cable channel (1996-2000). Next installment: BLONDIE IN THE DOUGH (1947) featuring the return of Daisy. (**1/2)

While I love the Blondie and Dagwood films, after a while it was obvious that the titles were completely random. Think about it in this case, "Blondie's Holiday"....there is no holiday, no vacation at all in the film! A few episodes back, there was and this holiday installment inexplicably was called "Blondie's Big Moment"! What was this big moment? I have no idea as the film wasn't about this at all!!

The story finds Blondie putting Dagwood in a VERY awkward position. She and a couple old classmates are planning a reunion and when they think Dagwood made it big in business, Blondie agrees to pay for a reunion dinner that ended up costing about $500...a princely sum back in the day. In fact, Dagwood was earning $75 a week and there was no way that they could afford this. As for Dagwood, remember that he isn't too bright, so he decides to try investing his money on horse racing...and ends up being caught during a police raid!! So how do the Busteads end up extricating themselves from this? After all, Dagwood IS like Curious George...a guy who ends up doing all the wrong things but again and again it all seems to work out anyway!!

This is a modestly enjoyable outing despite Blondie. It has a few laughs and a story very much in line with the spirit of the films. Not great but good despite Blondie's inexplicably actions.

Catch Blondie's polka-dot dress, or more accurately, how can you avoid it. It's a real eye-grabber. Poor Dagwood, he's up to his neck in trouble yet again. He's got to pay for a class reunion dinner for 200 or is it 400 guests at a fancy eaterie. If he doesn't, Blondie's ex-high school admirer, handsome hunk Paul, will best him again, and what will Blondie say. If that's not bad enough, our hero has just been fired for being chummy with a bookie. So where will he get the money for the big bill. Good thing Daisy and her puppy herd are lending 4-footed support.

It's a typical knee-slapper from that classic movie series. Everyone's in fine form, along with good pacing that doesn't drag. And get a load of the legendary Dagwood sandwich that only an alligator and our hero can eat. Then there's Blondie's 1940's hat that has a garden growing out of it-- makes me think of my mom. Anyway, good to see reference to the GI Bill that helped so many vets recover financially after the war (here it's 1947). So mix in post-war suburbia with our favorite period couple and you've got a can't-miss hour's entertainment.