Footlight Glamour

Outrageous, again with Dagwood trying to impress a client -- this time the man's daughter, played by Ann Savage, shortly before her landmark role in DETOUR.

Exceptionally written by both Karen DeWolf and Connie Lee, who would continue writing for the series after DeWolf left to handle other film projects and tv.

Thurston Hall plays Mr. Wheeler, a wealthy client of Dithers who wants to get down to business, only to have his daughter, Vicky (Ann Savage), a stage actress, causing all sorts of trouble with a play. Naturally, to keep Vicky happy, Dagwood and Blondie get into the amateur production along with Mr. Dithers and his wife(?), also and Mr. Crumb, the mailman (Irving Bacon). This was Bacon's final appearance in the series, who went on to guest star in many classic films.

The goofy stage play is a gem; everything that could go wrong goes wrong, and Dagwood is bananas. Nobody could hold this together better than Arthur Lake, and Ann Savage is just as good playing the spoiled daughter.

Grace Hayle plays Mrs. Dithers. Known for THE GREAT DICTATOR playing Madame Napaloni. It's a shame she did not return to the series. Rafael Alcayde plays Jerry, Vicky's beau, and Elspeth Dudgeon plays Frances, a staple in many films, generally as kindly seniors and grandmothers.

Best line department; Vicky walks into the house, looking stunning. Alexander points to her and says... "Mommy. Its that Daddy's bonus?

10 Stars just for that line.

Note, Columbia Pictures was losing interest in the series (cutting down on releases) and cancelled it after this episode. However, due to the sucess of the radio show and many letters written in by fans, the series was renewed the following year with LEAVE IT TO BLONDIE.

Always on dvd in box sets, or you can buy each episode individually. Thanks always to MOVIES Net for running these oldies Saturday mornings.

This is the 14th film in the "Blondie" film series. Alvin (Danny Mummert) comes over to the Bumstead home to ask Dagwood (Arthur Lake) a favor for his mother. His mother wants Dagwood to take the clock in to be repaired. But when Dagwood mistakes the clock for a can of peaches, he destroys the clock with the can opener. Now he owes Alvin five dollars or a new clock. Alexander (Larry Simms) says they were eating applesauce for breakfast. Blondie (Penny Singleton) is trying to find a way to get more ration books. Cookie (Marjorie Ann Mutchie) now answers the phone politely. Ann savage (Detour [1945]) plays "Vicki Wheeler" who gets the Bumsteads and even the postman involved in a stage play for the USO (United Service Organizations). The next film in the series is LEAVE IT TO BLONDIE.

A little bit of Arthur Lake (as Dagwood or anybody else) is more than enough, and usually too much, but this entry, set in mid-WW II,ranks as one of the best in the series, especially in the segments involving the stage play, and more so when Jonathan Withers and Thurston Hall stroll across the stage totally unaware a live play is being presented.

Once again Dagwood ever anxious to please his boss agrees to let Thurston Hall's daughter Ann Savage stay at the Bumsteads. It is fascinating to me how Jonathan Hale and later Jerome Cowan keep taking advantage of him. It reminds me so much of Jack Lemmon in The Apartment. I wonder if Billy Wilder saw a lot of the Blondie series when he wrote The Apartment.

One thing Hall wants is to get her away from Rafael Storm, a ham actor looking to latch on to a rich meal ticket. He's convinced Savage she has talent. And when he finds her anyway at the Bumsteads he's got Penny Singleton convinced there could be a career for her. One of the few times Blondie isn't behaving levelheaded.

The play as it goes on that Savage wrote and stars in is one of the funniest things since Gracie Allen's production in Here Comes Cookie.

One of the funnier Blondie comedies.

The titles to the Blondie & Dagwood movies usually had the word 'Blondie' in it...but not this one. So, it's easy to not know it's in the series if you casually see it in a programming guide. It's a shame, as it's a very good entry and shouldn't be missed by fans.

When the film begins, Blondie is talking about food shortages, rationing and points used to buy groceries. This is because the film was made during WWII and many foods and consumer items were doled out to the public in small amounts because so much was going to the war effort. This is why, late in the film, the cab drivers refuse to go faster than 35 mph...all to help conserve fuel for the war!

The plot involves Mr. Dithers being stuck with some houses he cannot easily sell. This is because he thought a munitions factory was going to be built nearby and the workers would need homes. But the government changed their mind and built elsewhere. The arrival of one of Dithers' old friends, Mr. Wheeler, looks promising, as Wheeler could build a plant in town for his tool company...so Dithers really is out to impress him. He then enlists the help of Dagwood to take care of Wheeler's daughter, Vicki. Dagwood assumes she's a little girl, but she's actually an attractive young woman who wants to be a movie star. She only agrees to live with the Bumsteads because she incorrectly assumes Dagwood is in the movie business.

Vicki isn't to be deterred once she realizes her mistake and soon enlists Blondie AND Dagwood to appear in the play she's written...and her father HATES that she wants to be an actress. So Dagwood is confused...he wants to make Mr. Wheeler happy AND Vicki. What is he to do? And, what will happen if her father learns that she's putting on a play with the Bumsteads AND Mrs. Dithers in it?!

This is a cute little film...a welcome addition to the series. While it's far from the best, it's still solidly entertaining and worth your time.