Footlight Glamour

FOOTLIGHT GLAMOUR (Columbia, 1943), featuring Blondie and the Bumsteads, directed by Frank R. Strayer, is the 14th chapter in the popular "Blondie" feature film series, the second and last without Blondie's name in the title. It was originally intended as the final installment, however, due to the popularity of the series, Columbia revived the series with 14 more installments to come starting in 1945.

In FOOTLIGHT GLAMOUR, Blondie (Penny Singleton) and her spouse, Dagwood (Arthur Lake) help out a client's daughter by taking part in a dramatic play titled "Mad Moonlight" written by show-biz hopeful Vicki Wheeler (Ann Savage), daughter of Randolph Wheeler (Thurston Hall), a show-business hating client of Dagwood's boss, Mr. Dithers (Jonathan Hale), who has Vicki stay at the Bumstead household in order to keep her away from her no-good boyfriend, Jerry Grant (Rafael Storm). Jerry, however, manages to find her and appear in her play anyway. Also appearing in Vicki's play are Cora Dithers (Grace Hayle) as the maid, and Mr. Crum, the neighborhood postman, (Irving Bacon) playing the English butler, etc., with boy "genius" Alvin Fuddow (Danny Mummert) helping out with the sound effects. But the dramatic play accidentally turns out to be a comedy hit with the audience, thanks to Dagwood's bumbling, which includes him walking on stage only to have a trap door open from under him, and in true silent comedian Harold Lloyd fashion, Dagwood later acquires a dinner jacket belonging to a magician and unwittingly does some magic tricks. The curtain also falls on top of Dagwood moments later to have only his head seen visible below as he calls out for "BLOONDIE!!!" During the course of all this, Dithers tries to prevent Mr. Wheeler from finding out about his daughter's play being in production, but in spite of everything going wrong, things become right again in typical Bumstead fashion.

In smaller roles, Larry Simms and Marjorie Ann Mutchie return as the Bumstead children, Alexander and Cookie, along with Daisy, the Bumstead pooch, up to "her" old tricks again to obtain laughs. Some good humor among the footlights can be had in this average comedy. Formerly shown on the American Movie Classics channel from 1996 to 2001, "Footlight Glamour" can be found on either video cassette or the DVD format.(**)

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.

This is the fourteenth in the Blondie movie series and also the second one without her name in the entry title. It was also originally supposed to be the final one in the series for Columbia Pictures but after popular demand increased during the next year that there were no further adventures of the Bumstead family, it was revived with the cast intact. Anyway, Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake could still be heard as Blondie and Dagwood on live radio during that time. This one has Dag and Blondie entertaining a grown daughter of another of Mr. Dithers' potential clients. Since she's an actress, there's also a play involved. I'll stop there and just say this was amusing in spots but only occasionally becomes a bit hilarious like when Mr. Crumb, the mailman, (Irving Bacon in his final appearance in the series) does an exaggerated English accent when playing the butler. One scene which is now very tasteless is when Dag originally thought this Vicki person he was supposed to pick up was a little girl and initially caused a commotion mistaking just such a child for her. I did like it when Blondie had those thoughts of tanks in battle when she always gets jealous appearing again here before she then takes a shine to Vicki because she thinks Blondie has potential as an actress. Daisy's and her pups reactions when seeing Dagwood make his trademark sandwiches was also good for a laugh. In summary, Footlight Glamour is one of the weaker ones in the series. P.S. This was perhaps the only time Mrs. Cora Dithers was seen on screen. She was portrayed by Grace Hayle. Like I said, Irving Bacon made his final appearance as the mailman character who was initially called Mr. Beasley before becoming Mr. Crump and then the name I mentioned earlier in this review. He continued acting to his final day on February 5, 1965. This was also the final one directed by Frank R. Strayer who continued making movies through the early '50s. He died on February 3, 1964.

This is a pretty good Blondie in the series - it combines life in the Depression era, comedy, and a rare appearance of Mrs. Dithers.

Mr. Dithers has a friend whose daughter is "obsessed" with being in the theatre. Naturally, he volunteers Dagwood to take care of her while he and his friend conduct business. The Bumsteads get involved in her schemes to bring the theatre to their town. Among those involved in her production for the USO is Mr. Crum, and Mrs. Dithers. This is funny and gets you into the theatre production literally.