Blondie Has Servant Trouble

Columbia Pictures made 28 Blondie and Dagwood films from 1939 through 1950 and they starred Arthur Lake (Dagwood), Penny Singleton (Blondie), Larry Simms (Baby Dumpling) and Daisy (as Daisy). And while there is a sort of quaint innocence about them, they are enjoyable family entertainment.

In this installment, Blondie is nagging Dagwood to ask Mr. Dithers for a raise, as she wants a maid. However, considering Dagwood is a working class stiff and Dithers is a tightwad, it's not surprising when Dagwood is told a loud and firm 'NO'! However, Mr. Dithers has an inspiration--instead of a raise, he'll let the Bumsteads stay in a mansion the company owns--hoping that by having some people living in it will make it easier to sell. Unfortunately, a maniac is loose and arrives at the house. So, instead of a nice getaway, it look like trouble for the Bumsteads.

This film is typical fun for the series--with Daisy and Baby Dumpling stealing most of the scenes. The only negative I notices is the presence of Ray Turner as 'Horatio'. Turner's career generally consisted of playing scared black men--a terrible stereotype that as once again exploited here in this film. Fortunately, however, despite this the Bumsteads treat him pretty much like part of the family--making this depiction a bit more progressive than usual.

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** BLONDIE HAS SERVANT TROUBLE (Columbia, 1940), directed by Frank R. Strayer, the sixth entry to the popular film series based on Chic Young's comic strip, features a typical setting of any film comedy series: a haunted house theme.

Blondie (Penny Singleton) is tired of doing all the household chores and wants husband Dagwood (Arthur Lake) to ask his boss Mr. Dithers (Jonathan Hale) for a $10 raise in order to hire one. But Dithers has other plans in order for Dagwood to earn that extra bonus. As a favor to him, Dithers has Dagwood and Blondie spend the weekend in a supposedly haunted house in order to prove to one of his client-buyers that the supposed haunting is just a false rumor. While at the home, which is miles away from the nearest town, the Bumsteads first encounter a Negro named Horatio (Ray Turner) who is staying at the house in order to get initiated into a club. During the gloomy rainy evening the doorbell rings. There stands are Eric and Hannah Vaughn (Arthur Hohl and Esther Dale), a middle-aged couple whom the Bumsteads believe to be the servants hired by Mr. Dithers, but while the Bumsteads don't notice anything strange about the couple, especially their would-be butler, their youngster, Baby Dumpling (Larry Simms) does, especially when the couple come into the house out of the rain with their clothing still dry. Aside from the creepy Vaughn's and added sound effects of rain and thunder, the Bumsteads encounter secret panels, strange noises and a shriek from Horatio who suddenly disappears without a trace. More mystery ensues after Dagwood finds a newspaper clipping regarding Eric Vaughan. Then when they decide to telephone for help, the lines are suddenly cut, which adds to the suspense in this comedy-thriller.

Adding mystery to comedy, the movie includes highlights such as clothing in the closet mysteriously disappearing and reappearing again; Dagwood constantly getting a flashlight stuck in his mouth and Blondie slapping him on his back to get it out, only to find Dagwood demonstrating how he got the flashlight stuck in his mouth in the first place and have it stuck there again; and the Bumstead dog, Daisy, adding shivers in a frightful performance from this little scene stealing pooch.

In the supporting cast in smaller roles are Danny Mummert as Alvin Fuddow, the Bumstead's boy genius next door neighbor; Fay Helm as Mrs. Fuddow; and Irving Bacon as the neighborhood postman who not only gets run over by Dagwood, as in the previous entries, but here by the entire family as they rush out of the house where they are staying.

BLONDIE HAS SERVANT TROUBLE has its share of chills and thrills, temporarily breaking away from its usual domestic problems at home and at the office. Arthur Hohl give a glassy-eyed and moody performance that would have made Bela Lugosi proud. This surely ranks one of the most watchable movies in the series, especially during Halloween. The movie was not only distributes on video cassette as part of the "Blondie" collection, but has been presented on American Movie Classics from 1996 to 2001. Have a howl of a good time with this one. (**1/2)

This is the eighth Blondie movie, and it is rather corny and inferior. It is not really about servant trouble at all, and the producers unwisely chose to try to pep up the series by basing this film on a terrible story by Albert Duffy, who had not written for Blondie before and mercifully never did again. The story was wholly artificial and out of character for the series. The Bumsteads go to stay for a few days in a large, isolated house which Mr. Dithers is attempting to sell, as executor of an Estate. Blondie had been getting one of her 'notions', this time that she wanted a maid, but of course could not afford one (hence the reference to 'servant trouble'). As the huge house is empty, the Bumsteads think this would be a fine break for them, and compensate Blondie for not being able to have a maid. But the house turns out to be 'haunted'. Of course it is not really haunted, but it once belonged to a man who manufactured magic tricks, some of which they bump into and have to pretend to be frightened. There are some really silly scenes, such as Dagwood getting a flashlight stuck in his mouth, and another where he jumps with fear at a pop-up opera hat. These scenes are not at all funny. Even Daisy the Dog seems dispirited at this ill-intentioned attempt to make us laugh at jokes which flop. She does fewer cute tricks than usual, and there are not really any good gag-lines in the script either. The adorable Larry Simms as Baby Dumpling is enjoyable to watch as always, but he looks bored too, and the whole idea of 'the Bumsteads in a haunted house' is so trite and boring that they should really not have made this inferior Blondie film at all. It turns out that the so-called butler who turns up and starts waiting on the Bumsteads is serious servant trouble, being really a homicidal maniac who has just escaped from court after knifing a lawyer in front of a judge. He is played with long face by the solemn Arthur Hohl, making his only Blondie appearance. When things get to the extreme of having a psychotic killer attack Blondie and Baby Dumpling with a knife, then we really have left Blondie territory and are in Abbot & Costello territory. We might as well be watching ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE GHOSTS (1948) with Bela Lugosi, or even watching Francis the talking mule in FRANCIS IN THE HAUNTED HOUSE (1956). This was a demented departure from what Dagwood and Blondie are meant to be all about, and the producers must have gone temporarily mad to make it. If the film had managed to be funny or even witty, we might put up with it, but frankly, why bother, when there are 27 other Blondie movies to choose from.

Eddie Murphy and the writers of the special effects laden (and leaden) "Haunted Mansion" could have learned a lesson or two by watching this workman-like picture, the sixth in the Blondie series. In this installment, Mr. Dithers asks the Bumsteads to move into a remote mansion until he can sell it. The house has a menacing butler, on-again, off-again utilities, and hidden passages and secret doors. "Blondie has Servant Trouble" provides an enjoyable mix of suspense and comedy. One sour note mars the movie: Ray Turner plays a chronically frightened African American – a standard stereotype of the period -- who faints at the slightest scare.

One of the best of Blondie series of films is this one that has the Bumsteads house sitting a haunted house. At least that's what the prevailing rumor is in the neighborhood.

The house is part of the estate that Jonathan Hale is the executor of. To quiet rumors he has Arthur Lake and Penny Singleton house sit the place. It's an old mansion complete with butler and maid Arthur Hohl and Esther Dale so at least for Singleton who's been complaining about the housewife work load she's eager for the job.

Every comedian eventually goes into a haunted house be it Bob Hope, Abbott&Costello and now the Bumsteads for one reason or another. They also get involved with some sinister help as Hohl and Dale are enough to creep anyone out.

A lot of strange things happen to the Bumsteads and at times only the fact that this is the Bumsteads and you know a funny gag or punchline is coming up are you not terrified. They also have an additional guest in Ray Turner who is there on a bet from his lodge, no doubt the Mystic Knights Of The Sea where Amos, Andy, and the Kingfish belong. And I'm sure for 1940 audiences that's just what the reference to a lodge for a black actor is supposed to mean.

In the end Mr. Dithers gives Dagwood a raise and that's always good for the Bumstead household.