Blondie on a Budget
Brief Synopsis
Dagwood gets Blondie a fur coat after his old girlfriend comes to town.
Cast & Crew
Read More
Frank R. Strayer
Director
Penny Singleton
Blondie [Bumstead]
Arthur Lake
Dagwood [Bumstead]
Larry Simms
Baby Dumpling [Bumstead]
Daisy
Himself
Rita Hayworth
Joan Forrester
Film Details
Genre
Comedy
Release Date
Feb
29,
1940
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Columbia Pictures Corp.
Distribution Company
Columbia Pictures Corp.
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on characters created by Chic Young and owned and copyrighted by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 13m
Sound
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7 reels
Synopsis
When Dagwood Bumstead requests two hundred dollars to join the trout club, his wife Blondie becomes indignant at her husband's lack of concern for family finances. Blondie's anger is fueled by the appearance of the glamorous Joan Forrester, Dagwood's old flame, who insists on giving him a ride to meet his friend, Marvin Williams, at the club. Rather than drive to the club, Joan sidetracks Dagwood to Lover's Lane, where her car stalls. While they are waiting for the garage to repair the car, Joan bamboozles Dagwood into accompanying her to the movies, where they enter a contest. Then Dagwood, bedeviled by apparitions of Blondie, faints and is rescued by Marvin, who counsels his friend to lie to Blondie that he was at the trout club. Dagwood tries to follow his advice, but collapses under Blondie's suspicious glare and confesses. Later that night, Dagwood is notified that he has won the contest and decides to buy Blondie a fur jacket with his winnings. Ever helpful, Joan volunteers to help him pick one out, and Blondie walks by just as Joan is modeling the coat. Thinking that Dagwood is buying the coat for Joan, Blondie heads for Reno and a divorce. While she is waiting for her bus, a lawyer convinces Blondie to return to her husband, and when she comes home she finds the coat waiting for her in the closet.
Director
Frank R. Strayer
Director
Cast
Penny Singleton
Blondie [Bumstead]
Arthur Lake
Dagwood [Bumstead]
Larry Simms
Baby Dumpling [Bumstead]
Daisy
Himself
Rita Hayworth
Joan Forrester
Danny Mummert
Alvin Fuddle
Don Beddoe
Marvin Williams
John Qualen
Mr. Fuddle
Fay Helm
Mrs. Fuddle
Irving Bacon
Mailman
Thurston Hall
Brice
William Brisbane
Theater manager
Emory Parnell
Dempsey
Hal K. Dawson
Bank teller
Chester Clute
Ticket agent
Dick Curtis
Mechanic
George Guhl
Platt
Janet Shaw
Usherette
Claire James
Usherette
Mary Currier
Saleslady
Rita Owin
Saleslady
Jack Egan
Elevator man
Ralph Peters
Bartender
Willie Best
Gene Morgan
Crew
Film Details
Genre
Comedy
Release Date
Feb
29,
1940
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Columbia Pictures Corp.
Distribution Company
Columbia Pictures Corp.
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on characters created by Chic Young and owned and copyrighted by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 13m
Sound
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7 reels
Articles
Blondie on a Budget
Chic Young's newspaper cartoon Blondie soon became a cultural landmark after its humble beginning in 1930 as a strip about flapper/gold digger. In the early history of the cartoon, Blondie can't wed the rich playboy Dagwood Bumstead because his family disapproves; she even made a play for Dagwood's father. Marriage means disinheritance for Dagwood, setting up the domestic life that the Bumsteads have led ever since. When fashioning their long-running Blondie film series, Columbia Pictures thought of Una Merkel and Joan Blondell, but settled on the sprightly vaudeville and Broadway veteran Penny Singleton, equally adept as a comedienne and acrobat. Singleton had been in films for years without breaking through, and carefully colored her hair blonde for the role. She continued to perform as a busy nightclub star, lauded by Variety as "a vivacious bundle of talent." Arthur Lake, who plays Dagwood, had been in silent films from the age of 12, but his film career had dwindled to playing glorified supporting bits. Lake's excitable, effusive nature was deemed perfect for Dagwood Bumstead, who began each film by colliding in mid-sprint with the mail carrier (Irving Bacon). The fifth outing Blondie on a Budget (1940) continues the series very much like the later TV sitcom did in the late 1950s, with little Larry Simms continuing as son Baby Dumpling, aka Alexander Bumstead. Criss-crossing misunderstandings cause Blondie to suspect that Dagwood is stepping out with his old flame Joan Forrester, played by none other than pre-stardom dazzler Rita Hayworth. The conflict circles around the $200 Dagwood wishes he had to join a fishing club; sexy Joan offers to drive Dagwood to the club but takes him on a detour to lovers' lane. Forced to spend the night away from home, they enter a contest at a movie theater. True to his nature, Dag cannot lie to Blondie about his unexpected overnight stay. He's torn up the contest ticket but the theater tracks him down to tell him he's won $200. Blondie is going to surprise Dag with the club membership, but blows a fuse when she spots him in a store window, helping Joan into a fancy fur coat. Blondie on a Budget wasn't a critical favorite, even though the trades were usually kind to series films. The best advertising tag line Columbia could think of was "Balance Your Fun Budget!" Although she became quite the phenomenon, Hayworth received little attention in this part; she and fellow Columbia contractor Glenn Ford would both pay their dues in Blondie movies. As for the beloved Penny Singleton, she would soon marry Robert Sparks, the series' producer.
Blondie on a Budget
Chic Young's newspaper cartoon Blondie soon became a cultural landmark after its humble beginning in 1930 as a strip about flapper/gold digger. In the early history of the cartoon, Blondie can't wed the rich playboy Dagwood Bumstead because his family disapproves; she even made a play for Dagwood's father. Marriage means disinheritance for Dagwood, setting up the domestic life that the Bumsteads have led ever since. When fashioning their long-running Blondie film series, Columbia Pictures thought of Una Merkel and Joan Blondell, but settled on the sprightly vaudeville and Broadway veteran Penny Singleton, equally adept as a comedienne and acrobat. Singleton had been in films for years without breaking through, and carefully colored her hair blonde for the role. She continued to perform as a busy nightclub star, lauded by Variety as "a vivacious bundle of talent." Arthur Lake, who plays Dagwood, had been in silent films from the age of 12, but his film career had dwindled to playing glorified supporting bits. Lake's excitable, effusive nature was deemed perfect for Dagwood Bumstead, who began each film by colliding in mid-sprint with the mail carrier (Irving Bacon). The fifth outing Blondie on a Budget (1940) continues the series very much like the later TV sitcom did in the late 1950s, with little Larry Simms continuing as son Baby Dumpling, aka Alexander Bumstead. Criss-crossing misunderstandings cause Blondie to suspect that Dagwood is stepping out with his old flame Joan Forrester, played by none other than pre-stardom dazzler Rita Hayworth. The conflict circles around the $200 Dagwood wishes he had to join a fishing club; sexy Joan offers to drive Dagwood to the club but takes him on a detour to lovers' lane. Forced to spend the night away from home, they enter a contest at a movie theater. True to his nature, Dag cannot lie to Blondie about his unexpected overnight stay. He's torn up the contest ticket but the theater tracks him down to tell him he's won $200. Blondie is going to surprise Dag with the club membership, but blows a fuse when she spots him in a store window, helping Joan into a fancy fur coat. Blondie on a Budget wasn't a critical favorite, even though the trades were usually kind to series films. The best advertising tag line Columbia could think of was "Balance Your Fun Budget!" Although she became quite the phenomenon, Hayworth received little attention in this part; she and fellow Columbia contractor Glenn Ford would both pay their dues in Blondie movies. As for the beloved Penny Singleton, she would soon marry Robert Sparks, the series' producer.
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
This was the fifth in the Blondie series. For additional information on the series, consult the Series Index and see entry above for Blondie!.
