Walter Catlett was a prolific character actor who appeared in many films during the 1930s and 1940s. Among his movies were THE FRONT PAGE, A TALE OF TWO CITIES, and BRINGING UP BABY. He'd usually liven up any film with his wryly comic personality. Like other character actors such as Franklin Pangborn and Edgar Kennedy, he also starred in comedy short subjects. The quality of these shorts varied from delightful to dreary. Unfortunately, "dreary" is the appropriate adjective for BLONDES AND BLUNDERS.
It isn't Catlett's fault. He conveys a highly amusing characterization of a befuddled, timorous everyman. His doughy face comically utilizes a variety of reactions and double takes without mugging. Although Catlett engages in foolish behavior, he always maintains a likable Milquetoast demeanor.
Catlett is supported by a good cast, including Ann Doran, Matt McHugh, Marion Martin, and Richard Fiske. They are seasoned pros who can effortlessly handle comedy. Unfortunately, there is little comedy in this short.
The premise is promising: A pair of crooks (Martin and Fiske) hide a diamond in the innocent Catlett's clothes. Catlett's wife Doran thinks the diamond is a present for her. Then the crooks try to get the diamond back. Throughout the short, the actors run around, hide in various places, exchange insults, and get into perilous situations. But they hardly do anything funny. Gags are scarce and those few gags are generally too sadistic to be funny. (Example: the crooks step on Catlett's hands and he bites one of them in retaliation.) BLONDES AND BLUNDERS also suffers from a rushed and unresolved ending.
The short's humorlessness is astonishing, since the director, Del Lord, was highly adept in slapstick. BLONDES AND BLUNDERS proves that Lord, like all filmmakers, was fallible. It also proves that even during the Golden Age of Hollywood, bad comedies existed.
