Life with Blondie

Like so many of the Blondie & Dagwood films, the title has absolutely nothing to do with the film. Oddly, despite the title, it's all about the Bumstead's dog, Daisy.

When the story begins, the Bumsteads are frustrated with Daisy, as she's been a bad dog. However, their frustration is short-lived, as she's discovered by a company and they want to feature the pooch in a big advertising campaign. Soon the dog is earning more money than Dagwood and Blondie is spending all her time with Daisy at photo shoots. This causes jealousy with the kids and Dagwood to rear its ugly head. It also happens to coincide with a gangster who decides to steal Daisy for his demanding girlfriend.

Like most of the films in this long running series, this is enjoyable and worth your time. Neither the best nor among the worst in the series...it's undemanding and enjoyable...mostly because you like the characters so much.

What's this with classic movie baddies Fowley, Lawrence, and Borg joining B & D, that's like Al Capone and Ma Barker darkening Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. But they do get into the swing of things and in more ways than one. Poor Dagwood, Daisy has become a celebrity and D's no longer the family breadwinner. What's he to do, especially since he can't please his stern employer Mr. Dithers. Meanwhile B's trying to hold down the home fort.

It's a typically amusing B&D entry, maybe busier than most, but the script blends the strands pretty well. I sure hope Daisy got extra kibbles, because she's the real star, along with her unsung trainer who deserves real credit. All in all, it may not be a top-rank entry, there being little interplay between our two heroes, which I take to be the heart of the series. Nonetheless, the antics are enough to keep you pleasantly amused, thanks to one of the fine under-rated comedic series of its time or any time. Meanwhile, I think I'll try to get D's modeling job and the sexy backup that goes with it.

Daisy gets away from the dog catcher again, now safe in the Bumstead house. A new neighbor, Tommy Cooper (Bobby Larson) comes by to meet the Bumsteads, including Blondie (Penny Singleton), Alexander (Larry Simms), Cookie (Marjorie Kent) and Dagwood (Arthur Lake). While Daisy gets in some trouble again by chasing a cat up a tree, someone gets an idea to make Daisy a pin-up/covergirl. She ends up on the cover of a magazine. Then she gets a deal for Daisy soap. Now that Daisy is a model, they make Dagwood a model for a bathing suit company. Guess who knocks down the postman this time? It's not Dagwood! Ernest Truex plays "Theodore Glassby". Danny Mummert was not in this one because he was committed to another film. Marjorie Ann Mutchie, "Cookie", is now credited as Marjorie Kent. The next film in the series is BLONDIE'S LUCKY DAY.

LIFE WITH BLONDIE (Columbia, 1946), directed by Abby Berlin, the 16th installment of 28 in the popular family movie series based on Chic Young's famous comic strip, should have been titled "Life With Daisy" since the story involves mostly on the Bumstead dog.

Daisy becomes a dog photographer's model, getting all the attention in the household with Blondie (Penny Singleton) becoming the dog's manager. Husband Dagwood (Arthur Lake) is stuck with the household chores by taking care of the children, Alexander (Larry Simms) and Cookie (Marjorie Kent). One amusing scene that echoes "fear" comedy, finds Dagwood, unable to get a sitter for his daughter, taking Cookie to the office with him to look after her and do his project assignment at the same time. Later when Dagwood is with his boss, Mr. Dithers (Jonathan Hale) going over some blueprint plans in another room, Cookie, left alone in Dagwood's office to entertain herself, decides to walk outside the window ledge, having no concept of fear on how high up she is. Dagwood and Dithers see her outside the window waving at them, causing the two men to become frantic. But Dagwood succeeds in opening the window to quietly grab his daughter before any slips could occur. Later Daisy becomes the attention of a gangster's moll, Hazel (Veda Ann Borg) who wants the dog all for herself. When she has her gangster boyfriend get his thugs to kidnap Daisy, they hide her out at the Kit Kat Club, where they make plans on having the pooch go through plastic surgery operation so that they can sneak her out of town unrecognized. But of course Dagwood comes to save the day, followed a somewhat cartoonish fighting brawl at the club amongst Dagwood and visiting sailors brought in by Blondie, who happen to be big fans of Daisy, the pin-up pooch. And see what happens when Blondie is confronted by Hazel who demands Daisy be given back to her.

Quite amusing and very cute "sit-com" movie that should entertain both fans of the series and the kids, especially those who love dogs, namely that of Daisy. Also featured in the cast of character actors are Ernest Truex as Theodore Glassby; Marc Lawrence and Douglas Fowley as the gangsters, Pete and Blackie; Bobby Larson as Alexander's new friend, Tommy Cooper (filling in for Danny Mummert as Alvin Fuddow); Eddie Acuff as Mr. Beasley, the neighborhood postman; and Jack Rice as Ollie, an employee rival who is usually after Dagwood's job whenever fired by Dithers, etc.

LIFE WITH BLONDIE is 70 minutes of non-stop old-fashioned entertainment that formerly played each Sunday morning on American Movie Classics from 1996 to 2001. Formerly available on video cassette but currently out of print. (**1/2)

This is the sixteenth in the Blondie movie series. In this one, Daisy suddenly becomes a celebrity because of something involving the Navy and a neighboring woman. Meanwhile, Dagwood gets in some messes, as usual, like him taking Cookie to work or having to deal with some gangsters. Oh, and Alvin Fuddle is not in this one, for some reason. Also, Marjorie Ann Mutchie is now credited as Majorie Kent as she be would for the rest of the series run. Anyway, this was another very funny outing for the series. Especially concerning the things Arthur Lake goes through during the whole thing. So on that note, Life with Blondie is very much worth it for any fan of the series.