Blondie in Society (1941) User Reviews

Breeding and music

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 3 November 2015]

The Bumsteads mix with the rich and famous in Blondie In Society courtesy of a large Great Dane that Dagwood that astute businessman takes in lieu of $50.00 from Chick Chandler. Surprisingly enough the Bumstead dog Daisy takes to the large newcomer, but Blondie sure doesn't and that is just one element in this rather crazy Bumstead adventure.

The Blondie series always had some great character players in it and in this one three are present and at their best. Edgar Kennedy does his patented slow burn as the veterinarian the dog is in hock to. William Frawley plays a potential J.C. Dithers client who is a fancier of show dogs and wants this one. And Charles Lane plays a most eager washing machine salesman who tries to sell Penny Singleton a new one when the Bumsteads think they are in the chips.

The problem is that this dog won't strut his stuff until it's discovered by Penny Singleton that music perks him up. Her own singing voice and those of the Mitchell Boys Choir makes the Great Dane start acting like a champion.

Blondie In Society is one of the funnier episodes I've seen in the Blondie series and it also exhibits Penny Singleton's singing quite nicely.

He ate everything in the movie but the words on the script.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 11 July 2016]

Dagwood goes to the dogs as he tries to get a $50 loan re-payed and ends up with a great Dane instead. This leads to Blondie visiting a divorce lawyer after chaos in the neighborhood and turmoil in the house. A very funny entry in the series has Baby Dumpling talking in slang, Blondie turning his bicycle into a unicycle and neighbors giving Dagwood bills far over the $50 he lent in the first place.

Some fantastic character performers pop up, including once again Charles Lane as a washing machine salesman more ignored than the Maytag repair man, William Frawley as a rival in the dog show Dagwood enters, Almira Sessions as a broom swinging neighbor and Edgar Kennedy as a slow-burning veterinarian. The vet scene is highlighted by a visit to the maternity ward where newly born puppies gain a ton of ooh's and ah's.

Singleton starts off as overly bossy towards Arthur Lake's Dagwood, but of course, she comes around, even singing to the lovable great Dane. A hysterical scene has Singleton dealing not only with salesman Lanez but sassy Simms, a door repairman and the always unlucky postman, Irving Bacon. The episode is touching, funny and loving to man's best friend who ultimately ends up playing marriage counselor as well.

Why is Marmaduke in a Blondie movie?

[ericstevenson · 8/10 · 1 December 2016]

This ended up being my favorite of all the countless Blondie movies. It might be because of something that happens at the very end. Don't worry, it's not a spoiler. What happens is that Mr. Dithers is asked to think of a number between 1 and 10. I myself thought of 7, so did he and the number was correct! I guess that's just the number most people think of first. Anyway, I was quite impressed at how many things were going on in this short movie. Actually, the main reason I was interested was because this was the longest Blondie movie, I believe. Well, not much of a statement at only 76 minutes, but still.

Yes, it certainly feels like episodes of a TV show here. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that in this context. It has the same stuff of Blondie considering to leave Dagwood and Mr. Dithers firing him. Honestly, I think George Jetson had better job security. This film features Dagwood giving money to an old school friend without Blondie's permission. He gets a dog and decides to enter him into a dog show. There's actually a lot more going on. I was quite confused by the title. I don't see what this had to do with Blondie in society. I guess she technically was in it, but it just seemed to generic. ***

My favorite "Blondie" movie.

[Spitfire-6 · 24 June 1999]

While, being a fan of all the "Blondie" movies, this one is my all-time favorite. I have two reasons for picking this one above all the others. One, I am an animal lover. The whole story revolves around a lovable Great Dane. His expressions and antics, alone, are hilarious, but mixed in with the Bumsteads, and the laughs are constant. Two, the finale at the dog show is top rate. You have cute dogs, a beautiful song, and a hilarious melee. What more could you ask for??

Dagwood buys a great dane that causes havoc.

[james362001 · 7/10 · 30 August 2003]

Dagwood (Arthur Lake) comes home to find the police waiting for him. Someone has forged Dagwood's signature on a check. But as it turns out, Dagwood wrote the check him to get paid back. Now you know why they call him Dagwood. Blondie (Penny Singleton) sure is upset. Alvin (Danny Mummert) drops by and lets Blondie know he heard the argument all the way in his house. Baby Dumpling (Larry Simms) and Alvin begin to use slang, much to the disapproval of Blondie. Dagwood buys a show dog that causes havoc in the Bumstead house. This film does not use the early previews, but the theme song is used this time. The mailman in the film hides up in the tree and we all know why. William Frawley plays a dog owner. This role was 10 years before the "I Love Lucy" tv series. This film is a bit unpleasant at times. Too much serious Bumstead arguing and yelling. Bad writing and directing. But you might like this one if you are a dog lover. The next film in the series is BLONDIE GOES TO COLLEGE.

One for Singleton fans and dog lovers!

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 10 November 2017]

Penny Singleton (Blondie), Arthur Lake (Dagwood), Larry Simms (Baby Dumpling), Jonathan Hale (J. C. Dithers), Danny Mummert (Alvin Fuddle), William Frawley (Waldo Pincus), Chick Chandler (Cliff Peters), Irving Bacon (mailman), Garry Owen (Carpenter), Tommy Dixon (Saunders), Edgar Kennedy (Dr Glenn), Bill Goodwin (dog announcer), Grady Sutton (salesman), Almira Sessions (neighbor with broom), Cliff Barnett (Wade), Charles Lane (washing machine salesman), Robert Mitchell's Boys Choir, "Daisy" and "Chin Up".

Director: FRANK R. STRAYER. Screenplay: Karen DeWolf. Story: Eleanore Griffin. Based on the comic strip Blondie created by Chic Young. Photography: Henry Freulich. Film editor: Charles Nelson. Art director: Lionel Banks. Costumes: Monica. Music director: Morris W. Stoloff. Producer: Robert Sparks.

Copyright 17 July 1941 by Columbia Pictures Corp. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 17 July 1941. Australian release: 9 October 1941. 8 reels. 6,887 feet. 76½ minutes. U.K. release title: HENPECKED.

NOTES: Originally, this was the longest in running time of the series.

According to one source, producer Robert Sparks plays Jasper, while Frank R. Strayer can be spotted as an investigator.

The ninth of the 28-picture series.

COMMENT: The ninth film in the series. This one might be called "Blondie in the Dog-House", as Karen DeWolf's screenplay is solely concerned with show dogs and not society of any strata.

If we thought Richard Flournoy's plots were thin, Miss DeWolf's are even thinner, though she has evidently made a greater study of the actual comic strips and has better captured their flavor. But what was obviously a fairly amusing script in the reading is less so in the seeing.

Director Frank R. Strayer's control is loose. Film editing, partly the result of a longer running time than usual, can best be described as flabby.

Fortunately, all the players turn in capable performances and much joy can be had by spotting some of our favorite character actors. Miss Singleton renders two songs appealingly.

Production values are reasonably accomplished.

The Bumsteads at the Dog Show

[lugonian · 9/10 · 10 November 2000]

BLONDIE IN SOCIETY (Columbia, 1941), directed by Frank R. Strayer, the ninth feature in the popular comedy series based on the Chic Young comic strip characters, ranks the very best of the entire 28 episodes. This series reached its peak here, and the leading players are at their funniest. At 78 minutes (the longest in the series), it plays fast and furious.

Dagwood Bumstead (Arthur Lake) gets himself a great dane named Chin-up to cover a $50 debt, and his wife, Blondie (Penny Singleton) helps out by entering Chin Up in a dog show. Everything goes wrong, of course. While the dog wins the contest, everyone who had disowned him, wants to reclaim him, a fight ensues, causing everyone, including the Bumstead child, Baby Dumpling (Larry Simms) and his neighbor friend, Alvin (Danny Mummert) to acquire black eyes.

Besides Dagwood running into the neighborhood postman (Irving Bacon) to catch his bus for work, other comedy highlights include Dagwood trying to take his Sunday bath, but never does due to constant interruptions, a gimmick used occasionally in the comic strips, but seen only once in this series. Penny Singleton shows off her singing ability by vocalizing "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree" and "Trees." Veteran character actors Edgar Kennedy and William Frawley also add to the comic hi-jinx. For animal lovers, the Bumstead dog, Daisy, and Chin-up help provide some memorable highlights as well. And then there's Mr. Dithers (Jonathan Hale) as Dagwood's irritable boss, etc.

Available on video with the 1960s tag-on TV opening and closing credits with vocalists singing the "Blondie" theme song. Thankfully when it was shown on the American Movie Classics cable channel from 1996 to 2000, it was presented with its original opening and closing credits shown in theaters. Later shown on Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: November 6, 2021) with sing-along theme song opening. While much of the 28 "Blondie" comedies are quite enjoyable, this one is definitely a first prize winning entry. (***/2)

One of the very best...

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 14 April 2011]

Columbia pictures made 28 Blondie and Dagwood films from 1939-1950 and they were all rather low-budget but enjoyable family comedies. One of the best things about these films is unlike most B-series, this one had a very stable cast--with Arthur Lake (Dagwood), Penny Singleton (Blondie) and Larry Simms (Baby Dumpling) playing in all the films.

While I have not seen a ton of these films, of the ones I have seen, "Blondie in Society" is so far my favorite. It gets very high marks for its writing and the story made me and my wife laugh repeatedly.

"Blondie in Society" begins with Blondie panicking because she thinks someone has written a forged check on their home account. However, it turns out Dagwood actually loaned a childhood friend the money and never mentioned this to his wife. She is furious and demands he get the money back NOW. However, the old friend is broke and offers to give Dagwood his pedigreed Great Dane instead. Dumb old Dagwood takes the pooch--and it turns out to be nothing but trouble. The animal eats like a herd of elephants, is very destructive and has the neighbors up in arms. What's worse, it also starts problems with his boss as well as a potential client (William Frawley). By the end of the film, everything is a complete mess. Can the Bumsteads, just like in their other films, manage to make this all work out for the best? One of the reasons this film was so much fun was Daisy--the family's adorable mutt. As usual, this trained dog does a HUGE repertoire of wonderful tricks and seemed to show so much great emotion. Additionally, the script really hummed--and the staff seemed to be on top of their game on this one. Fun throughout.

Blondie in Society is another hilarious entry in the series

[tavm · 8/10 · 21 June 2015]

This is the ninth in the Blondie movie series. The Bumsteads acquire another dog, a Great Dane. How, I don't feel like getting into. Let's just say it has to do with Dagwood having to get back 50 dollars and leave it at that. Anyway, this was another hilarious entry in the series especially when a blowhard like Edgar Kennedy shows up as a veterinarian! There's also William Frawley-years before his iconic role as Fred Mertz on "I Love Lucy"-on hand as another potential client for Mr. J. C. Dithers. Also appearing are The Robert Mitchell Boys Choir-a musical chorus who would eventually also appear in the Oscar-winning Going My Way. Yes, Ms. Singleton sings a song with them and yes, they're beautiful when they do. Oh, and among the returning players are Grady Sutton-previously the photo salesman in Blondie Meets the Boss-as the dog kennel sales man here and Charles Lane-the furniture salesman in the first Blondie and the train conductor in Blondie Plays Cupid-playing the washing machine salesman here. Wait till you see what happens to him in this one! So on that note, I very much recommend Blondie in Society. P. S. The announcer of the dog show is Bill Goodwin, who was the announcer of The Bob Hope Show and would also do the same on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show on both radio and TV.

CHAMPION CHINUP AND DAGWOOD?

[tcchelsey · 10/10 · 5 November 2021]

Outrageous! 10 Stars.

Perhaps the BEST entry in the series, and the longest running at 77 minutes. Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake (often been described as a lost brother of the Three Stooges!) made a heck of a team and played well off each other for years. Both were extremely talented, especially Singleton, who gets to sing in this episode, and has a marvelous voice. She sang in BLONDIE GOES LATIN, also produced in 1941.

The episode is just plain hilarious. Dagwood brings home a gigantic GREAT DANE, called Champion Chin Up, in exchange to pay off a debt, as usual. Dagwood tries to reassure exasperated Blondie, claiming they actually have an extremely valuable dog, and dog nappers may be watching? To which Blondie exclaims, "You don't happen to know any, do YOU!" In the meantime, frustrated Mr. Dithers is about to wring Dagwood's neck for messing up another deal with a client --or could Chin Up save the day?

Jonathan Hale is a hoot as Dithers, about as crafty as Dagwood was dumb, and both getting into some kind of a mess and blaming the other. William Frawley (before I LOVE LUCY) has a good part as a crafty client of Dithers who wants to win a local dog show. Thrown in for good measure is slow burn king Edgar Kennedy, playing Dr Glenn, the outraged vet ready to call the cops on everybody, because his bill hasn't been paid and the Great Dane has wrecked his office. "He's a great big, hulking BEAST, who eats, and eats and EATS!" he screams.

To note, Kennedy was starring with Arthut Lake's sister, Florence, at the time in a popular series of short film comedies at RKO Studios. That series was one of the longest running in movie history, next to the THREE STOOGES.

Watch for many other familiar faces in this episode, fun to spot the veteran actor. Don't miss Mr. Dither's beautiful Woody Ford station wagon, a collector's item today if there ever was one.

Historically, the famous Bumstead house was torn down in 2023, along with other iconic structures to make way for office buildings and new sound stages at Warner Brothers in Burbank, CA. Gone, but never forgotten. The street the house was located on was later known as Blondie Drive.

About as good as it gets for the series, written with a lot of creativity and love, and has gone on to inspire tv sitcoms. BLONDIE has been released in box sets over the years, the most popular contain the early episodes, and unedited.

Thanks to MOVIES Network for rerunning the series on Saturday mornings, like the good old days.

Hangin' Out With The Critters

[dougdoepke · 13 October 2018]

So what happened with the title. I must have missed the 'society' that Blondie is supposedly in. Instead the title should be something like Daisy Gets a Big Brother. But whatever the brand, it's still typical Bumstead fun. This time B&D get caught up in a fancy dog show where they all argue over who owns Chin-Up the Great Dane. Is the lucky one Mr. Dithers, Blondie, Dagwood, or about twenty other guys. Everyone's got his cash interest since the dog's a shoo-in for the big purse. Plus B has run-up big debts back when 50-bucks was real money. Nostalgia-wise, I love the 1941 bouncy washing machine that half drowns the Bumstead kitchen. Good thing my mom's worked better.

It's the usual great family antics, including Daisy and the boys. But I miss Dagwood in the latter part when the dog show takes over. His comic interactions with a stern Blondie are, I think, the heart of series success. Anyway, I expect that's Singleton doing her own singing since she started out as a singer. At the same time, I now know why I didn't become a mailman, especially when not even being a tree climber helps. And here's hoping Daisy got extra kibbles and Chin-Up got an extra cattle herd for their expert acting. So, all in all, don't let title expectations deter you. The entry may not be the best, but it's still a Blondie fun-fest.