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Blondie was a comic strip created by Murat Bernard "Chic" Young. It was syndicated by King Features Syndicate. The strip was first published on September 8, 1930. The strip proved to be a big hit. The initial strip was about Blondie Boopadoop, an easy going flapper who frequented dance halls, a bit racy for the 1930s. The strip eventually go to Blondie and her weathky boy friend Dagwood Bumstead who came to dominate the strip. They married in 1933. Dagwood was the the son of a wealthy industrialist. His upper-crust family disoned him for marrying Blondie who had a lowly family background. (Wealthy indistrialists were not very popular in the 1930s.) Dagwood was forced to get a humble job with the J.C. Dithers Construction Company. Julius Caesar Dithers proved to be a terror of a boss. He was always attempting to fire poor Dagwood. Dagwood is not exactly the perfect employee. He messes up big assignments and is for ever showing up late to work and falling asleep at his desk. And to Dither's special irritation keeps asking for araise. Blondie made a conversion from flapper to very proper suburban wife. Blondie and Dagwood from the beginning take up residence in the suburbs. Their neigbors are Herb and Tootsie Woodley. Soon a baby arrives, named "Baby Dumpling" who eventually becomes Alexander. Next their daughter named Cookie. The family is complete with thei dog--Daisy. Other important characters are Mr. Beasley (the mailman), Elmo Tuttle (a neighborhood kid who likes Dagwood), Cora Dithers (who dominates her husband ), and Lou (who owns the diner where Dagwood eats lunch). A series of films appeared in 1939 and the early 40s. The films included a charming blond boy of about 3-4 years of age and we gradually watch him grow up. When we first see Baby Dumpling he is dressed in a sailor suit and other small boy outfits. Usually he wears rather short shorts, but rarely knee socks. They made quite a number of these films between 1938-42. Larry Lee Simms (1934- ) played Baby Dumpling.
Blondie was a comic strip created by Murat Bernard "Chic" Young. It was syndicated by King Features Syndicate. The strip was first published on September 8, 1930. The strip proved to be a big hit. The initial strip was about Blondie Boopadoop, an easy going flapper who frequented dance halls, a bit racy for the 1930s. The strip eventually go to Blondie and her weathky boy friend Dagwood Bumstead who came to dominate the strip. They married in 1933. Dagwood was the the son of a wealthy industrialist. His upper-crust family disoned him for marrying Blondie who had a lowly family background. (Wealthy indistrialists were not very popular in the 1930s.) Dagwood was forced to get a humble job with the J.C. Dithers Construction Company. Julius Caesar Dithers proved to be a terror of a boss. He was always attempting to fire poor Dagwood. Dagwood is not exactly the perfect employee. He messes up big assignments and is for ever showing up late to work and falling asleep at his desk. And to Dither's special irritation keeps asking for a raise. Blondie made a conversion from flapper to very proper suburban wife. Blondie and Dagwood from the beginning take up residence in the suburbs.
The characters in the films are the familiar ones from the comic strip. The main characters were of course Dogwood and and his wife Blondie. Their neigbors are Herb and Tootsie Woodley. Soon a baby arrives, named "Baby Dumpling" who eventually becomes Alexander. He has a friend that appeared in some of the films. Baby Dumpling in the films tends to be wise beyond his years. Next their daughter named Cookie. The family is complete with thei dog--Daisy. Other important characters are Mr. Beasley (the mailman), Elmo Tuttle (a neighborhood kid who likes Dagwood), Cora Dithers (who dominates her husband ), and Lou (who owns the diner where Dagwood eats lunch).
The Blobdie films were almost like a TV series. They were made over a relatively short period of time and the main characters from the strip were all played by the same actors. Penny Singleton played Blondie. You might have thought she was a Flapper. She was the steady practical core of the family, although the films were all centered on Dagwood. Arthur Lake played Dagwood. He goes through some of the motions of the familiar comic strip. Dagwood is always messing up things at work, but everything always comes out right at the end. Lake became very much associated with the role. Jonathan Haleplayed J.C. Dithers. Larry Lee Simms (1934- ) played Baby Dumpling (Alexander). I don't recogmoze him from any other films. He played his parts well with a kind of mature, dead-pan approach. Cookie appeared in the final films. She was played by Majelle White. There were always a greater range of characters in the fim than in the strip, in keeping with the needs of the format.
The Blondie series of films based on the popular comic strip appeared in the late 1930s and 40s. The films included a charming blond boy of about 4 years of age appeared as Baby Dumpling. The same boy was still playing the part as a teenager because the films were made over several years. They made quite a number of these films between 1938-50, I beleive about 25. We have seen some of the films, but not all of them. The plots use some of the running gags from the strip, but the plots persue different thems, although quite a number deal with Dagwood's problens with Mr. Dithers. Dagwood is usually the focus of the plot despite the fact that the titles usually use Bolondie.
Larry Simms plays Baby Dumpling and is dressed in a variety of small boy outfits. The Blondie films as they were made over several years provide a good overview of boys' fashions, primarilt during the 1940s. Baby Dumpling wears slightly more stylish clothing than theaverage American boy, but many of the outfits are commonly worn garments, especially the overlls and "T"-shirts. His outfits included suspender shorts because of his age. He also wears overalls, sailor suits and other small boy fashions. He also wears a Scout-like uniform. Usually he wears rather short shorts, but rarely knee socks. They were rapidly going out of style for boys in America. And he never wears long stockings. Gradually he wears older boys' outfits and finally teenage outfits.
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