Blondie Has Servant Trouble
Brief Synopsis
Mr. Dithers puts Blondie and Dagwood in a mansion to show buyers it's not haunted.
Cast & Crew
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Frank R. Strayer
Director
Penny Singleton
Blondie [Bumstead]
Arthur Lake
Dagwood [Bumstead]
Larry Simms
Baby Dumpling [Bumstead]
Danny Mummert
Alvin Fuddle
Jonathan Hale
J. C. Dithers
Film Details
Also Known As
Blondie Beware
Genre
Comedy
Release Date
Jul
25,
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 10m
Sound
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7 reels
Synopsis
When the Bumsteads' domestic tranquility is interrupted by Blondie's desire for a maid, Dagwood asks his boss, J. C. Dithers, for a raise. As usual, Dithers refuses Dagwood's request, but this time he offers the Bumsteads two weeks in the country complete with servants, living on the palatial estate owned by Batterson, a deceased magician. Eagerly accepting the invitation, the Bumsteads arrive at the deserted house during a thunderstorm and learn that the premises are haunted. The house lives up to its reputation when the slip-covered chairs begin to walk, but the Bumsteads soon discover that underneath the cover is Horatio Jones, who has been ordered to spend the night for his lodge initiation. Later that night, the sinister Eric and Anna Vaughn arrive, posing as servants. Their arrival institutes a series of frightening events that involve stealthy shadows and secret sliding panels. After Anna and Horatio disappear, Dagwood finds a newspaper clipping with Eric's picture and an accompanying story in which Eric is described as the man who knifed an attorney and fled, claiming that his inventions had been discovered by Batterson, and thus he was the rightful heir to the estate. This information causes Blondie to regret ever having desired a maid. Dagwood then sets out to capture Eric and succeeds just as the crazed "butler" is about to stab Blondie. For his bravery, the press proclaims Dagwood a hero, and amid much notoriety, Dithers rewards him with a raise.
Director
Frank R. Strayer
Director
Cast
Penny Singleton
Blondie [Bumstead]
Arthur Lake
Dagwood [Bumstead]
Larry Simms
Baby Dumpling [Bumstead]
Danny Mummert
Alvin Fuddle
Jonathan Hale
J. C. Dithers
Arthur Hohl
Eric Vaughn
Esther Dale
Anna Vaughn
Irving Bacon
Mailman
Ray Turner
Horatio Jones
Walter Soderling
Morgan
Fay Helm
Mrs. Fuddle
Daisy
Himself
Eugene Anderson
Newsboy
David Newell
Nelson
Mary Jane Carey
Mary
Dick Durrell
Kirk
Tommy Dixon
Saunders
Frank Melton
Ollie
Murray Alper
Taxi driver
Arthur Ritchie
Dr. Nolan
Ivan Miller
Police commissioner
Eddie Laughton
Photographer
Crew
Film Details
Also Known As
Blondie Beware
Genre
Comedy
Release Date
Jul
25,
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 10m
Sound
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7 reels
Articles
Blondie Has Servant Trouble
This sixth entry in Columbia's Blondie film series imparts some novelty to the franchise by taking a sideways detour into a different genre. Neither the posters nor the advertising copy ("Brighten up your life with the Bumsteads") reveal that most of Blondie Has Servant Trouble (1940) puts Blondie (Penny Singleton) and Dagwood Bumstead (Arthur Lake) in the middle of a haunted house comedy thriller. Eager to escape her housecleaning chores, Blondie asks Dagwood to plead for a ten dollar raise so she can hire a maid. His boss J.C. Dithers (Jonathan Hale) instead offers the Bumsteads a two-week vacation in a grand old house that he wants to sell. Dithers says that the house was previously owned by a magician, but withholds the real motive for his generosity, to dispel the rumor that the house is haunted. The Bumsteads show up delighted to meet the odd servants Eric and Anna (Arthur Hohl and Esther Dale), unaware that the older couple are really disgruntled associates of the dead magician with murderous plans to claim the house as their own. Dagwood and Blondie also meet Horatio Jones (Ray Turner), a frightened fellow staying a night in the house as part of a club initiation. Although Dagwood still eats his enormous sandwiches and collides with the unlucky mailman (Irving Bacon) in this installment, director Frank R. Strayer redirects the comedy from domestic slapstick to haunted house thrills. The Bumsteads encounter moving furniture, sliding panels, secret passageways and other situations that the resourceful Lake and Singleton play to the hilt. The tone becomes fairly serious as real murders occur, and Dagwood abandons his bumbling long enough to become a genuine ghost-busting hero. One small detail shows that the Blondie series did put some thought into episode-to-episode continuity: at one point Blondie admires the fur coat she acquired at the finish of the previous picture. Variety was perhaps impressed by the change of locale, calling Servant Trouble the best of the series to date, so good that it could put the series in the major leagues. The reviewer also refers to the Horatio Jones character as a "colored boy" present to perform standard eye-popping "black humor." To augment their contract salaries, the busy Singleton and Lake were double-dipping with their work as the Bumsteads. In 1939, they began performing a weekly half-hour Blondie radio show that aired on Monday nights.
Blondie Has Servant Trouble
This sixth entry in Columbia's Blondie film series imparts some novelty to the franchise by taking a sideways detour into a different genre. Neither the posters nor the advertising copy ("Brighten up your life with the Bumsteads") reveal that most of Blondie Has Servant Trouble (1940) puts Blondie (Penny Singleton) and Dagwood Bumstead (Arthur Lake) in the middle of a haunted house comedy thriller. Eager to escape her housecleaning chores, Blondie asks Dagwood to plead for a ten dollar raise so she can hire a maid. His boss J.C. Dithers (Jonathan Hale) instead offers the Bumsteads a two-week vacation in a grand old house that he wants to sell. Dithers says that the house was previously owned by a magician, but withholds the real motive for his generosity, to dispel the rumor that the house is haunted. The Bumsteads show up delighted to meet the odd servants Eric and Anna (Arthur Hohl and Esther Dale), unaware that the older couple are really disgruntled associates of the dead magician with murderous plans to claim the house as their own. Dagwood and Blondie also meet Horatio Jones (Ray Turner), a frightened fellow staying a night in the house as part of a club initiation. Although Dagwood still eats his enormous sandwiches and collides with the unlucky mailman (Irving Bacon) in this installment, director Frank R. Strayer redirects the comedy from domestic slapstick to haunted house thrills. The Bumsteads encounter moving furniture, sliding panels, secret passageways and other situations that the resourceful Lake and Singleton play to the hilt. The tone becomes fairly serious as real murders occur, and Dagwood abandons his bumbling long enough to become a genuine ghost-busting hero. One small detail shows that the Blondie series did put some thought into episode-to-episode continuity: at one point Blondie admires the fur coat she acquired at the finish of the previous picture. Variety was perhaps impressed by the change of locale, calling Servant Trouble the best of the series to date, so good that it could put the series in the major leagues. The reviewer also refers to the Horatio Jones character as a "colored boy" present to perform standard eye-popping "black humor." To augment their contract salaries, the busy Singleton and Lake were double-dipping with their work as the Bumsteads. In 1939, they began performing a weekly half-hour Blondie radio show that aired on Monday nights.
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working titles of this film were Blondie Beware. It was the sixth in the Blondie series. For additional information about the series, consult the Series Index and see entry above for Blondie!.
