Blondie Takes a Vacation

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Movie
Original title Blondie Takes a Vacation
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1939
length 69 minutes
Rod
Director Frank R. Strayer
script Richard Flournoy
production Robert Sparks
music Leigh Harline
camera Henry Freulich
cut Viola Lawrence
occupation

and without mentioning in the film: Arthur Aylesworth , Wade Boteler , Harry Harvey senior , Arthur Housman , Milton Kibbee , Bob McKenzie and Emmett Vogan

chronology

←  Predecessor
Blondie Meets the Boss

Successor  →
Blondie Brings Up Baby

Blondie Takes a Vacation is an American comedy film in black and white from 1939. Directed by Frank R. Strayer , the screenplay was written by Richard Flournoy based on the comics of the same name by Chic Young and based on a story he shared with Karen DeWolf and Robert Chapin had written. The main roles were played by Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake . Blondie Takes a Vacation is the third Blondie film.

action

The long-awaited vacation has finally come. After a few complications on departure, Blondie and Dagwood Bumstead are on the train with their five-year-old son Baby Dumpling. They also have their dog Daisy with them, but they have to hide because dogs are only allowed to travel in the luggage cart . Soon the Bumsteads get into an argument with someone sitting next to them, in the course of which Daisy is discovered and taken away. During a cigarette break in the evening, Blondie and Dagwood meet a Jonathan Gillis. When they return to their sleeping compartment, Baby Dumpling is not there. After a short search, during which there is again trouble with the person sitting next to you, they find their son sleeping in Daisy's luggage cart.

The Bumsteads don't get the room they booked at the Lake Hotel . Harvey Morton, the annoyed seatmate from the train, refuses to let her into his hotel. So they have to switch to the Westlake Inn , the other hotel on the lake. It is run by Matthew and Emily Dickerson, a friendly elderly couple, but is as good as empty (except for the Bumsteads, only Gillis lives there). As a result, Blondie is unsettled, and the Bumpsteads want to leave again, but they learn that the Dickersons are on the verge of bankruptcy and decide to help them. Blondie takes on tasks in the kitchen and reception, Dagwood becomes a temporary manager and repairs the hotel bus. They also pay the Dickersons' outstanding bills, which uses up all of their savings. However, despite their efforts and promotions, the situation is not changing. Only when Baby Dumpling and Daisy meet Skunks while playing and accidentally blow them into the fan system of the Lake Hotel do all the guests come from there to the Westlake Inn.

The next day, Baby Dumpling wants to drive the Skunks back to the Lake Hotel and comes into the ventilation shafts with Daisy herself. From there, he sees Morton, who had been told to replace all the equipment, take money and important papers from the hotel safe and then set the building on fire. When trying to leave the hotel, Baby Dumpling and Daisy end up in a locked room and get stuck there. But they are saved by Jonathan Gillis. This one, a pyromaniac , is there because he wanted to set fire to the hotel himself and then found out that someone had come before him. For the rescue, he is now celebrated as a hero at the Westlake Inn , as they have already been looking for Baby Dumpling and Daisy. Shortly after him, Morton comes there with the sheriff. Morton tries to blame Dagwood for the fire, but Baby Dumpling reports what he saw. He also mentions the papers from the safe that the sheriff finds at Morton's and arrests him. The Westlake Inn is saved, and the Dickersons offer the Bumsteads a partnership. Blondie just wants the money back and otherwise declines with thanks. She and her family are looking forward to resting at home.

The running gag with the postman

This time, the postman approaches the Bumsteads' house with particular caution and only calms down when he sees Dagwood's note on the door saying that the family is on vacation. When a taxi stops in front of the house, he tells the driver that everyone is on vacation before the whole family runs over him. He says the note was a particularly nasty trick.

background

Harry Davenport was supposed to take on the role of Matthew Dickerson, but had to cancel because of Gone with the Wind .

Blondie Takes a Vacation was produced by Columbia from May 19 to June 19, 1939 , and the locations were Cedar Lake and Big Bear Lake .

For Production Design in Blondie Takes a Vacation was Lionel Banks responsible for the costumes came from Kalloch .

Blondie Takes a Vacation premiered on July 20, 1939. Columbia took over the distribution of the film. Nothing is known about a performance in German-speaking countries.

reception

Reviews

The contemporary critics saw above all good entertainment for families, but also a rather thin story that was little more than the framework for amusing episodes. Nevertheless, it is an entertaining comedy. Amusing characterizations and speedy direction were also attested to the film. Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake are okay in their roles and Donald MacBride is menacing; Donald Meek is also praised. Larry Simms or Baby Dumpling, which was better than in the first two parts and had more scenes, was perceived as the highlight. He and the dog delivered the best gags.

Gene Blottner said in his book about the Columbia series that this was the best movie in the series to date, a great mix of comedy, drama and suspense. He also praised the performance of Frank R. Strayer and the cast, highlighting Larry Simms and Donald Meek and the dog Daisy. Hal Erickson wrote that Blondie Takes a Vacation had the freshness and wit of the first two parts, and thought the film was relaxed and light. Leonard Maltin found the film entertaining and gave it 2.5 out of 4 points.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Blondie Takes a Vacation (1939) - Articles. In: Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved July 16, 2020 .
  2. ↑ a b c d Blondie Takes a Vacation (1939). In: AFI Catalog. American Film Institute , accessed July 16, 2020 .
  3. ^ A b Gene Blottner: Columbia Pictures Movie Series, 1926-1955: The Harry Cohn Years . McFarland, Jefferson 2012, ISBN 978-0-7864-3353-7 , Blondie, pp. 20–22 (English, limited preview in Google Book Search [accessed June 16, 2020]).
  4. ↑ a b c d “Blondie Takes a Vacation” with Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake . In: Harrison's Reports . July 29, 1939, p.  118 (English, online at Archive.org [accessed July 16, 2020]).
  5. ↑ a b c d e Blondie Takes a Vacation . In: Variety . July 19, 1939, p.  12 (English, online at Archive.org [accessed July 16, 2020]).
  6. ↑ a b Blondie Takes a Vacation . In: The Women's University Club in the American Association of University Women (Ed.): Motion Picture Reviews . September 1939, p.  4 (English, online at Archive.org [accessed July 16, 2020]).
  7. ↑ Hal Erickson : Blondie Takes a Vacation (1939). In: AllMovie . Retrieved July 16, 2020 .
  8. ^ Leonard Maltin : Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide . Plume, New York 2015, ISBN 978-0-14-751682-4 , pp.  70 (English).