The idea of a comic strip moving to other mediums seems to be part of the history of comic strips. When Film came out comic and strips ended up on the movie screen and when television became a thing -- same happened there. A comic strip , named Blondie came out in 1930 created by 'Chic' Young and it proved popular, so the next step seemed to be adapt the strips into movies and from 1938 to 1950 there were twenty-eight. (And you thought Marvel was doing a bit much) It also had a chance to be a radio television series From 1944 to 1950. Blondie the comic, of course continued on and still does today , even after Young's death in 1973. The next logical step for this comic was to appear on TV , which it did in 1957.
Blondie is a comic strip about a woman named Blondie (don't look at us like that) that first appeared in 1930. Blondie was styled off 1920's , Early 30's flappers and had a boy friend named Dagwood , whom she would marry in 1933. Dagwood plays more the comical character while Blondie is our straight man. We will talk more about the characters.
In 1954 , they taped a pilot that didn't make to air , but three years later in 1957 NBC aired a series. The series had Arthur Lake play Dagwood, the same man who played him in the Blondie movies. Pamela Britton played Blondie in the series instead of Penny Singleton who portrayed her in the movies. Britton is best well known for being in the TV series My Favorite Martian.
Let's look at the first episode - Dagwood's Ego
It starts where Blondie and the kids (also the dogs) wait by the open door where Dagwood runs out and crashes into the mailman. A little later on Blondie is having some coffee with some ladies. One of the ladies talks about about her husband getting a new office with windows which peaks the interest of Blondie. She is told that when a man gets an office with windows that means he's moved up. And the more windows , the better. (Really?) Blondie says she doesn't care about how many windows, Dagwood has. ( We have Windows 10 here .) Meanwhile her daughter , Cookie, has a couple friends over and washes the dogs and makes a mess with bubble bath.
We are talking about windows is this show sponsored by a window company?
Dagwood comes home for lunch. Blondie asks him how many windows does he have? Blondie says she thinks Dagwood should have more windows since he's such a hard worker. She suggests that Dagwood ask his boss for a promotion. Dagwood reluctantly agrees. n (What could go wrong?)
Dagwood goes to his boss ,Mr. Dithers, and asks for a promotion and an office with more windows, his both says pretty much no.
Windows? No this is a Mac Company
Since it's a 50's sitcom they have some friends come over to play some cards. (Ye p that's the 50's) Blondie and Harriet seem to talk the who time while the husbands play gin. Earlier in the episode Blondie had decided to fake a telegram that an wealthy uncle died , and now he gets the telegram in the evening. The telegram says that he is inheriting money. (Not sure where this plan is going.) Apparently , Blondie's plan was to give him some confidence to march into his boss's office to ask for the vice-presidency and bigger office. This plan wasn't a smart one because he says he's going to retire.
I make the same face when I forget something
The Next morning, Blondie tries to convince Dagwood to go his boss and he decides he will. At the office his boss his talking with Mr.Kennedy the head of the bank , who is boss is trying to get a loan. So he ended up getting the vice presidency but he quits instead because he thinks he has the money. Blondie admits to him that she faked the whole thing. (oops) Mr. Dithers comes over glad that thanks to Dagwood's help the bank offered him 4.5% interest instead. Dagwood is still made VP. Blondie admits the truth to Mr.Dithers so he cuts him down so Dagwood quits and they sick the dog on him. Dither's then admits the loan only got cut because Dagwood.
Now Dagwood has a new office with two windows next to Mr.Dithers' office. Also Dithes' informs him that it's only a 60 day loan. (Implying that that the office and V.P might be tempoary)
In episode 2, I can see that show has some running gags, like the all the dogs running and barking. The salt and Pepper shakers on the wall being caught by Blondie when Dagwood opens the front door and her putting them back. There's Dagwood's extremely tall sandwiches too. Episode 2 Dagwood is in charge of a construction project since his boss has to stay in the hospital. When Cookie finds out that a tree has to be cut down she is displeased because it has eggs in a nest in it. Dagwood tells Cookie that he'll make sure that the tree stays up until the eggs hatch. The picture ends up in the paper.
Front page news !
You don't mess with us...
Dithers decides to go the tree himself , and gets stopped by the Bumstead's dog. Dagwood finds out it was Dithers the next day since the dog removed a piece of Dither's pants. The owner of the market is un happy that his market wasn't built yet. Dagwood says he figured out what to do with the market. having it built around the tree. (that's an idea) It works and the owner loves it so much he wants more of his markets done by Mr.Dithers' company.
It also doubles as a fort, for war !
The series ran 26 episodes in 1957 but it never really caught on like the comic strip did or maybe even the movies did. 11 years later a different network, CBS thought it would try it's hand at having a series based on the comic. With a fun fact : Peter Robbins played Alexender in this series (which I guess they aged down) he was the voice of Charlie Brown in many of the early Peanuts specials and Pamelyn Ferdin played Cookie who did the voice of Lucy in a few specials. Sadly, I can't find this series anywhere , but did find the theme.
Tune in next time when we found out they made a Peanuts -Blondie cross over that no one new existed !
