Blondie’s Blessed Event (1942) starring Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, Hans Conried
In Blondie’s Blessed Event, playwright George Wickley helps Dagwood out with a speech in Chicago …. And later follows him home, where the Bumsteads have just had their baby daughter, Cookie. And Blondie doesn’t want any company!
Comedy highlights
- Alexander setting up a trap for the stork — in case it’s not bringing a girl.
- After a phone call from Alexander about “babies”, poor Dagwood thinks Blondie’s had quintuplets! Actually, it’s Daisy that had a litter of five.
- Since Dagwood’s making himself a mess of things at the office, and driving Blondie crazy, Mr. Dithers sends him to Chicago to give a speech.
- George Wickley and Dagwood both composing totally different speeches in the hallway of the Chicago hotel.
- The hungry George volunteers to help Dagwood with his speech … In order to eat Dagwood’s sandwich!
- Dagwood pacing at the hospital … And Alvin and Alexander are counting his pacing.
- Dagwood trying to explain where babies come from to the boys.
- Then, Dagwood passing out, as he’s explaining that a Bumstead always keeps calm during a crisis.
- Dagwood, while vacuuming the drapes, looks for a missing puppy. While he’s looking the vacuum sucks up the drapes. After, Alexander has Dagwood look inside the vacuum cleaner bag for the drapes. So he pulls out the drapes … and a small plate …. and the missing puppy! A hilarious, clownish moment.
- Dagwood sewing Alexander’s shirt to the chair in the living room
- Dagwood asks the cab driver to drive as slowly as possible from the hospital, and nearly cause a traffic jam.
George comes to visit
- Little Cookie gets her name from the traffic officer – “She’s sure a cute little cookie.”
- “Uncle” George is waiting at the Bumstead house. Where he stops the baby from crying, and carrying the baby upstairs. And irritates momma Blondie.
- “Uncle George” invites himself to stay … For three weeks! And Blondie has had enough!
- Dagwood calls George down to the family room to throw George out …. But he hasn’t the heart. He’s a softie, after all. And Alexander wants Uncle George to stay — since he’s the only one that pays attention to Alexander, since the baby came.
- Sarah Miller arrives as the new maid — “hired” by the penniless George. She’s a would-be actress, hoping to get a part in George’s new play.
- Blondie walks out in a huff …. And Sarah lets Dagwood know who’s in charge of “her” kitchen!
- George goes into Mr. Dithers’ office — and actually talks him into giving Dagwood a raise!
- Blondie reads George the riot act, and tells him to fire Sarah and leave.
Conclusion
- George, afraid of Sarah, impersonates a Broadway producer and tells her to give notice so she can leave to join his new “production”.
- Alexander plans to run away, since nobody pays attention to him. But someone’s robbed his piggy bank! The audience sees it’s “Uncle” George, who’s using the money to give to Sarah, for her train ticket.
- Mr. Dithers fires Dagwood — George’s speech has caused a customer to cancel a contract. And may cause him to lose his license in the state!
- George, still in disguise, tries to solve the problem. And gets Mr. Dithers to rehire him at $75/week. A large raise, at the time. But when the fraud’s exposed, he’s rehired at $35/week — a cut! Then, a government man comes in, and he wants to hire Dagwood! So Mr. Dithers makes him a junior partner …
- Alexander has a heart-to-heart with Uncle George as George is leaving.
Quotes
Alexander: That “Baby Dumpling” stuff is out! From now on, I’m Alexander.
Mr. Dithers: Where’s Blondie?
Dagwood: In the kitchen. With the babies.
George Wickley: [to the bellboy] Do you have to be such a vulture?
Bellboy: For a fifty cents tip … I’ll vulch.
Alvin: [helping Alexander with the dishes] I’ll bet you’ll be glad when your mother is home from the hospital.
Alexander: I’ll say. A woman works from dawn to setting sun, but a man’s work is never done.
Blondie: [Baby Cookie was crying] I guess it was a little gas attack.
Dagwood: At her age?
Cab Driver: [dropping off the family with the baby at home] See you next year!
Alexander: What did he mean by that?
Blonde: Well, he … [to Dagwood] What did he mean by that?
Blondie: [to the baby] How do you like your father?
Cookie: [blows raspberry]
Dagwood: [about asking George to leave] I got soft hearted.
Blondie: You mean chicken hearted!
Geroge Wickley (Hans Conried): [in a tender moment with Alexander] How would you like to be important around the house? … I’ll tell you how to stop Cookie from crying.
Cast
- Penny Singleton (Blondie’s Secret) … Blondie Bumstead
- Arthur Lake (Blondie’s Reward) … Dagwood Bumstead
- Larry Simms (Blondie Knows Best) … Baby Dumpling (Alexander) Bumstead
- Daisy … Daisy
- Jonathan Hale … J.C. Dithers
- Danny Mummert … Alvin Fuddle
- Hans Conried (The Patsy, My Friend Irma) … George Wickley
- Stanley Brown … Ollie Shaw
- Irving Bacon … Mr. Crumb
- Mary Wickes (I Love Lucy, The Music Man) … Sarah Miller
Trivia for Blondie’s Blessed Event
- Although Blondie is about to give birth to Cookie, due to the Hays Code, she could have no physical indication that she is pregnant.
- The eleventh of twenty-eight Blondie movies.
Songs
- Ah Loo Loo, Written by Sammy Cahn and Saul Chaplin, Sung by Penny Singleton
- Chicago, Written by Fred Fisher
- Ochi Chornia, Traditional
- Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush, Traditional.
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