''Blondie Has Servant Trouble'' is a 1940 American

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by Frank R. Strayer and starring

Penny Singleton Penny Singleton (born Mariana Dorothy McNulty, September 15, 1908 – November 12, 2003) was an American actress and labor leader. During her six decade career on stage, screen, radio and television, Singleton appeared as the comic-strip he ...

and Arthur Lake. It is sixth of the series of 28 Blondie movies.

Plot summary

Blondie proves to be a real nuisance to her husband Dagwood and causes domestic disturbance in the Bumstead home, when she insists on getting a maid. Dagwood is forced to take the request seriously, and asks his boss, J.C. Dithers, for a raise. As a rule, Dithers refuses the raise, but instead he offers Dagwood and his family a two-week stay at a country house, complete with servants. The house is the size of a palace, formerly owned by Batterson, a newly deceased magician. With the consent of his wife, Dagwood accepts the offer, and they prepare for take off to the country. They arrive at the empty house during a terrible thunderstorm, and find out from a local that the place definitely is haunted in some way. When they enter the house they realize that the house truly must be haunted, since it shows definite signs of a poltergeist living there with chairs starting to move around. A man named Horatio Jones is in fact responsible for the haunting by moving the chairs, covered by a white blanket. He has been ordered to do this as an initiation to a lodge he is trying to get membership in. The haunting continues later in the night when two more persons, Anna and Eric Vaughn, arrive and pretends to be servants, and start a series of frightening events, like sliding panels and moving shadows. Later Anna and Horation disappear from the house, and Dagwood finds a newspaper clipping with a picture of Eric. He reads that his servant is responsible for plunging a knife into the back of an attorney, claiming that he stole Eric's inventions and gave them to Batterson, the former owner of the house. The clip also says that Eric claims to be the rightful heir to the estate and the house. When Blondie hears about this she regrets that she asked for servants in the first place. Dagwood sets out to catch Eric, and succeeds just in time to prevent the man from stabbing his own wife Blondie in the back. When the press hears about the events that lead to Eric's capture, they name Dagwood a hero, and he finally gets his raise from his boss.

Cast

as Blondie Bumstead * Arthur Lake as Dagwood Bumstead * Larry Simms as Baby Dumpling Bumstead * Danny Mummert as Alvin Fuddle *

Jonathan Hale Jonathan Hale (born Jonathan Hatley; March 21, 1891 – February 28, 1966) was a Canadian-born film and television actor. Life and career Hale was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Before his acting career, Hale worked in the Diplomatic Co ...

as J.C. Dithers *

Arthur Hohl Arthur Hohl (May 21, 1889 – March 10, 1964) was an American stage and motion-picture character actor. Formative years and family Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on May 21, 1889, Hohl began appearing in films during the early 1920s. He playe ...

as Eric Vaughn *

Esther Dale Esther Dale (November 10, 1885 – July 23, 1961) was an American actress of the stage and screen. Esther Dale died in the summer of 1961 following surgery in Queen of Angels Hospital in Hollywood. Her husband, writer-director Arthur J. Beckha ...

as Anna Vaughn *

Irving Bacon Irving Ernest Bacon (September 6, 1893 – February 5, 1965) was an American character actor who appeared in almost 500 films. Early years Bacon was the son of entertainers Millar West Bacon (who was a teenager) and Myrtle Vane. He was born ...

as Mr. Crumb, the Mailman * Ray Turner as Horatio Jones * Walter Soderling as Morgan *

Fay Helm Fay Helm (April 9, 1909 – September 27, 2003) was an American film actress. Born in Bakersfield, California, she appeared in about 65 films between 1936 and 1946. She is perhaps better known for films like '' A Child is Born'' (1939), '' The ...

as Mrs. Fuddle

References

External links

* * * 1940 films Columbia Pictures films Films directed by Frank R. Strayer Blondie (film series) films Films based on comic strips Films based on American comics Live-action films based on comics 1940 comedy films Films scored by Leigh Harline 1940s English-language films 1940s American films Films about servants Films set in country houses {{1940s-US-comedy-film-stub