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

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Frank R. Strayer Frank Raymond Strayer (September 21, 1891 – February 3, 1964) was an actor, film writer, director and producer. He was active from the mid-1920s until the early 1950s. He directed a series of 14 '' Blondie!'' (1938) movies as well. Biography ...

and starring

Penny Singleton Penny Singleton (born Mariana Dorothy McNulty, September 15, 1908 – November 12, 2003) was an American actress, singer, dancer and labor leader. During her 60-year career on stage, screen, radio and television, Singleton appeared as the ...

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 Larry Lee Simms (October 1, 1934 – June 17, 2009) was an American child actor who appeared in 36 films between 1937 and 1951. Life and career Larry Simms was born October 1, 1934. He worked as a child model from the age of two and was disc ...

as Baby Dumpling Bumstead *

Danny Mummert Danny is a masculine given name. It is related to the male name Daniel. It may refer to: People *Danny Altmann, British immunologist *Danny Antonucci, Canadian animator, director, producer, and writer *Danny Baker (born 1957), English journalis ...

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. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and began appearing in films in the early 1920s. He played a great number of villainous or mildly l ...

as Eric Vaughn *

Esther Dale Esther Dale (November 10, 1885 – July 23, 1961) was an American actress of the stage and screen. Early years Dale was born in Beaufort, South Carolina. She attended Leland and Gray Seminary in Townshend, Vermont. In Berlin, Germany, she stud ...

as Anna Vaughn *

Irving Bacon Irving Bacon (born Irving Von Peters; 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 Bacon and Myrtle Vane. He was born in St. Jose ...

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

Walter Soderling Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...

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), Phantom La ...

as Mrs. Fuddle

References

External links

* * * * 1940 films Columbia Pictures films Films directed by Frank R. Strayer Blondie (film series) films 1940 comedy films Films scored by Leigh Harline 1940s English-language films 1940s American films {{1940s-comedy-film-stub