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Plot

Blondie Knows Best was writer/director Edward Bernds' first entry in the long-running "Blondie" series, and arguably his funniest. The story contrives to have Dagwood Bumstead (Arthur Lake) pose as his boss Mr. Dithers (Jonathan Hale) so that a big business deal can be consummated while Dithers avoids nearsighted process server Jim Gray (Shemp Howard). The upshot of all this is that Dagwood ends up in a lunatic asylum, forcing Blondie (Penny Singleton) to come to the rescue. Ed Bernds was a big fan of comedian Shemp Howard (whom he'd directed in several Columbia 2-reelers) and accordingly he gives Shemp free reign in his scenes, resulting in some hystericially funny moments. Blondie Knows Best represented Jonathan Hale's farewell to the series; in the next entry, Blondie's Big Moment, he would be replaced by Jerome Cowan as Mr. Radcliffe.
MPAA Rating:
Genre(s):
Comedy
Run Time:
69min.
Distributor(s):
Columbia Pictures
Director(s):
Abby Berlin
Starring:
Penny Singleton , Arthur Lake , Larry Simms , Marjorie Kent , Steven Geray
Themes:
Mistaken Identities,Nothing Goes Right,Wrongly Committed,Work Ethics
Tone:
Witty,Bright,Humorous,Light,Goofy,Irreverent,Madcap
Keywords:
assumed-identity,asylum [mental hospital],boss [employer],deception,husband-and-wife,misunderstanding