BLONDIE TAKES A VACATION, the third outing in the Blondie series, came out in 1939, preceded that fabled year by Blondie Meets The Boss, followed by Blondie Brings Up Baby. This one beat their box office scores, taking $700,000, equivalent to $15,337,000 in 2024.

The genial, bumbling Bumstead’s take the trip promised in their previous installment, heading up to a lakeside resort where ‘Blondie’ (Penny Singleton) will enjoy not just the change of scenery but her birthday. Yet—somehow—things don’t go as planned.

My late date crush on Mrs. Bumstead/Peggy Singleton gets further down the Mary Ann/Dawn Wells skipping path in this one, as does general appreciation for the whole clan; dogged doof ‘Dagwood’ (Arthur Lake), child with uncanny one-liners ability ‘Baby Dumpling’ (Larry Simms, 5) and dog-to-be-dog’goned ‘Daisy’ (played by, uh, Daisy the Dog).

Filmed up at Cedar Lake and Big Bear, outside of L.A., in this misadventure they do battle with meanie ‘Harvey Morton’ (the great Donald MacBride), are befriended by a mid-mannered arsonist (Donald Meek), contend with a skunk (Baby Dumpling confuses it with a kitten) all while trying to save a failing hotel. Dagwood even gets to haymaker punch-out a guy being too close for comfort to Blondie: can’t blame Dag or the other fella. To show how things have changed, this one includes putting child & pooch at risk in a burning building: would that go over today?

Fun nonsense with plenty of sight gags (Daisy rules), deadpan observations (that kid!) and pretty Penny’s inimitable way of walking, a delightful cross between a scamper and a trot.

With Thomas W. Ross, Elizabeth Dunn, Danny Mummert (‘Alvin Fuddle’), Irving Bacon (the hapless mailman), Harry Harvey and Dave Willock. Directed by Frank R. Slayer, written by Richard Flournoy, running 69 minutes.