Blondie

Blondie is a radio situation comedy adapted from the long-running Blondie comic strip by Chic Young. It stars Arthur Lake as Dagwood Bumstead and, for the majority of its run, Penny Singleton as Blondie Bumstead. The radio program ran on several networks from 1939 to 1950.

The show follows the everyday lives and misadventures of the Bumstead family, including Dagwood, Blondie, their son Alexander, and their daughter Cookie. The series was a popular comedy that capitalized on the success of the Blondie comic strip and film series, which also starred Lake and Singleton. The radio program provided listeners with a humorous look at the Bumstead household and the relationships between the family members.

The Stars

Arthur Lake and Penny Singleton were the main stars of the Blondie radio series, portraying the title characters of Dagwood and Blondie Bumstead respectively. Lake had previously played Dagwood in the popular Blondie film series, and his comedic talents were well-suited to the radio adaptation.

Penny Singleton was the voice of Blondie for the majority of the show’s run, from 1939 to 1949. In 1949, the role was briefly taken over by actresses Ann Rutherford and Patricia Lake, the real-life wife of Arthur Lake.

The supporting cast included Leone Ledoux, Tommy Cook, and Larry Simms as the Bumstead children, as well as Hanley Stafford and Elvia Allman as the Dithers, Dagwood’s boss and his wife. Other notable actors who appeared on the show included Frank Nelson, Harold Peary, and Mary Jane Croft.

Key Dates

• Blondie first debuted on CBS radio on July 3, 1939, as a summer replacement for The Eddie Cantor Show. The show proved popular enough that it remained on the air, sponsored by Camel cigarettes, until June 26, 1944.
• In 1944, Blondie moved to the NBC Blue Network, sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive’s Super Suds, before returning to CBS in August of that year. The show remained on CBS until 1948, when it moved to NBC and then to ABC in its final season from 1949 to 1950.
• The radio series ended in 1950, the same year as the Blondie film series. Arthur Lake would later reprise the role of Dagwood in the 1957 television series Blondie, opposite Pamela Britton as Blondie.

Other Information

The Blondie radio series was a successful adaptation of the popular comic strip, capitalizing on the popularity of the Blondie film series that ran concurrently. The show was sponsored by various companies over the years, including Camel cigarettes and Colgate-Palmolive’s Super Suds.

In 1949, Colgate executives decided they wanted “a different interpretation of the character” and began auditioning new actresses to play Blondie, leading to the brief recasting of the role. This change in the lead actress was a notable event in the show’s history.

The Blondie radio series was a long-running and well-received program that entertained listeners for over a decade. It provided a beloved adaptation of the classic comic strip characters and their humorous domestic adventures. The show’s enduring popularity is a testament to the timeless appeal of the Bumstead family.