Papai em Apuros

Hans Conreid in one of his early films plays a ham actor who takes over the Bumstead household after Dagwood asks him for a visit. Unfortunately Conreid times his visit just as Blondie brings home her new baby girl in Blondie's Blessed Event.

Some elements of The Man Who Came To Dinner are present in this Blondie film. Conreid and Arthur Lake meet at a Chicago hotel where Dagwood is representing the J.C. Dithers Construction Company and makes a speech that Conreid writes for him. It's an Architect's Convention and Dagwood speaks on the topic of Be Your Own Architect. For his efforts Conreid partakes of one of Dagwood's special sandwiches.

But after he arrives Conreid takes over the Bumstead household and the identification with The Man Who Came To Dinner is made clearer with Mary Wickes coming as a no nonsense maid and aspiring actress. Poor Penny Singleton is being driven out of her house and home and can't enjoy her new baby.

Truth be told and certainly the topic wasn't discussed, but the way Singleton was playing it there was a wee bit of what would now be called post partum depression.

As usual Dagwood once again comes close to being fired, but fates and Hans Conreid pull it out for him. Conreid looks like he's having a ball, not only playing the aspiring actor/playwright, but essaying a pair of other roles as the Bumstead crisis calls.