Still read today in over 2,000 newspapers across 55 countries, cartoonist Chic Young brought carefree flapper Blondie Boopadoop and her boyfriend Dagwood Bumstead to “the funny papers” in 1930. But it wasn’t until the two of them tied the knot three years later that Blondie became one of the most popular comics in the history of the medium.

The success of the strip spawned one of the longest-running franchises in the Golden Age of Cinema with 28 features produced by Columbia between 1938 and 1950 — all starring Penny Singleton as Blondie and Arthur Lake as Dagwood. In 1957, legendary Hal Roach Studios brought the comic strip couple to the small screen with Pamela Britton as Blondie and Lake reprising his role as Dagwood… a role he seemed born to play.

A delightful 1950s sitcom that perfectly captures the jovial domestic spirit of the strip, Blondie also stars Stuffy Singer and Ann Barnes as the Bumstead children (Alexander, formerly Baby Dumpling, and Cookie). It also features Florenz Ames as J.C. Dithers, Dagwood’s autocratic boss and Harold “The Great Gildersleeve” Peary as Dagwood’s friendly nemesis Herb Woodley.

Character great Elvia Allman is also part of the fun, with guest appearances by Alan Mowbray, Frank Nelson, Barbara Nichols, June Vincent, Judi Meredith, Gregg Palmer, Alan Reed, William Schallert, Pamela Duncan, Fritz Feld and many more!

For thoughts on Blondie: The Complete 1957 Television Series, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/_8_-3VPsJtU?t=1567]

Video Quality

ClassicFlix presents Blondie for the first time on Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer sourced from the original 35mm elements. We are rarely disappointed by ClassicFlix, and this release is no exception. The image quality is quite lovely, especially for a television show of this vintage. This black and white presentation has tight, natural film grain throughout that provides a sterling amount of detail to the image. There are elements of the production design and textures on the costumes that are likely being seen for the first time clearly.

The presentation has a really nice amount of depth to it including in the shadows where there is little evidence of any black crush. Print damage is not a major issue throughout the duration of the series, but a few small specks and scratches have made it through the restoration process. There are a fleeting moments in some episodes where clarity falters ever so slightly, but this is likely tied to the condition of the original elements. It seemed unlikely that this series would receive this level of care, but ClassicFlix continues to prove why they are a godsend for old school film and television fans.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray release comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track that cannot quite reach the high quality of the video, but holds up pretty well considering its vintage. Exchanges of dialogue typically come through clearly with only a small bit of sibilance-related hindrances. None of the sound effects or the music ever overpower the dialogue when it counts. The more active sequences are appropriately lively in the speakers while being properly defined.

There is generally no major damage to any of the tracks, but certain episodes are in a bit worse shape than others. Episodes like “The Rummage Sale” on Disc 2 even include a text frame before the episode starts warning that noticeable audio degradation occurs in the episode due to the deterioration of the original elements. While not ideal, if this is the compromise that needs to be made to get this otherwise fantastic release into the world, we will take it. The music can also be a bit boxy at its peak, but overall its a pleasant experience. Overall, this is a fine audio presentation that gives the material the best presentation possible. There are no subtitles provided for this release.

Special Features

There are no special features provided on this disc.

Final Thoughts

Blondie is your prototypical television sitcom that brings a warm feeling of nostalgia when you dive into it. The stakes are quaint and the archetypes are broadly drawn, but the series delivers some fairly stable laughs throughout its run. While we would like a bit more depth to the titular character, that is simply not the aim for this series. Dagwood as portrayed by Arthur Lake is a commanding presence, although there is some room left for some memorable turns from the ensemble of guest appearances. This is not a “classic” television sitcom, but it makes for good entertainment if you like this era of family comedies. ClassicFlix has delivered a Blu-Ray release with a strong A/V presentation but nothing in the way of special features. If you are a fan of the series or comic strip, you will be thrilled by the quality presentation. Recommended

Blondie: The Complete 1957 Television Series is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: ClassicFlix has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.