Cinema: Back to the Funny Papers

Columbia Pictures announced last week that a neighborhood favorite was being retired. The “Blondie” series, based on Chic Young’s comic strip, could no longer survive in a sagging movie market.

“Blondie” had earned her rest. In 28 feature-length movies since 1938, lunkheaded Dagwood (Arthur Lake) and his indulgent wife (Penny Singleton) had returned Columbia a 33⅓% profit on a gross of close to $12 million. Even “Daisy,” the family dog, had made some $500,000 for its owner.

To take some of the sting out of “Blondie’s” passing, Columbia planned to reissue six of the early numbers in the series. If the customers insisted, the studio might even send all 28 pictures on a second swing around the neighborhoods.