Blondie (comic strip) over all he surveys, with one notable exception—his formidable and domineering wife, Cora. Blondie and Dagwood's best friends are their next-door neighbors Herb and Tootsie Woodley, although Dagwood and Herb's friendship is frequently volatile. Lou is the burly, tattooed owner of Lou's Diner, the less-than-five-star establishment where Dagwood often eats during his lunch hour. Other regular supporting characters include the long-suffering mailman, Mr. Beasley; Elmo Tuttle, a pesky neighborhood kid who often asks Dagwood to play; and a never-ending parade of overbearing door-to-door salesmen. There are several running gags in "Blondie", reflecting the trend after Chic Young's death for the
Blondie (1938 film) and "Corky of Gasoline Alley" (1951). Columbia then reissued the "Blondie" features, beginning with the very first film in the series. Columbia used the series to showcase many of its talented contract players. Rita Hayworth was featured in "Blondie on a Budget"; Glenn Ford in "Blondie Plays Cupid", Larry Parks and Janet Blair in "Blondie Goes to College", Shemp Howard in "Blondie Knows Best" and Adele Jergens in "Blondie's Anniversary". Other roles were taken by Columbia contractees Bruce Bennett, Lloyd Bridges, Ann Doran, Stanley Brown, Richard Fiske, Bud Jamison, Eddie Laughton, John Tyrrell, Alyn Lockwood, Jimmy Lloyd, Gay Nelson and