Blondie (comic strip) was adapted into a long-running series of 28 low-budget theatrical B-features, produced by Columbia Pictures. Beginning with "Blondie" in 1938, the series lasted 12 years, through "Beware of Blondie" (1950). The two major roles were Penny Singleton as Blondie and Arthur Lake (whose first starring role was another comic strip character, Harold Teen) as Dagwood. Faithfulness to the comic strip was a major concern of the creators of the series. Little touches were added that were iconic to the strip, like the appearance of Dagwood's famous sandwiches—and the running gag of Dagwood colliding with the mailman amid a flurry of
Blondie Plays Cupid he twists his ankle on the way, and a very reluctant Dagwood has to take his place and go and fetch Millie from her (and her father's) home. Dagwood accidentally climbs through the window to Millie's father's bedroom, and is held at gunpoint. He flees head over heels and is chased around the property. His son discovers what he thinks is some kind of fireworks and lights it, but it is in fact a dynamite stick. When the dynamite explodes it rips up a hole in the ground, and in doing so, opens up an oil well. Millie's father is