Dorothy Ann Seese Movies
- 1942
An historical entry in Columbia's Blondie series, Blondie's Blessed Event recreates the moment in Chic Young's original comic strip wherein Blondie and Dagwood were blessed with baby daughter Cookie. The first portion of the film involves the tribulations of Dagwood Bumstead (Arthur Lake) as he tries to take his wife Blondie (Penny Singleton) and his new daughter (Norma Jean Wayne) home from the hospital. The bulk of the story concerns a get-rich-quick scheme involving Dagwood and an eccentric artist (Hans Conried). There's also a few frantic moments at a convention where Dagwood embarrasses his boss Mr. Dithers (Jonathan Hale). The eleventh of Columbia's "Blondie" B-pictures, Blondie's Blessed Event is one of the best of the batch. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1940
Fiercely independent authoress June Cameron (Loretta Young) has no time for men in her life. Chauvinistic medical college professor Timothy Sterling (Ray Milland) has no use for women. So guess who is mistaken for June's husband, and guess who is forced by circumstances to pretend that she's married? The Doctor Takes a Wife maintains its exhausting comic pace until about five minutes before the end, when the scriptwriters are forced to take a breather to tie up all the loose plot ends. The "fantasy" closing gag went over so well that Columbia Pictures utilized variations of it in several subsequent screwball comedies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Loretta Young, Ray Milland, (more)
- 1940
The Higgins family gets in another comical bind when Ernest loses the fortune in bonds he was hired to deliver. In order to recoup the lost $5,000, Papa Higgins decides to try and marry Grandpa to the wealthiest old widow in town by sending her a steamy love letter and signing his own father's name to it. Meanwhile, Papa also goes to the bank and much to his surprise, is granted a loan. Unfortunately for Grandpa Higgins, the widow has received the letter and joyfully accepted his proposal. When he tries to back out, she promptly sues him leaving the family in a real pickle. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roscoe Karns, Ruth Donnelly, (more)
- 1940
Pleasing time-fillers at best, Columbia's "Five Little Peppers" films were otherwise undistinguished spinoffs of the best-selling literary series by Margaret Sidney. In the case of Out West With the Peppers, the title and plotline are virtually interchangeable. Once again in dire financial straits, the Pepper family is forced to pull up stakes and head westward. Upon arrival in the Wide Frontiers, the Pepper kids get into mischief in a lumber camp. As usual, the plot is resolved by Edith Fellows as eldest Pepper child Polly, who manages to stumble upon a financial windfall which proves benefical not only to her family but practically everyone else in the film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edith Fellows, Dorothy Ann Seese, (more)
- 1940
Like the other entries Columbia's "Five Little Peppers" series, The Five Little Peppers at Home is based on characters created by Margaret Sidney. Edith Fellows stars as Polly, the oldest child of the Pepper clan, while her four siblings are portrayed by Dorothy Ann Seers (as Phronsie), Ronald Sinclair (Jasper), Charles Peck (Joey) and Davey (Bobby Larson). This time around, Polly and the kids try to figure out a way to save their mother (Dorothy Peterson) from bankruptcy, with the help of crusty-but-lovable Mr. King (Clarence Kolb). After a slow-moving hour or so, the film picks up tremendously in the final reel when the kids are trapped in a copper mine cave-in, sparking a tension-filled rescue effect. A bit too syrupy sweet for modern tastes, Five Little Peppers at Home is redeemed by the cynical performance of Rex Evans as a sneering butler. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edith Fellows, Dorothy Ann Seese, (more)
- 1940
Having struck pay dirt with its Blondie films, Columbia Pictures launched another "domestic" film series, based on Margaret Sidney's "Five Little Peppers" stories. The third and last entry in the series was The Five Little Peppers in Trouble, neither the best nor worst of this negligible project. Once more, Dorothy Peterson plays the widowed Mrs. Pepper, while her five precocious and resourceful offspring are portrayed by Edith Fellows, Dorothy Ann Seese, Charles Beck, Tommy Bond (best remembered as "Butch" in the Our Gang comedies) and Bobby Larson (replacing Jimmy Leake, who appeared in the first Pepper outing in 1939). Unable to watch over her kids and go to work at the same time, Mrs. Pepper bundles the little Peppers off to boarding school. The Five Little Peppers in Trouble is describable only as "cute"; you take it from there. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edith Fellows, Dorothy Ann Seese, (more)
- 1939
In this, the first entry in four-part series, children's movie, Polly Pepper takes care of her siblings while her mother toils at a factory. Polly's newest friend is Jasper, a rich kid who likes to play with the Pepper kids. Trouble ensues when the littlest Pepper comes down with the measles and infects Jasper and his grandfather, Mr. King. They all wind up stuck together in a quarantined house. After the devoted Polly collapses from working too hard, Mr. King moves the Pepper clan into his mansion. The plucky family finally garners a fortune when it is discovered that Polly has inherited the controlling shares in a mine that the grandfather wants to purchase. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edith Fellows, Clarence Kolb, (more)
