Union Suiters: Here's another Trivia Question for you to decipher:

Miss Blum emailed me recently:

"Hi there. I came across your blog trying to figure out if this c. 1940s pin up illustration by Billy Devorss published under the title The Flame Girl was referencing a movie featuring a glamorous actress in a union suit.

Does it seem familiar to you? Thanks for your great resource, and wishing you all the best!

Sarahjane Blum

Grapefruit Moon Gallery"

I've emailed back to say I did not know who she might be but that I would ask the readers of Union Suit Fan. So, how about it? Give her your best shot.

Miss Blum is the owner of Grapefruit Moon Gallery. According to her web site, the New York gallery "is a premiere source for illustration art, Hollywood, and glamour photography from the 20th century. Since 1999, we have innovated vintage online art sales..."

The art is further described on Miss Blum's website as "This image, which features a fully made-up beaming blonde with glamorous hairstyle incongruously dressed in a union suit, takes inspiration from the reversal of fortune madcap comedies of Depression-era America, and is seductive, whimsical, and charming all at once."

That it is. If someone wearing a union suit was ever "seductive, whimsical and charming", this would be it. You can imagine the GI's of World War II placing this pin-up on their walls or lockers. The framed illustration is on the market for $9,500.

There have been a number of actresses appearing on screen in union suits but none of the ones I know look like her.

Let's help her out... Chris

Dagwood Bumstead, Union Suit Fan since 1930.

        by Guest Contributor, Clay Brumbaugh

As seen in Chris' recent posting of July 20, 2022, Dagwood prefers a variety of printed boxer shorts as his choice in underwear and is often seen wearing them in the Blondie comic strips for the past 92 years. But did you know he also wore Union Suit winter underwear? Yep, it's true. Here he is shown in a picture back in the day when most men wore union suits. He was no exception. Dagwood stands in a red union suit apparently deciding which suit to wear to work that day. It appears this was a rendering taken from a paper doll booklet of Blondie's husband.

And years later to keep him warm, Blondie takes Dagwood shopping for more winter underwear. Below is a more updated version of the couple on a comic book cover. She chooses a bright red union suit for him. Other store customers laugh from seeing Blondie, in the men's underwear department, holding up a suit of long underwear to help determine whether the chosen union suit will fit her husband. Dagwood is seen blushing as underwear, especially the long red flannel version, was a rather private piece of clothing back then: 

Thoughtful Blondie also takes care of the family dogs too. In this cover, she provides the canines with button-down union suits and scarves too:

In the early years Dagwood and Blondie had several children, a girl and three boys. All the men in the family wore boxer shorts as shown in these frames from an early comic strip: 

Blondie was created by Chic Young, who started his popular strip on September 8, 1930. The King Features Syndicate comic is published today in over 2,000 newspapers. It is reported that newspapers in 38 languages in about 50 countries carry the comic.  

Chris, here is a trivia note: Comic strips today still tout Dagwood from time to time wearing his printed, polka-dotted or striped boxer shorts. But now days, unlike the 1930's and 40's, he no longer wears garters to hold up his socks!

Your Union Suit Fan / Buddy, Clay Brumbaugh (Saranac, NY)

Many thanks, Clay! I did not know Dagwood wore union suits. Appreciation sent your way for the comedic education, my friend.

Union Suit Fans: if you have an interesting take regarding union suits, email me your article and / or pictures for consideration in adding to my blogs. Union Suit Fan and Union Suit Fans in the Limelight are much more fun, interesting and entertaining with you input. 

From 1933

Regarding the latest Union Suit Fans in the Limelight Trivia Posting of April 16th, those of you who answered, did a great job. 

There is one more entry, however, that went undiscovered. It's the Toyota Highlander commercial with a young boy dressed only in a union suit, placed up on a horse by his daddy in front of his mother and sister.

Who's the boy and his family and from what movie is this photo taken?

Added July 14, 2002:  Zac Titus, actor appears as the cowboy/daddy who saves his family in a 2020 Toyota Highlander Superbowl commercial. The ad was titled "Heroes" wherein a supermom, played by actress Cobie Smulders saves the day by recusing various heroes in action packed scenes such as the western.

The driver picks up various folks to show how roomy the Highlander is, and finally at the end, picks up her teenage boy, Brian, with room in the vehicle for him to spare. 

Perhaps, the scene is not taken from an actual movie but rather made especially for the commercial. I was not able to find any reference to a movie. I had thought perhaps the western scene with the family apparently roused from bed (since the little boy is still in his union suit underwear) and quickly mounted on a horse was actually a take from a movie. They are sent off before a band of tough looking characters intent on doing them harm ride down on Titus. 

Here are more scenes from the Toyota Commercial:

Toyota Highlander

Also, no one has ever guessed who this pant-less guy is either, posted in Union Suit Fan in May, 2021:

Hey Mister? Aren't you forgetting somethin' ?!

Who is this guy? Anybody know? I don't. And, what movie or tv show does he appear without his pants?  Does he actually end up leaving the room with the bottom half of his union suit and garters showing? 

Added June 1, 2022: Here's the latest answer and photos to a TV trivia question I asked in Union Suit Fan a couple of weeks ago. If you missed it, here it is again:

Hey, Union Suiters: I am going fishing for a week or two. In the meantime work on this TV Trivia: From what show is this shot taken, and who is the man standing there in only his Union Suit?

Added June 1, 2022: Several of you figured out portions of this TV trivia scene (see the comments below). This photo is taken from ABC's television show, Bewitched, in 1965 starring Dick York as Darrin. He's the man in the brown suit who "magically" exchanges clothes with his client and the Policeman (Dick Balduzzi) who is writing him a ticket for parking next to a fire hydrant and for indecent exposure, running around outside in his underwear! The cop ends up in his union suit. 

And, yes, that is Marion Lorne as Samantha's bumbling relative, Aunt Clara (one of my most favorites). She caused the underwear chaos. Here are some more classic scenes:  

Check out Daily Motion and other streaming services to see the entire show: 

            Bewitched + "The Very Informal Dress"