History Film / BlondieJohnson

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Gladys mentions that Danny looks “tired” from spending so much time with Blondie.

* CrapsackWorld: The 1930s were not fun unless your filthy stinking rich.

* IWillWaitForYou: Both Danny and Blondie vow to be together after [[spoiler: they serve their jail sentences.]]
* LeftForDead: [[spoiler: Danny, and he lives to go to jail!]]

* NoHonorAmongThieves: While Louis is being tried, Max decides to take over his side of the business. Later on, everyone believes [[spoiler: Danny spilled the beans about Max’s murder because Blondie kicked him out of the business.]]
* OhCrap: When Blondie realizes [[spoiler: Danny]] wasn’t a stoolie.

Directed by Ray Enright, ''Blondie Johnson'' (1933) was Blondell’s first solo starring role, and a rare gangster flick where the gangster is a woman. Even more surprising for a [[ThePreCodeEra pre-code]], she doesn’t use sex to get what she wants.

Blondie Johnson’s (Creator/JoanBlondell) been kicked around [[TheGreatDepression by the depression]]: her mother is dead, and she can’t find a job anywhere without some [[{{Jerkass}} schmoozing boss trying to take advantage of her]]. Her main drive becomes swindling and forgetting about honesty. Befriending a taxi driver (Sterling Holloway), they begin to con whomever they can get their hands on.

Blondie Johnson’s (Creator/JoanBlondell) been kicked around [[TheGreatDepression by the depression]]; her mother is dead, and she can’t find a job anywhere without some [[{{Jerkass}} schmoozing boss trying to take advantage of her]]. Her main drive becomes swindling and forgetting about honesty. Befriending a taxi driver (Sterling Holloway), they begin to con whomever they can get their hands on.

* DamnItFeelsGoodToBeAGangster: A rare female example with Blondie; she gets all the money she could want, but realizes it's LonelyAtTheTop.

* BehindEveryGreatMan: There’s a Blondie Johnson to think of all the ideas, and not get much of the credit until she’s had enough.

* CrapsackWorld: The 1930s were not fun unless you filthy stinking rich.

* DeceasedParentsAreTheBest: Blondie’s mother dies at the beginning of the film, and propels the plot of Blondie deciding to make all the money that she can by swindling.

* {{Golddigger}}: Gladys, Max’s girlfriend, eventually becomes Danny’s fiancée, but she ditches him once he doesn’t make the same amount of money as before.

* TheGreatDepression: There's people who have everything, and then the people who have nothing.

* LonelyAtTheTop: Managing to get all the money she could ask for, Blondie feels depressed that she can't have Danny, too.

Eventually, her small-time con catches the eye of Danny Jones (Chester Morris), second-hand to a big gangster, Max (Arthur Vinton). Blondie sees an opportunity with Jones and decides to help him free Louis (Allen Jenkins), his gangster pal, from a sure-fire conviction. With Danny at her side, Blondie can work her way up the underground ladder and make it to the top. However, Danny’s the only one that’s made her business before pleasure motto [[BelligerentSexualTension a hard one to follow]].

Max, on the other hand, is none too pleased with Danny messing Louis' conviction, so he literally [[KickTheDog runs Danny over]] for getting too ambitious. Knowing the threat that Max poses, Blondie schemes to rub him out once and for all. The gang, run by Blondie’s genius, snuff Max out, and Danny starts running the front, making their business schemes look legitimate.

Unsurprisingly, [[SmallNameBigEgo Danny’s head starts to get big]], forgetting who helped him get there. Playing an ugly trick on Blondie, he enrages her, so she gives him the boot. Now, she's the one in charge.

Blondie Johnson’s (Creator/JoanBlondell) been kicked around [[TheGreatDepression by the depression]]; her mother is dead, and she can’t find a job anywhere without some [[{{Jerkass}} schmoozing boss trying to take advantage of her]].

Angered by her situation and the lack of empathy, her main drive becomes swindling the world that stole so much from her. Befriending a taxi driver (Sterling Holloway), they begin to con whomever they can get their hands on.

Max, on the other hand, is none too pleased with Louis being freed since he wants to take over Louis’ robbery “insurance” racket. Since Danny takes the credit for Blondie’s idea, Max literally [[KickTheDog runs him over]] for getting too ambitious. He’s not too keen on the whole Blondie thing either; he doesn’t like her for being a) a “fresh” dame, as Danny calls her b) thinking too much and wants to get rid of her ASAP.

Knowing this threat, Blondie schemes to rub out Max once and for all. The gang, run by Blondie’s genius, snuff Max out, and Danny starts running the front, making their business schemes look legitimate.

Unsurprisingly, [[SmallNameBigEgo Danny’s head starts to get big]], forgetting who helped him get there. Blondie never gave into his romantic advances, so he begins romancing Max’s ex-girlfriend, Gladys. He plays an ugly trick on Blondie, and this enrages her. She kicks Danny out, and now she’s the one in charge.

Blondie Johnson’s (Joan Blondell) been kicked around [[TheGreatDepression by the depression]]; her mother is dead, and she can’t find a job anywhere without some [[{{Jerkass}} schmoozing boss trying to take advantage of her]].

Angered by her situation and the lack of empathy, her main drive becomes swindling the world that stole so much from her. Befriending a taxi driver (Sterling Holloway) who isn’t scared of some scamming, they begin to con whomever they can get their hands on.

Eventually, her small-time con is caught by Danny Jones (Chester Morris), second-hand to a big gangster, Max (Arthur Vinton). Blondie sees an opportunity with this [[{{Mooks}} half-dumb mook]], and decides to help him free Louis (Allen Jenkins), his gangster pal, from a sure-fire conviction. With Danny at her side, Blondie knows she can work her way up the underground ladder and make it to the top. However, Danny’s the only one that’s made her business before pleasure motto [[BelligerentSexualTension a hard one to follow]].

Max, on the other hand, is none too pleased with the Louis deal. He wanted to take over Louis’ racket, but now that he’s free, he can’t take complete control of their robbery “insurance” business. Since Danny takes the credit for Blondie’s idea, Max [[KickTheDog runs him over]] for getting too ambitious. He’s not too keen on the whole Blondie thing either; he doesn’t like her for being a) a “fresh” dame, as Danny calls her b) thinking too much, and wants to get rid of her ASAP.

Knowing this threat, Blondie schemes to rub out Max once and for all. The gang, run by Blondie’s genius and always ready and willing to do her bidding, snuff Max out, and Danny starts running the front, making their business schemes look legitimate.

Unsurprisingly, [[SmallNameBigEgo Danny’s head starts to get big]], forgetting who helped him get there. Blondie never gave into his romantic advances, so he starts putting the moves on Max’s ex-girlfriend, Gladys. He tricks Blondie into getting out of town, so she’s out of the way for his upcoming marriage, but this only enrages her. She kicks Danny out for good, and now she’s the one in charge.

* BehindEveryGreatMan: There’s a Blondie Johnson to think of all the ideas, and not get much of the credit until she’s had enough of that.

* FunnyForeigner: During Louis trial, a Swedish witness falls for Blondie’s story of being madly in love with Louis in order to pull the jurors’ heartstrings, and inadvertently does this to the Swede as well.

* TheGreatDepression: There’s the people who have everything, and then the have-nots.

* LonelyAtTheTop: Managing to get all the money she could ask for
* NoHonorAmongThieves: While Louis is being tried, Max decides to take over his side of the business, and then everyone believes [[spoiler: Danny spilled the beans about Max’s murder.]]

* SleepingTheirWayToTheTop: Averted to the point that Blondie’s friends ask her why she won’t give her Danny a tumble when it’s obvious they like each other.

Eventually, her small-time con is caught by Danny Jones (Chester Morris), second-hand to a big gangster, Max (Arthur Vinton). Blondie sees an opportunity with this [[{{Mooks}} half-dumb mook]], and decides to help him free Louie (Allen Jenkins), his gangster pal, from a sure-fire conviction. With Danny at her side, Blondie knows she can work her way up the underground ladder and make it to the top. However, Danny’s the only one that’s made her business before pleasure motto [[BelligerentSexualTension a hard one to follow]].

Max, on the other hand, is none too pleased with the Louie deal. He wanted to take over Louie’s racket, but now that he’s free, he can’t take complete control of their robbery “insurance” business. Since Danny takes the credit for Blondie’s idea, Max [[KickTheDog runs him over]] for getting too ambitious. He’s not too keen on the whole Blondie thing either; he doesn’t like her for being a) a “fresh” dame, as Danny calls her b) thinking too much, and wants to get rid of her ASAP.

-->''Blondie'':There’s going to be a big change around here, and it’s going to start tonight!
-->''Danny'': Ohhh, big showdown.
-->''Blondie'':You’re right it’s a showdown. You’ve been giving orders long enough. Now, you’re going to take some.
-->''Danny'':Yeah? From who?
-->''Blondie'':From me! When you tried to cross me, you overlooked one little thing, I put you where you are. When you were yellow and wanted to quit, I made you go on. And now I’m going to stop you, see? Stop you right in your tracks.
-->''Danny'': I don’t know what your beefing about. Who double crossed you?
-->''Blondie'': You did! There’s the powder you gave me. You didn’t even have nerve enough to tell it to me to my face.

Unsurprisingly, Danny’s head starts to get big, forgetting who helped him get there. Blondie never gave into his romantic advances, so he starts putting the moves on Max’s ex-girlfriend, Gladys. He tricks Blondie into getting out of town, so she’s out of the way for his upcoming marriage, but this only enrages her. She kicks Danny out for good, and now she’s the one in charge.

-->''BLondie'':From me! When you tried to cross me, you overlooked one little thing, I put you where you are. When you were yellow and wanted to quit, I made you go on. And now I’m going to stop you, see? Stop you right in your tracks.

!! "The only thing worthwhile is '''tropes'''. And I’m going to get it, see?”:

* ClearMyName: Inverted: Blondie’s creates a fraud scheme to get a jewellery store to pay for their “insurance.” She bought a bracelet for $4600, and tries to sell it for $600. The jewellers find out, and think she gave them a bad check, so they arrest her for fraud. Turns out it wasn’t a bad check, and Blondie pretends to be a grand lady who threatens to sue to clear her name, but Danny comes in with his “insurance” trick to get the jeweller out of the sticky situation.

Blondie Johnson’s (Joan Blondell) been kicked around [[TheGreatDepression by the depression]]; her mother is dead, and she can’t get find a job anywhere without some [[{{Jerkass}} schmoozing boss trying to take advantage of her]].

* TokenMinority: A rare example from a 1930s film with LuLu, Blondie’s friend, played by Toshia Mori.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: saying he’s “tired” from spending so much time with Blondie

[[caption-width-right:350: These [[ShowSomeLeg legs]] is ''all'' you're getting from Blondie.]]

* SleepingTheirToTheTop: Averted to the point that Blondie’s friends ask her why she won’t give her Danny a tumble when it’s obvious they like each other.

* StoolPigeon: Danny. [[spoiler: Or so Blondie and the gang believed until her lawyer tells her it was an eye-witness who ratted out on Louis.]]

* WomanAreWiser: Blondie is the whole brains of the operations, and uses her smarts to get ahead in the mob business.

Eventually, her small-time con is caught by Danny Jones (Chester Morris), second-hand to a big gangster, Max (Arthur Vinton). Blondie sees an opportunity with this half-dumb mook, and decides to help him free Louie (Allen Jenkins), his gangster pal, from a sure-fire conviction. With Danny at her side, Blondie knows she can work her way up the underground ladder and make it to the top. However, Danny’s the only one that’s made her business before pleasure motto a hard one to follow.

Max, on the other hand, is none too pleased with the Louie deal. He wanted to take over Louie’s racket, but now that he’s free, he can’t take complete control of their robbery “insurance” business. Since Danny takes the credit for Blondie’s idea, Max runs him over for getting too ambitious. He’s not too keen on the whole Blondie thing either; he doesn’t like her for being a) a “fresh” dame, as Danny calls her b) thinking too much, and wants to get rid of her ASAP.

* DamnItFeelsGoodToBeAGangster: A rare female example with Blondie; she gets all the money she could want, but realizes ItsLonelyAtTheTop.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech:
There’s going to be a big change around here, and it’s going to start tonight!
Ohhh, big showdown.
You’re right it’s a showdown. You’ve been giving orders long enough. Now, you’re going to take some.
Yeah? From who?
From me! When you tried to cross me, you overlooked one little thing, I put you where you are. When you were yellow and wanted to quit, I made you go on. And now I’m going to stop you, see? Stop you right in your tracks.
I don’t know what your beefing about. Who double crossed you?
You did! There’s the powder you gave me. You didn’t even have nerve enough to tell it to me to my face.