Background
His mother, Edith Goodwin, was an actress.
His mother, Edith Goodwin, was an actress.
Their mother brought the children to Hollywood to get into films, and Arthur made his screen debut in the silent Jack and the Beanstalk (1917). Universal Pictures signed him to a contract, where he acted in westerns as an adolescent character actor. Shortly after the formation of Radio-Keith-Orpheum Pictures in 1928, he signed with that studio, where he made Dance Hall (1929) and Cheer Up and Smile (1930).
During this early sound film era, he typically played light romantic roles, usually with a comic "Mama"s Boy" tone to them, in films such as Indiscreet (1931), which starred Gloria Swanson.
He also had a substantial part as the bellhop in the 1937 film, Topper
Arthur Lake is best known for portraying the Blondie comic strip character of Dagwood Bumstead in twenty-eight Blondie films produced by Columbia Pictures from 1938-1950. He was also the voice of Dagwood on the radio series, which ran from 1938-1950, earning him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6646 Hollywood Boulevard
Many of the actors on the radio show have noted of Lake"s commitment to the program, stating that on the day of the broadcast, Lake was Dagwood Bumstead. Far from being upset about being typecast, Lake continued to embrace the role of Dagwood in a short-lived 1957 Blondie television series, then even into the 1960s and beyond.
He would often give speeches to Rotary clubs and other civic organizations, eagerly posing for pictures with a Dagwood sandwich.