Arthur William Lake (né Silverlake, April 17, 1905 – January 9, 1987) was an American actor known best for bringing Dagwood Bumstead, the bumbling husband of Blondie, to life in film, radio, and television.
Early life and career
Arthur William (Silverlake) Lake was born on April 17, 1905, in Corbin, Kentucky, when his father Arthur Adolph Silverlake (né Timberlake) and uncle Archie Glenn Silverlake (né Timberlake) were touring with a circus in an aerial act known as "The Flying Silverlakes". His mother, Edith Goodwin (née Edith Blanche Fautch) was an actress. His parents later appeared in vaudeville in a skit "Family Affair", traveling throughout the South and Southwest United States. Arthur first appeared on stage as a baby in Uncle Tom's Cabin; his sister Florence and he became part of the act in 1910. but it was Lake's only venture behind the cameras.
Filmography
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes
|-
| 1917
| Jack and the Beanstalk
|
|
|-
| 1922
| The Bride's Play
| Boy Throwing Roses
|
|-
| 1925
| California Straight Ahead
| Camper
| Uncredited
|-
| 1925
| Sporting Life
| Peggy's Admirer in Audience
|
|-
| 1926
| Skinner's Dress Suit
| Tommy
|
|-
| 1927
| Cradle Snatchers
| Oscar
|
|-
| 1927
| The Irresistible Lover
| Jack Kennedy
|
|-
| 1928
| The Count of Ten
| Betty's Brother
|
|-
| 1928
| Stop That Man!
| Tommy O'Brien
|
|-
| 1928
| Harold Teen
| Harold Teen
|
|-
| 1928
| Lilac Time
| The Unlucky One
|
|-
| 1928
| The Air Circus
| Speed Doolittle
|
|-
| 1929
| On with the Show!
| Harold Astor
|
|-
| 1929
| Tanned Legs
| Bill
|
|-
| 1929
| Dance Hall
| Tommy Flynn
|
|-
| 1929
| Night Owls
| Arthur
|
|-
| 1930
| Cheer Up and Smile
| Eddie Fripp
|
|-
| 1930
| She's My Weakness
| Tommy Mills
|
|-
| 1931
| Indiscreet
| Buster Collins
|
|-
| 1933
| Midshipman Jack
| Allen Williams
|
|-
| 1934
| The Winnah!
| Arthur
| Short
|-
| 1934
| Girl o' My Dreams
| Bobby Barnes
|
|-
| 1934
| The Silver Streak
| Crawford
|
|-
| 1935
| Women Must Dress
| Janet's Friend
|
|-
| 1935
| Orchids to You
| Joe
|
|-
| 1936
| New Shoes
| Boy
| Short, Uncredited
|-
| 1936
| I Cover Chinatown
| Insurance Salesman
|
|-
| 1937
| 23 1/2 Hours Leave
| Sgt. Turner
|
|-
| 1937
| Topper
| Elevator boy / bell hop
|
|-
| 1937
| Annapolis Salute
| Tex Clemens
|
|-
| 1937
| Exiled to Shanghai
| Bud
|
|-
| 1937
| True Confession
| Attendant
| Uncredited
|-
| 1938
| Everybody's Doing It
| Waldo
|
|-
| 1938
| Double Danger
| Roy West
|
|-
| 1938
| There Goes My Heart
| Flash Fisher
|
|-
| 1938
| Blondie
| rowspan = "15" | Dagwood Bumstead
|
|-
| 1939
| Blondie Meets the Boss
|
|-
| 1939
| Blondie Takes a Vacation
|
|-
| 1939
| Blondie Brings Up Baby
|
|-
| 1940
| Blondie on a Budget
|
|-
| 1940
| Blondie Has Servant Trouble
|
|-
| 1940
| Blondie Plays Cupid
|
|-
| 1941
| Blondie Goes Latin
|
|-
| 1941
| Blondie in Society
|
|-
| 1942
| Blondie Goes to College
|
|-
| 1942
| Blondie's Blessed Event
|
|-
| 1942
| Blondie for Victory
|
|-
| 1942
| Daring Young Man
|
|-
| 1943
| It's a Great Life
|
|-
| 1943
| Footlight Glamour
|
|-
| 1944
| The Ghost That Walks Alone
| Eddie Grant
|
|-
| 1944
| Sailor's Holiday
| 'Marblehead' Tomkins
|
|-
| 1944
| Three Is a Family
| Archie Whittaker
|
|-
| 1945
| The Big Show-Off
| Sanford 'Sandy' Elliott
|
|-
| 1945
| The Return of Mr. Hook
| rowspan = "3" |Mr. Hook
| rowspan = "3" |uncredited
|-
| 1945
| Tokyo Woes
|-
| 1945
| The Good Egg
|-
| 1945
| Leave It to Blondie
| rowspan = "9" |Dagwood Bumstead
|
|-
| 1945
| Life with Blondie
|
|-
| 1946
| Blondie's Lucky Day
|
|-
| 1946
| Blondie Knows Best
|
|-
| 1947
| Blondie's Big Moment
|
|-
| 1947
| Blondie's Holiday
|
|-
| 1947
| Blondie in the Dough
|
|-
| 1947
| Blondie's Anniversary
|
|-
| 1948
| Blondie's Reward
|
|-
| 1948
| Sixteen Fathoms Deep
| Pete
|
|-
| 1948
| Blondie's Secret
| rowspan = "5" |Dagwood Bumstead
|
|-
| 1949
| Blondie's Big Deal
|
|-
| 1949
| Blondie Hits the Jackpot
|
|-
| 1950
| Blondie's Hero
|
|-
| 1950
| Beware of Blondie
|
|}
Personal life
Lake became very friendly with newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst and his mistress Marion Davies. He was a frequent guest at the beach house of Davies, where he met Patricia Van Cleeve, Davies's niece. Lake and Van Cleeve married at San Simeon in 1937.
Patricia Lake's parentage was the subject of much gossip and speculation. However, at the time of her death, Patricia Lake reportedly admitted to being the daughter of Davies and Hearst.
In his book about the Black Dahlia murder case, author Donald H. Wolfe asserts that Arthur Lake was questioned by the Los Angeles Police Department as a suspect, having been acquainted with the victim through her volunteer work at the Hollywood Canteen. No charges were filed and Lake was one of many persons of interest in a case that remains unsolved.
Lake died of a heart attack in Indian Wells, California, on January 9, 1987. He is interred in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, in the Douras family mausoleum, along with actress Marion Davies and her husband, Horace G. Brown. Lake's widow Patricia was interred there upon her death in 1993.