Rose Joan Blondell
| Sign | Virgo |
| Born | Aug 30, 1906 New York City, NY |
| Died | Dec 25, 1979 Santa Monica, CA |
| Age | Died at 73 |
| Final Resting PlaceForest Lawn (Glendale) | |
Joan Blondell | |
| Job | Actress |
| Years active | 1927-1979 |
| Known for | Sexy wisecracking blondes, gold diggers, Warner Bros' pre-Code staple |
| Top Roles | Angie Wickerstaff, Nan Prescott, Lee Morgan, Mamie, B. Maloney |
| Top Genres | Comedy, Drama, Romance, Film Adaptation, Musical, Crime |
| Top Topics | Pre-Code Cinema, Book-Based, Based on Play |
| Top Collaborators | Hal B. Wallis (Producer), Jack L. Warner (Producer), Mervyn LeRoy (Director), Samuel Bischoff (Producer) |
| Shares birthday with | Raymond Massey, Shirley Booth, Fred MacMurray see more.. |
Joan Blondell Overview:
Legendary actress, Joan Blondell, was born Rose Joan Blondell on Aug 30, 1906 in New York City, NY. Blondell appeared in over 150 films and tv shows during the course of her 50+ year screen career. Her best known films include The Public Enemy (1931), Blonde Crazy (1931), Union Depot (1932), Footlight Parade (1933), Topper Returns (1941), A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945), The Blue Veil (Academy Award nomination, 1951), Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957), Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971) and Grease (1978). On television, she made guest appearances on popular shows including The Lucy Show, My Three Sons and The Twilight Zone, and she co-starred on the ABC western series Here Come the Brides opposite singer Bobby Sherman and actor/singer David Soul. Blondell died at the age of 73 on Dec 25, 1979 in Santa Monica, CA from leukemia and was laid to rest in Forest Lawn (Glendale) Cemetery in Glendale, CA.
BIO:
In the glittering prosperity that preceded the Wall Street crash of 1929, Joan Blondell almost despaired of a permanent career on stage or screen and took such unlikely jobs as that of clerk in a New York bookshop. Less than two years later, as the world depression deepened, she appeared in a long string of Hollywood films, and freely admitted she was "Warner Brothers' work horse."
Christened Rosebud Blondell by a somewhat sentimental mother, she came from a family of vaudevillians and appeared on stage with them in her early years. Bit parts in Broadway plays were few and far between and it wasn't until she landed a lead role in Penny Arcade (1930) that a Warner scout noticed her and offered her a Hollywood tryout, along with another youngster in the same cast, a stocky little actor named James Cagney. Her feature film debut was in 1930 in Office Wife and, while she did little but look saucy and waggle her 'rear end' attractively as she crossed the screen, it proved enough to elicit whistles and other signs of approval from audiences and to convince Warners that they had something pretty good on their hands.
While she never became a huge Hollywood star, Blondell remained among moviedom's most popular featured players for a good 12 years. A complete professional, she almost always played loyal, breezy, fast-talking and slightly cynical blondes in films that ranged from The Public Enemy (1931) to Cry Havoc (1943). It was said that she never once gave a bad performance.
After marriages to three husbands -- cinematographer/photographer George Scott Barnes (1933-1936, one child), singer/actor Dick Powell (1936-1944, one child) and producer/entrepreneur Mike Todd (1947-1950) -- she found herself penniless, her looks gone and her services no longer in demand. With great courage she fought back via television, off-Broadway stage productions and small parts in movies like The Cincinnati Kid (as a card-dealer, 1965) and The Phynx (1970).
Her first novel, "Center Door Fancy" which was highly praised, was published in 1973.
(Source: available at Amazon The Movie Makers [please note: the book has some data errors which have been corrected in this article by CMH]).BLONDELL / CAGNEY FILMS:
Joan Blondell and James Cagney starred in seven films together: Sinners' Holiday (1930), Other Men's Women (1931), The Public Enemy (1931), Blonde Crazy (1931), The Crowd Roars (1932), Footlight Parade (1933), and He was Her Man (1934).
BLONDELL / FARRELL FILMS:
Joan Blondell and Glenda Farrell starred in eight films together: Three on a Match (1932), Havana Widows (1933), I've Got Your Number (1934), Kansas City Princess (1934), Traveling Saleslady (1935), We're in the Money (1935), Miss Pacific Fleet (1935), and Gold Diggers of 1937 (1936). .
HONORS and AWARDS:
.Although Blondell was nominated for one Oscar, she never won a competitive Academy Award.
Academy Awards
| Year | Award | Film name | Role | Result |
| 1951 | Best Supporting Actress | The Blue Veil (1951) | Annie Rawlins | Nominated |
She was honored with one star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category of Motion Pictures. Joan Blondell's handprints and footprints were 'set in stone' at Grauman's Chinese Theater during imprint ceremony #34 on Feb 10, 1937.
BlogHub Articles:
Actress Beauty Tip No. 41: cottage cheese facial
on Aug 30, 2022 From Comet Over HollywoodThis is the 41st installment of the classic actress beauty tips that I have read about and tested. Art from ?Facing it with ? published in the Dec. 1932, issue of The New Movie Magazine. Screen shot by Comet Over Hollywood When it comes to skin care, I?m always intrigued to try somethin... Read full article
Blonde Crazy (1931) with and James Cagney
By 4 Star Film Fan on Apr 18, 2022 From 4 Star FilmsFrom the outset, Blonde Crazy promises to be a midwestern hotel chamber piece. It’s a story of the help: including opportunistic bellboys (James Cagney) and plucky chambermaids (). He does her a service by nabbing her a job, and in such a world, he probably expects some recompense... Read full article
Margaret Sullavan, Ann Sothern, and “Cry ‘Havoc’”
By Stephen Reginald on May 21, 2021 From Classic Movie ManMargaret Sullavan, Ann Sothern, and “Cry ‘Havoc’” Cry ‘Havoc’ (1943) is an American World War II drama directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Margaret Sullavan, Ann Sothern, and . The film features a strong supporting cast that inc... Read full article
CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS EVE, 1947
on Dec 20, 2019 From Caftan Woman1906 - 1979 is the TCM Star of the Month this December. It is safe to assume that rights issues have stood in the way of the network programming two of Joan's most acclaimed performances in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, 1945 and Nightmare Alley, 1947. However, I can't imag... Read full article
You're Invited! Presenting STYLE OF SIN: JOAN CRAWFORD AND 12/8 at Egyptian Theatre
on Nov 19, 2019 From GlamAmorSunday, December 8 is the final event in my 6-part Pre-Code speaker/screening series at the American Cinematheque! THE STYLE OF SIN: JOAN CRAWFORD AND Pre-Code Film with Kimberly Truhler Sunday, December 8 Egyptian Theatre Hollywood, CA Talk starts at 1:00 pm followed by s... Read full article
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Joan Blondell Quotes:
Myrtle: I'll be seein' ya around. Don't do anything while I'm gone that you couldn't do on a bicycle.
Violet: Don't tell me you've gone and flipped for Rock?
[Peers at her]
Violet: Well, I'll be a writer's subplot. You have.
read more quotes from Joan Blondell...
