ClassyCo
Telly Talk Superstar
LV
5
- Messages
- 4,295
- Reaction score
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- Member Since
- September 2013
Joan Blondell had a show business career that spanned more than five decades.
Born in Manhattan in 1906, to vaudeville performers that toured frequently. She attended Santa Monica High School, where she acted in schoolhouse plays and edited the school's yearbook. She starting participating in pageants in the early 1920s: she was a finalist for a early version of the Miss Universe pageant in 1926 and placed fourth in the Miss America pageant that same year in Atlantic City. Around 1927, she found her way back to New York, where she worked as a model, circus hand, clerk, joined a stock company to become an actress, and worked in minor jobs on Broadway. In 1930, she starred with James Cagney in PENNY ARCADE on Broadway. The show was unsuccessful, and actor Al Jolson bought the rights to the play for $20,000. He sold the rights to Warner Brothers, where a film version called SINNERS' HOLIDAY (1930), was made with Blondell and Cagney reprising their roles. Studio chief Jack L. Warner wanted to rebrand Blondell "Inez Holmes", but she refused. She had become professionally as Joan Blondell sometime before.
In 1931, Blondell was named one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars. She ultimately paired with James Cagney in multiple other films, such as THE PUBLIC ENEMY (1931), which also co-starred Jean Harlow, and FOOTLIGHT PARADE (1933). She paired up with actress Glenda Farrell as a "gold-digging duo" in nine films. Blondell eventually became one of the highest-paid film stars in the United States during the Great Depression. Blondell was also one of the primary movie stars the Production Code tried to clean-up once it gained substantial power in 1934. A lot of her films were subject to strong and extensive censorship before they were approved to be screened for audiences. Her rendition of the song "Remember My Forgotten Man" from the Busby Berkeley movie GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933 became a popular standard for millions of unemployed Americans. She later starred with Errol Flynn in THE PERFECT SPECIMEN (1937). By the time she left Warner Brothers in 1939, she had made nearly 50 films.
Blondell returned to Broadway in 1943 to star in Mike Todd's production of THE NAKED GENIUS, which had been penned by Gypsy Rose Lee. Blondell was exceptionally well-received in her later films, although she was relegated to supporting roles and character parts after 1945. She was billed below the title for the first time in 14 years when she co-starred in ADVENTURE (1945), a notorious dud starring Clark Gable and Greer Garson. Better-received was her performance as Aunt Sissy (a role Alice Faye wanted) in A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN (1945), under the direction of Elia Kazan, and the Tyrone Power film noir NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947). In 1948, Blondell decided to leave the screen and refocus her attention towards theatre. She performed in the summer stock and the roadshow version of Cole Porter's musical SOMETHING FOR THE BOYS, and even toured in a musical adaptation of A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN, reprising her role as Aunt Sissy. She also played Mae Peterson, a nagging mother, in BYE BYE BIRDIE.
Blondell returned to Hollywood in 1950. Her performance in the film THE BLUE VEIL (1951) earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She appeared in the musical remake of THE WOMEN called THE OPPOSITE SEX (1956), co-starring the likes of June Allyson, Joan Collins, Dolores Gray, and many others, and in the comedy DESK SET (1957), starring off-screen lovers Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. One of her most famous later roles came in WILL SUCCESS SPOIL ROCK HUNTER? (1957), a satire of New York's advertisement agencies, starring Jayne Mansfield and Tony Randall. She received critical acclaim for her performance as Lady Fingers in THE CINCINNATI KID (1965), and co-starred with Elvis Presley in the Western comedy STAY AWAY, JOE (1968). She was widely seen in two films just prior to her death: GREASE (1978), starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John and THE CHAMP (1979), starring Jon Voight Rick Schroder.
Blondell was a frequenter of television guest spots throughout her career. She guested on a TWILIGHT ZONE episode called "What's in the Box?" in 1964, and played Florabelle Campbell on PETTICOAT JUNCTION in 1965, replacing an ill Bea Benaderet for one episode. She was a regular on the ABC Western dramedy HERE COME THE BRIDES from 1968 to 1970.
Blondell died of leukemia on Christmas Day, 1979. She was 73 years old.
Born in Manhattan in 1906, to vaudeville performers that toured frequently. She attended Santa Monica High School, where she acted in schoolhouse plays and edited the school's yearbook. She starting participating in pageants in the early 1920s: she was a finalist for a early version of the Miss Universe pageant in 1926 and placed fourth in the Miss America pageant that same year in Atlantic City. Around 1927, she found her way back to New York, where she worked as a model, circus hand, clerk, joined a stock company to become an actress, and worked in minor jobs on Broadway. In 1930, she starred with James Cagney in PENNY ARCADE on Broadway. The show was unsuccessful, and actor Al Jolson bought the rights to the play for $20,000. He sold the rights to Warner Brothers, where a film version called SINNERS' HOLIDAY (1930), was made with Blondell and Cagney reprising their roles. Studio chief Jack L. Warner wanted to rebrand Blondell "Inez Holmes", but she refused. She had become professionally as Joan Blondell sometime before.
In 1931, Blondell was named one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars. She ultimately paired with James Cagney in multiple other films, such as THE PUBLIC ENEMY (1931), which also co-starred Jean Harlow, and FOOTLIGHT PARADE (1933). She paired up with actress Glenda Farrell as a "gold-digging duo" in nine films. Blondell eventually became one of the highest-paid film stars in the United States during the Great Depression. Blondell was also one of the primary movie stars the Production Code tried to clean-up once it gained substantial power in 1934. A lot of her films were subject to strong and extensive censorship before they were approved to be screened for audiences. Her rendition of the song "Remember My Forgotten Man" from the Busby Berkeley movie GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933 became a popular standard for millions of unemployed Americans. She later starred with Errol Flynn in THE PERFECT SPECIMEN (1937). By the time she left Warner Brothers in 1939, she had made nearly 50 films.
Blondell returned to Broadway in 1943 to star in Mike Todd's production of THE NAKED GENIUS, which had been penned by Gypsy Rose Lee. Blondell was exceptionally well-received in her later films, although she was relegated to supporting roles and character parts after 1945. She was billed below the title for the first time in 14 years when she co-starred in ADVENTURE (1945), a notorious dud starring Clark Gable and Greer Garson. Better-received was her performance as Aunt Sissy (a role Alice Faye wanted) in A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN (1945), under the direction of Elia Kazan, and the Tyrone Power film noir NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947). In 1948, Blondell decided to leave the screen and refocus her attention towards theatre. She performed in the summer stock and the roadshow version of Cole Porter's musical SOMETHING FOR THE BOYS, and even toured in a musical adaptation of A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN, reprising her role as Aunt Sissy. She also played Mae Peterson, a nagging mother, in BYE BYE BIRDIE.
Blondell returned to Hollywood in 1950. Her performance in the film THE BLUE VEIL (1951) earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She appeared in the musical remake of THE WOMEN called THE OPPOSITE SEX (1956), co-starring the likes of June Allyson, Joan Collins, Dolores Gray, and many others, and in the comedy DESK SET (1957), starring off-screen lovers Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. One of her most famous later roles came in WILL SUCCESS SPOIL ROCK HUNTER? (1957), a satire of New York's advertisement agencies, starring Jayne Mansfield and Tony Randall. She received critical acclaim for her performance as Lady Fingers in THE CINCINNATI KID (1965), and co-starred with Elvis Presley in the Western comedy STAY AWAY, JOE (1968). She was widely seen in two films just prior to her death: GREASE (1978), starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John and THE CHAMP (1979), starring Jon Voight Rick Schroder.
Blondell was a frequenter of television guest spots throughout her career. She guested on a TWILIGHT ZONE episode called "What's in the Box?" in 1964, and played Florabelle Campbell on PETTICOAT JUNCTION in 1965, replacing an ill Bea Benaderet for one episode. She was a regular on the ABC Western dramedy HERE COME THE BRIDES from 1968 to 1970.
Blondell died of leukemia on Christmas Day, 1979. She was 73 years old.
