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• Abortions –

 

Joan's first husband George Barnes forced her to have several abortions in 1932/1933. He had Joan trapped because he rejected all conventional forms of birth control. One of the abortions caused peritonitis. In 1934, while pregnant again, Joan insisted on keeping the baby.

 

• Academy Awards –

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Joan was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress for The Blue Veil (1951). She lost to Kim Hunter for A Streetcar Named Desire (1951).

 

See also Bette Davis.

 

• Advertisement –

 

Like most stars under contract to major studios in the 30s and 40s, Joan was contractually obligated to advertise different kinds of products. They range from the ever present LUX toilet soap to different make up-products, soft drinks, bread, and even spark plugs!

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Products she advertised: Arrid Cream Deodorant, Auto-Lite Spark Plugs, Ayds (a weight loss product), Borden's Richer Malted Milk, Bread (yes, just bread, the thing you eat ;) ), Calox Tooth Powder, Cashmere Bouquet Beau Cake, Chesterfield Cigarettes*, Coca-Cola, Duart Pads Permanent Wave, Doublemint Chewing Gum, Eugéne Permanent Wave, Jantzen Swimwear, Lektrolite, Listerine Toothpaste, Lux Soap, Lux Toilet Soap, Max Factor, Miner's Make Up, Mobil Oil, Murine Eyedrops, Pepsi Cola, Pepsodent Toothpaste*, Pro-Phy-Lac-Tic Toothbrush, Reich Ash Compact Powder, Studio Blouses, Sunkist, Tangee Pink Queen Lipstick.

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* editor’s note: mentioned in M. Kennedy’s book about Joan Blondell, have not been able to find advertisement proving the existence of these endorsements.

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• Age –

 

Joan Blondell was born in 1906. Since the beginning of her career, Joan has aged backwards three years by stating she was born in 1909. In 1972, an interviewer asked if she had, in her opinion, started doing character roles too soon. Apparently, she had forgotten her birth year when answering this question… ;)

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Joan Blondell: “Well, yes, I was thirty-three when I made A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945).” (Source: Interview by J. Bawden, 1972)

 

• Aging as an Actress –

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Joan Blondell: “It takes all the talent you've got in your guts to play unimportant roles. It's not degrading, just tough to do. It's fine to start out as a curvy biz-whiz, but unfortunately, when you can't do those roles anymore, people think you're finished. I accept change. I say 'It's all right, it's a new generation growing up.' So you support the young kids, and you have great respect for them because that's the way you were at one time.“ (Source: Life 1971).

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“The only right thing I ever did was when I looked at myself in the mirror in 1951 and the rosebud lips weren't quite as upturned and there was that line between the eyes. I told my agent to get me anything that said 'aged'. I'm not going to have anything lifted so, why not, I might as well play the falled-faced dames.” (Source NY Post, 1972)

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“There's nothing wrong with being ripe – and that's what I am – ripe.... Wine is better mellowed. Cheese. You go down the list. I consider myself in that category – a hunk of cheese.” (Source: LA Times, 1965)

 

• Allyson, June (1917- 2006) – 

 

Second wife of Dick Powell. Powell cheated on Joan with her while they still were married.

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Also co-star of Joan in the 1956 remake of The Women (1939), entitled The Opposite Sex.

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Frances Marion: “A certain young lady, dressed like a prim and proper school girl, though she had long since emerged from her school days, who came for dinner and left just before the milkman arrived.” (Source: F. Marion “Off With Their Heads”, 1972)

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See also “Whimpsy-Poo” and Dick Powell..

 

• Ambition –

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Joan Blondell: “I wasn't that ambitious. I enjoyed a home life more than a theatrical career. I just took what they gave me because I wanted to get home quickly.“ (Source: Interview L. Maltin 1971)

 

• Animals – See Cats, Dogs, and Turtles.

 

• Appendicitis –

 

During the filming of Back in Circulation (1937) Joan was diagnosed with appendicitis. But let Joan tell you herself about it!

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Joan Blondell: “When I was making Back in Circulation (1937), I was having terrible pains. The assistant director said it was my tight girdle. Then I fainted and was rushed to hospital. Appendicitis. Had I stayed much longer I'd have died, I was told.

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Shooting continued and they'd phone every day and ask me back. I was too weak. So they finally bribed the physician to charter an ambulance and they took me to Lookout Mountain [editor’s note: her home at the time] and changed the script so the burst appendix became part of the story and they filmed that and were able to release the film on schedule.” (Source: Interview by J. Bawden, 1972)

 

B

 

• Ball, Lucille (1911 - 1989) –

 

Star of The Lucy Show. Joan co-starred in two episodes of season 5.

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Joan Blondell: “In 1965, Lucy Ball phones me up and says she wants me to replay Vivian Vance, who was retiring from The Lucy Show, and I said, 'Sure.' I'd heard from friends Lucy had become very dictatorial, but what the heck? We went back to the thirties and I loved her comical touches. I did two consecutive shows as a character called Joan Brenner. But Lucy was waspish, virtually directed her own shows, and she went after me but good after we had filmed the second one. Right in front of the crew, she screamed about this and that and I just turned and walked and that was that.” (Source: Interview J. Bawden, 1972)

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• Bankhead, Tallulah (1902 – 1968) –

 

Co-star of Joan in the off-Broadway play Crazy October (1958).

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At first Blondell was put off by Bankhead. She considered it unprofessional how the actress took pills or drank to calm nerves during rehearsal. She later revised her opinion.

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Noticing that Tallulah continuously misplaced her cigarettes, matches, lipstick, and frownies (facial patches), Joan had an apron made for her. This apron had several pockets, which were individually labeled for Tallulah's needs (CIGARETTES, LIPSTICK, etc). Tallulah was very touched by this gesture. From that time on, their whole relationship changed. Tallulah became very generous to Joan at stage. She fed lines, stood totally still, and took special care to make Joan look good. When Joan got fantastic notices, Tallulah was as happy as if they were her own.

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Joan's family life fascinated Tallulah. During their tour with Crazy October, Tallulah would ask questions about ex-husbands, children, and grandchildren. She also asked about why Joan never wanted or sought personal publicity. Tallulah used to call Joan 'Earth Mother'.
 

Joan Blondell: “Her sarcasm, drunkenness, and misbehaviour in public were all something she put on so as to be talked about. She was a sensitive, lonely woman and I think she wanted to die. I was sorry she died before she had one more crack at something glamorous and got to be the toast of Broadway once again.“

(Source: Films in Review 1972)

 

• Barnes, George (1892 - 1953) –

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Joan Blondell's first husband. Married several times before and after his marriage to Blondell. Father of her son Norman. Academy Award winning cinematographer.

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They met on the set of The Greeks Had a Word for Them (1932), where Barnes worked as a cinematographer. She became his fourth wife. They married on August 5, 1933 but had a second ceremony on January 4, 1934 due to legal entanglements concerning his previous divorce.

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He was a heavy drinker, and grew very cold towards Joan after the birth of their son. In fact, he forced her to have several abortions before she got Norman, whom he never wanted, and had no feelings for his son. When Dick Powell wanted to adopt Norman, it was perfectly fine with Barnes.

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They divorced in 1935, only a few months after their son's birth, on the grounds of drunk driving, public humiliation, and mental cruelty.

 

• Barnes, Norman Scott (1934) – see Powell, Norman Scott.

 

• Beauty Contest – see “Miss Dallas”.

 

• Beauty marks –

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Joan had two natural beauty marks on her left cheek. After hiding them under pancake make-up for years, she first openly displayed them in the movie Don Juan Quilligan (1945).

 

• Beckman, Henry (1921 - 2008) –

 

Co-starred with Joan in the TV Series Here Come the Brides (1968 – 1970).

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Henry Beckman: “I had seen her in a few motion pictures and thought of her as a ditzy blonde, but she was very gracious, courteous, and down to earth.” (Source: D. Bubbeo: The Women of Warner Brothers)

 

• Blondell, Ed (1866 - 19??) –

 

Father of Joan.

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Was one of the original “Katzenjammer Kids”. Became a popular vaudeville comic. Married Kathryn Cain in 1898 and had three children with her. Together with his wife he formed the troupe “Ed Blondell and Company“ later touring Europe, Australia, and the USA.

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While Joan was learning the ropes in their vaudeville act, he gave his daughter the following advice: “Just go out there and love 'em; then they've got to love you back.” She remembered it for the rest of her life.

Ed wanted to offer more stability in their life, and tried various businesses (a tea room and a dress shop) which all failed. See also Fine De Lux Food (And Beaucoup of It) and Blondell's Collegiate Store.

 

• Blondell, Edward Jr. “Junie” (1909 – 1974) –

 

Younger brother of Joan. Ran away in 1927 from his family and his detested vaudevillian life to marry his Texan girlfriend Eloise. They had two children.

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He later divorced Eloise and married Constance Ray. This marriage was annulled and followed by another to Gretchen Dussell, a woman ultimately beloved by his whole family.

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He worked for a long time as an electrician for film and television, until his death by cerebral hemorrhage in 1974.

 

• Blondell, Gloria (1915* - 1986) –

 

Younger sister of Joan who later also became an actress, mostly on TV. Was married twice. Had a strong bond with her sister.

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Gloria Blondell: “Joan is my big sis, and I think irrespective of her real relationship to me, she is one of the grandest girls in the world.” (Source: Hollywood, April 1936)

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“To me, she is the most unselfish, gallant and energetic bundle of pep and sweetness you can imagine – and I mean that with my whole heart and soul.” (Source: Hollywood, April 1936)

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“She has always made me her responsibility. She has watched over me, talked to me, guided and protected me from everything that might have been tough.” (Source: Hollywood, April 1936)

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“We've never been apart. We talk for two or three hours a day on the phone. Girl talk.” (Source: TV Guide, 1969)

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* Joan's biographer M. Kennedy gives Gloria's birthdate as 1915. On the internet, it is given as 1910. Since Gloria was supposedly 9 years younger than Joan, I believe Mr. Kennedy's research.

 

• Blondell, Kathryn “Katie” (née Cain) (1884 - 1952) –

 

Mother of Joan. After marrying Ed Blondell in 1898 she became part of the double act “Ed Blondell and Company“.

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Originally an Irish Catholic, she converted to Christian Science after. She believed it helped cure Joan's illness sometime between 1912-14 (no exact date was given). She remained a Christian Scientist all her life.

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While married to Dick Powell, Katie Blondell lived over their garage and practically ran the house. She took care of their children very often, during and after the divorce from Powell.

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Katie Blondell detested Mike Todd so much that she lived in one of the courtyard apartments while Joan was married to him.

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Katie lived with Joan, Todd, and their children on the East Coast until 1949, when she joined daughter Gloria in California. The Blondell matriarch stayed there until her death at the age of 68 in 1952.

 

• Blondell, Rose Joan (1906 -1979) –

 

JOAN BLONDELL HERSELF. ;) The woman to whom this whole page is dedicated.

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Married and divorced three times, she had two children and five grandchildren.

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She starred in 93 feature films between 1930 and 1979. Made almost 50 movies within 8 years for Warner Brothers, which means she was featured in more Warner movies than any other actress of her time.

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Joan Blondell starred in 37 pre-Codes.

 

• Blondell's Collegiate Store –

 

Clothing store Ed Blondell opened in Denton, Texas. Ed Blondell was the proprietor and Katie Blondell functioned as the cashier. Joan and her sister Gloria worked as models and salesladies.

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They also had a piano in the store, where Joan and Gloria would entertain customers as they selected their clothes. Joan danced while Gloria would play the piano and sing. Business was booming until the local college passed a ruling that students must wear uniforms, which had to be purchased from the school.

 

• Blue Veil, The (1951) –

 

Joan received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress, but lost to Kim Hunter, who won for A Streetcar Named Desire (1951).

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Although she got rave reviews and was nominated for an Academy Award, she did not make another movie for the next five years.

 

• Bogart, Humphrey (1899 – 1957) –

 

Co-Star of Joan in four movies: Three On a Match (1932), Big City Blues (1932), Bullets or Ballots (1936) and Stand-In (1937).

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Joan Blondell: “He wasn't a man one ever felt close to – nobody did, but I liked him.“ (Source: TV Guide 1969)

 

• Books –

 

Being a dedicated reader she had shelves filled with books. Many of them were by authors such as Hemingway, Shaw or John V.A. Weaver.

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Joan Blondell: “I've always got a book within reach.” (Source: LA Times, 1969)

 

• Brando, Marlon (1924 – 2004) –

 

Marlon Brando was doing a crash-diet at the Santa Monica St. John's hospital in 1976. After learning that Joan was there at the same time, he sent her a flower tower with the following note: “To a woman I've always loved”.