Joan Blondell
Biography
Joan Blondell was an American actress whose film and television career spanned five decades. Born in Manhattan in 1906 to a vaudeville family, she entered films after a beauty pageant win. At Warner Bros. she became a Pre-Code favorite in wisecracking, sexy roles, and she appeared in The Public Enemy (1931) and Footlight Parade (1933). She sang Remember My Forgotten Man in Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933). Her performance in The Blue Veil (1951) brought an Academy Award nomination, and she later received a Tony nomination. She was praised for supporting work in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945), Nightmare Alley (1947), and The Cincinnati Kid (1965), winning a National Board of Review award for the last. On television she co-starred in all 52 episodes of Here Come the Brides and earned two Emmy nominations. Opening Night (1977) brought a Golden Globe nomination, and she also appeared in Grease (1978) and The Champ (1979).
73years old at death
- Born Manhattan
- Died Santa Monica
- Star sign: VirgoThe sign runs August 23 to September 22
- Also credited as Rose Joan Blondell, Rose Joan Bluestein, Joan Bluestein and Rosebud Blondell
Movie Career
- Films
- 33
- Career span
- 48 years1931 to 1979
First and latest
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Big break
Al Jolson bought the rights to Penny Arcade for $20,000 and sold them to Warner Bros. on the condition that Blondell and James Cagney be cast in the film version, Sinners' Holiday.
About the name
Warner Bros. put Blondell under contract, and she moved to Hollywood. There, Jack L. Warner, the studio boss, wanted her to take the name "Inez Holmes", but she said no.
A role that slipped away
In 1965, Blondell was a candidate to take over Vivian Vance's role as Lucille Ball's sidekick on the CBS comedy The Lucy Show. After her second guest appearance as Joan Brenner, she left the set when Ball criticized her performance in front of the audience and technicians.
Behind the camera
Blondell wrote Center Door Fancy, a novel Delacorte Press published in 1972. It was an autobiography in thin disguise, with hidden allusions to June Allyson and Dick Powell.
Beyond film
Blondell co-starred with Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler in the Busby Berkeley production Gold Diggers of 1933. Her stirring rendition of "Remember My Forgotten Man" became an anthem for unemployed people's frustrations and the government's failed economic policies.
Joan Blondell movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
William A. Wellman directed three of these films, Mervyn LeRoy two and Lloyd Bacon two. Guy Kibbee appears in six of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Guy Kibbee's page
James Cagney's page
Frank McHugh's page
Dick Powell's page
Henry Jones's page
Ruby Keeler's page
All films by William A. Wellman
Mervyn LeRoyDirector, 2 films, 1932 to 1933
All films by Mervyn LeRoy
All films by Lloyd Bacon
Box office
What Joan Blondell's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$458 million
11 of the 33 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 33 films: 11 worldwide figure; 3 us gross only; 19 figure not found.
- 11Worldwide figure
- 3US gross only
- 19Figure not found
Top grosser
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 99% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$396M86.6% of the total
- 2$30M6.7% of the total
- 3$15M3.3% of the total
- 4$3.2M0.7% of the total
- 5$3.0M0.7% of the total
- 6$2.8M0.6% of the total
- 7$2.4M0.5% of the total
- 8$1.5M0.3% of the total
$2.7 millionfrom the other 3 films with a worldwide figure, 1% of the total
Awards
One award and honor.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.