Wissenswertes

Made six movies with James Cagney at Warner Brothers - more than any other individual actress. Cagney said that the only woman he loved other than his wife was Blondell.

In 1927, while closing the library she worked at, she was raped by a police officer. He told her he would kill her if she told anyone. She kept her silence for decades, until finally telling her grown daughter. She went public with this in her memoirs.

Her marriage to theatrical impresario Mike Todd was an emotional and financial disaster. Todd was a heavy spender who lost hundreds of thousands of dollars gambling (high-stakes bridge was one of his weaknesses) and went through a controversial bankruptcy during their marriage. While continuing to live the high-life on a huge estate in New York's Westchester County, the irresponsible Todd ran through Blondell's savings.

Felt that her best performance was as Aunt Sissy in Ein Baum wächst in Brooklyn (1945).

She playfully called her friend Bette Davis's four ex-husbands "The Four Skins" since they were all gentiles.

According to the July 24, 1944, issue of Time magazine, Blondell divorced Dick Powell on the grounds of cruelty alleging that "when she objected to the incessant coming and going of guests, Powell crooned: 'If you don't like it, you can get the hell out.'".

She wrote a novel, "Center Door Fancy", which was a very thinly disguised autobiography in which she portrayed her ex-husbands. Dick Powell was represented as being very stingy and vain.

She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6311 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.

Her son Norman Scott was born in the breech position, with the cord wrapped around his neck. Her labor was complicated, because of a fractured coccyx, and lasted twenty hours.

Mother of Norman S. Powell from her marriage to George Barnes. He was adopted by Dick Powell in February 1938. Mother of Ellen Powell from her marriage to Dick Powell.

On the British sitcom Dad's Army (1968), Private Pike has a crush on her and has dozens of pictures of her on his bedroom walls.

She has appeared in six films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Der öffentliche Feind (1931), Goldgräber von 1933 (1933), Parade im Rampenlicht (1933), Ein Baum wächst in Brooklyn (1945), Sirene in blond (1957) and Grease (1978).

Following her death, she was cremated and her ashes were interred in a columbarium at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

Was nominated for Broadway's 1958 Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Dramatic) for "The Rope Dancers".

Is portrayed by Kathy Bates in Feud (2017).

Her daughter Ellen Powell had a long battle with cocaine which she overcame (1984).

Older sister of actress Gloria Blondell.

Attended the Professional Children's School in New York City.

Her son Norman Scott was named after Claudette Colbert's first husband, actor-director Norman Foster.

In December 2019, she was honored as Turner Classic Movies Star of the Month.

June Allyson was the stepmother of her daughter Ellen Powell after Allyson married Blondell's ex-husband Dick Powell.

Became pregnant by first husband George Barnes out of wedlock in the summer of 1932 and then again in the summer of 1933. She had abortions on both occasions.

Joan Blondell made 29 films between 1930 and 1933 while under contract to Warners and cited her role as Sissy in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn as her best and director Eliza Kazan as her favorite director.

Her paternal grandparents were Polish Jewish immigrants to Indiana. Her mother was of Irish heritage.

Like her second husband Dick Powell and acquaintance June Allyson, she was a lifelong staunch supporter of the Republican party.

Profiled in "Killer Tomatoes: Fifteen Tough Film Dames" by Ray Hagen and Laura Wagner (McFarland, 2004).

Aunt of makeup artist Kathryn Blondell.

Had three grandchildren: Joan Ellen Powell, Scott Powell and Stephanie Powell.

Daughter of Edward Blondell (1865-1943), born Levi Bluestein in Poland, and raised in Columbus, Indiana, and Katherine (née Cain) Blondell (1884-1952), born in the state of New Jersey.

She appeared in eight films with Glenda Farrell: 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).

WAMPAS Baby Star (1931).

Her granddaughter Stephanie Powell is married to Sean Murphy, owner of a surf travel company.

Her grandson Scott Powell has a stepson, David, and two grandchildren, Zander and Dakota.

Joan Blondell appeared as a guest on the May 25, 1933 broadcast of the "Fleischmann's Yeast Hour" radio program, starring Rudy Vallee.