Trivia

Blanche avoided films until she saw the brilliance of the movie Le mouchard (1935). Stage star Alla Nazimova was indirectly responsible for her getting the role of Madame DeFarge in Le marquis de Saint-Evremond (1935). They had never met but when the part was offered to the silent screen star, she felt it was not right for her and told them the only person she thought could play the part was Blanche. Blanche was the 67th and last actress to test for the part.

Other than her third feature film,Le marquis de Saint-Evremond (1935), she remained noticeably unhappy with her character film career. She suffered major disappointments in the loss of certain Oscar-winning roles, including La terre chinoise (1937), which ended up starring Luise Rainer, and the supporting turn by Katina Paxinou in Pour qui sonne le glas (1943).