Welcome to

Joan & Gloria Blondell's Page

Joan & Gloria Blondell
 

It has been said that Molly Blondell, who descended from Theodore Alexander Blondell's son Freeman White Blondell, visited with Joan Blondell in Los Angeles, California.  Molly was able to compare notes with Joan concerning their respective heritages.  One of the fruits of that meeting was the report from Molly that Joan descended from the same French Blondel family.  We have so far been unable to confirm that with any written documentation.  Molly is gone now and so is Joan -- the knowledge they both had is gone with them.  There are scant genealogical records concerning Joan & Gloria.  There is one record on the world wide web that seems to report her father as Eddie Joan Blondell and that he was an immigrate from
the United Kingdom.  But, how could anyone have a
"Blondell Family Home Page" without honoring these two great women who
are a part of the heritage of ALL Americans and a source of national pride?
And so, we honor them here and with this page.

Joan and Gloria Blondell were two sisters who were famous actresses.  They spent their childhood years in the theaters of New York city.  Encouraged by their father they learned the professions that would make them famous.

Joan Blondell

Joan Blondell was the better known of the two women.  Joan was married to the actor Dick Powell.  She starred in many films in the early 1900's.  Joan was in approximately 25 different movies. She starred in the movie "Lady for a Night" with John Wayne and James Cagney in the 1931 film "Public Enemy"  and co-starred with Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tarcy in the 1957 movie "Desk Set"  just to name a few.  She also starred and guest starred in made for television films and television series. She starred in the series "Here comes the Bride" in which the song "Seattle" became famous. "Here Comes the Bride" began in 1968 and ended in 1970.  She made guest star appearances in such televisions series like "The Twilight Zone".  The last best known film she did was "Grease" with Olivia Newton
John and John Travolta in 1975.
Joan Blondell was born in 1906 and died in 1979.
 

Joan Blondell and Her Husband Dick Powell

Joan Blondell

Desk Set 1957
Starring: Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, Joan Blondell

Public Enemy
Starring: James Cagney & Joan Blondell

Joan Blondell

Joan Blondell & Errol Flynn

Publicity Photograph Promoting the Movie "The Perfect Specimen"

Gloria Blondell
 

Gloria Blondell was sometimes known as "Joan's sister" but performed excellently in her own films.  She is probably best remembered for her 1938 film "Accidents Will Happen" in which she co-starred with Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan was later, of course, the president of the United States of America.
 

"Accidents Will Happen"
Starring Gloria Blondell & Ronald Reagan

"Accidents Will Happen"
(1938) Warner Bros. Directed by William Clemens.
Eric (Reagan) is an earnest young insurance adjustor whose wife, with a taste for
the high life, gets shaken down by the mob, then testifies against Eric. But Eric falls
for cigar stand girl Patricia (Gloria Blondell) and they conspire to solve
the scams for themselves. Justice triumphs.
 
 

Gloria Blondell & Errol Flynn
 

This photograph was taken during a break during the filming of
"The Adventures of Robin Hood"