Sunday, August 30, 2009

Joan Blondell - 103 years

Today it's the 103rd birthday of one of my favorite pre-code actresses - the cynical, gum chewing, night club girl Joan Blondell. Happy Birthday!



We have other birthday children today, that I could honor with some photos too.
Fredric March reaches the honorable age of 112. He's very happy about it.



Tough Fred MacMurray turn 101 years, and amuses himself with a Claudette Colbert melting in his arms.



And the oldest birthday kid is Raymond Massey at 113 years of age. He celebrates with a quiet evening at home, dressed up as Abraham Lincoln. (You can't blame him for becoming a little senile at this age, can you?)
According to the real Abraham Lincoln's son, Robert Todd Lincoln (1843-1926), Massey's speaking voice had a strong resemblance to his father's. That might be the reason for Massay getting the part of dear old Abraham in Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940).


8 comments:

Mykal Banta said...

Lolita: Love the picture of Blondell sitting in a backwards chair. Now There's a girl I would say hello to (and more than likely be told nicely that she was busy until, like, forever).

Hey, which notable was born on my birthday? August 31?

Love your posts! They are always wonderful. Keep them coming! -- Mykal

Lolita of the Classics said...

Mykal:
Thank you so much!

Well, I had a hard time finding any celebrity for August 31st. James Coburn was born 31 August, 1928, and John Ford died the same date 1973.

But! Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh got married August 31st, 1940! And so did Cliff "Ukulele Ike" Edwards and Judith Barret, 1932 :)

A said...

I LOVE Joan Blondell! Thank you for highlighting this birthday stunner!

Lolita of the Classics said...

Amanda:
Thanks for leaving a note of you adoration! ;)

Unknown said...

Joan Blondell & Fredric March are two of my very favorites!! Happy Birthday :D

Christopher said...

use to watch Joan Blondell on Here Come he Brides in jr. high days,never really realizing she was the woman in many of the early 1930s films being shown on the morning movies when I'd play sick from school!

Unknown said...

Lo,

Great stuff! I remember Joan Blondell from her later years on TV, but had no idea she was a blonde bombshell in her younger years. Also, I hadn't known about Lincoln's son thinking Raymond Massey sounded like Abraham Lincoln.

BTW, you might like to see this video of women in film, showing beauties of the silver screen morphing one into another.

Lolita of the Classics said...

Christopher:
It seems like many people first saw Joan Blondell in her later years! And I have to admit myself - the first film I saw with her was Grease (1978)!

David C:
Thank you! I think that Lincoln trivia is really interesting.
I actually had seen that morphing video before - I think it's really creepy! Very well done.