Gloria Blondell
Gloria Blondell | |
---|---|
Blondell as Honeybee Willis (The Life of Riley) | |
Born |
Manhattan, New York City, U.S. | August 16, 1910
Died |
March 25, 1986 75) Santa Monica, California, U.S. | (aged
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1938–1962 |
Spouse(s) |
Albert Broccoli (1940–1945; divorced) Victor Hunter (1962–1980; his death) |
Gloria Blondell (August 16, 1910 – March 25, 1986) was an actress and voice actor between 1938 and 1962, and was the younger sister of Joan Blondell.[1]
Family
Blondell came from a family of entertainers. She once said, "[S]ome member of my family has been in the theater ever since the time of Richard the Lionhearted."[2] Her father, Ed Blondell, was an actor for 80 years.[2]
Stage
Blondell said that she first went on stage when she was 9 months old, and she was described as "a trouper at three [years of age]."[2] Her family comprised a vaudeville troupe, the "Bouncing Blondells", whose members were her parents, her sister and her brother.[3]
In 1935, Gloria appeared in the Broadway production of Three Men on a Horse at the Playhouse in New York City.
Radio
Blondell had the role of secretary Jerry Booker on I Love a Mystery.[4]
Television
She may be best remembered for her role as Honeybee Gillis in the 1950s era sitcom, The Life of Riley. She appeared as enviably curvaceous Grace Foster in the I Love Lucy episode, "The Anniversary Present" (1952).[5]
She portrayed an aging prostitute who rescues a town from a trio of criminals in "The Looters", an episode of Wanted Dead or Alive. For Daisy Duck's second appearance as a Disney cartoon character, she took over, marking the debut of Daisy's "normal" voice. Blondell would voice Daisy for six of her nine speaking appearances during the classic shorts era.[5]
Film
Blondell co-starred with Ronald Reagan in Accidents Will Happen (1938)[6] and with Hans Conried in The Twonky (1953).[7] She was also in The Daredevil Drivers (1938).[8]
Personal life
She married film producer on Albert Broccoli July 26, 1940; they divorced August 7, 1945.[9] She married, secondly, to advertising man Vic Hunter on September 14, 1946, in Monterey, California.[10] She married, thirdly, to Victor Hunter from 1962 to 1980.[5]
Death
She died at age 75 in 1986 in Santa Monica, California from cancer and was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Glendale, California.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Gloria Blondell at Find a Grave
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Belser, Emily (February 2, 1956). "Gloria Blondell Finding Sister's Shadow A Burden". Corsicana Daily Sun. p. 19.
- ↑ Rathbun, Joe (December 10, 1944). "Joe's Radio Parade". Sunday Times Signal. p. 23. Retrieved May 1, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Clark, Ethel (April 5, 1942). "Ethel Clark's Radio Flashes". The Ogden Standard-Examiner. p. 35. Retrieved May 1, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Gloria Blondell at the Internet Movie Database
- ↑ "Theater Calendar". The Decatur Daily Review. April 24, 1938. p. 20. Retrieved May 1, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "The Movie Reporter Speaks". The Hearne Democrat. October 16, 1953. p. 15. Retrieved May 1, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Joan Blondell's Sister in Film". Harrisburg Telegraph. April 30, 1938. p. 8. Retrieved May 1, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Gloria Blondell Granted Divorce". Kingsport News. August 8, 1945. p. 3. Retrieved May 1, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Gloria Blondell Wed To Advertising Man". The San Bernardino County Sun. September 15, 1946. p. 17. Retrieved May 1, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.