Ladies Of Character Character Actresses
Clara Blandick
The Wizard Of Oz/ Auntie Em
Charlie Chan's Greatest Case/ Minerva Wintership
Huckleberry Finn/ Aunt Polly
Drums Along The Mohawk/ Mrs. Borst
Per Quinlan's Character Stars:
Dark haired, flat faced, small mouthed American actress who was often stern and disapproving but will be remembered as that homeliest of guardians - Dorothy's Auntie Em in The Wizard Of Oz.
Clara Blandick was born on a ship off the coast of Hong Kong in 1880.
Ms. Blandick became an actress early on. She was mostly on the stage however she made many films both silent and sound. A number of her early silent films were shorts. She started her film career at age 33. Her last film was in 1950.
Some of Clara Blandick's film roles were:
Mrs. Black Is Back (1914) as Emily Mason
The Stolen Triumph (1916) as Mrs. Rowley
Peggy, The Will Of The Wisp (1917) as Mrs. Donnelly
Wise Girls (1929) as Ma
The Girl Said No (1930) as Mrs. Ward
Men Are Like That (1930) as Ma Fisher
The Sins Of The Children (1939) as Martha Wagenkampf
Romance (1930) as Miss Armstrong
The Last Of The Duanes (1930) as Mrs. Duane
Tom Sawyer (1930) as Aunt Polly
Once A Sinner (1931) as Mrs. Mason
The Easiest Way (1931) as Agnes
The Drums Of Jeopardy (1931) as Abbie Krantz
It's A Wise Child (1931) as Mrs. Stanton
Daybreak (1931) as Frau Hoffman
I Take This Woman (1931) as Sue Barnes
Huckleberry Finn (1931) as Aunt Polly
Bought! (1931) as Mrs. Sprigg
Murder At Midnight (1931) as Aunt Julia Gray Kennedy
Possessed (1931) as Mother
The Wet Parade (1932) as Mrs. Tarleton
Shopworn (1932) as Mrs. Livingston
Two Against The World (1932) as Aunt Agatha
Life Begins (1932) as Mrs. West
Three On A Match (1932) as Mrs. Keaton
The Bitter Tea Of General Yen (1933) as Mrs. Jackson
Child Of Manhattan (1933) as Aunt Sophie
The Mind Reader (1933) as Auntie
Turn Back The Clock ( 1933) as Joe's Mother
Charlie Chan's Greatest Case (1933) as Minerva Winterslip
Ever In My Heart (1933) as Anna, The Cook
Going Hollywood (1933) as Mrs. Perkins
Beloved (1934) as Miss Murfee
As The Earth Turns (1934) as Cora
The Show Off (1934) as Ma
Harold Teen (1934) as Mrs. Lovewell
Sisters Under The Skin (1934) as Ms. Gower
The Girl From Missouri (1934) as Miss Newberry
The President Vanishes (1934) as Mrs. Deiling
Jealousy (1934) as Mrs. Douglas
Broadway Bill (1934) as Mrs. Peterson
Fugitive Lady (1934) as Aunt Margaret
The Winning Ticket (1935) as Aunt Maggie
Transient Lady (1935) as Eva Branham
Straight From The Heart (1935) as Mrs. Anderson
Princess O'Hara (1935) as Miss Van Courtland
Party Wire (1935) as Mrs. Sherman
The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine (1936) as Landlady
Hearts Divided (1936) as Aunt Ellen
Anthony Adverse (1936) as Mrs. Jorham
The Case Of The Velvet Claws ( 1936) as Judge Mary O'Daugherty
The Gorgeous Hussey (1936) as Louisa Abbott
In His Steps (1936) as Martha Adams
Make Way For A Lady (1936) as Mrs. Dell
Her Husband's Secretary (1937) as Aunt Gussie Kingdom
A Star Is Born (1937) as Aunt Martha
Wings Over Honolulu (1937) as Eve Curtis
The Road Back (1937) as Willy's Mother
Small Town Boy (1937) as Mrs. Armstrong
My Old Kentucky Home (1938) as Granny Blair
Professor Beware (1938) as Mrs. Green, Landlady
Crime Ring (1938) as Phoebe Sawyer
Swing, Sister, Swing (1938) as Ma Sister
Tom Sawyer, Detective ( 1938) as Aunt Polly
The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn (1939) as Miss Watson
I Was A Convict (1939) as Aunt Sarah Scarlett
The Wizard Of Oz (1939) as Auntie Em
The Star Maker (1939) as Miss Esther Jones
Main Street Lawyer (1939) as Matron
Drums Along The Mohawk (1939) as Mrs. Burst
Swanee River (1939) as Mrs. Griffin
Tomboy (1940) as Aunt Martha
Anne Of Windy Poplars (1940) as Mrs. Morton Pringle
Dreaming Out Loud (1940) as Jessica Spencer
North West Mounted Police (1940) as Mrs. Burns
Youth Will Be Served (1940) as Miss Bradshaw
The Wagons Roll At Night (1941) as Mrs. Williams
The Nurse's Secret (1941) as Miss Juliet Mitchell
The Getaway (1941) as Mrs. Higgins
Private Nurse (1941) as Miss Phillips
It Started With Eve (1941) as Nurse
One Foot In Heaven (1941) as Mrs. Watkins
Rings On Her Fingers (1942) as Mrs. Beasley
Lady In A Jam (1942) as Tourist
Gentleman Jim (1942) as Woman On Train
Du Barry Was A Lady (1943) as Old Lady In Subway
Dixie (1943) as Mrs. Mason
Heaven Can Wait (1943) as Grandmother Van Cleve
Shadow Of Suspicion (1944) as Mother Randall
Can't Help Singing (1944) as Aunt Cissy
Pillow Of Death (1945) as Bette Kincaid
Frontier Gal (1945) as Abigail
People Are Funny (1946) as Grandma Wilson
Claudia And David (1946) as Mrs. Barry
So Goes My Love (1946) as Mrs. Meade
She Wolf Of London (1946) as Mrs. Mac Broom
A Stolen Life (1946) as Martha
Philo Vance Returns (1947) as Stella Blendon
Life With Father (1947) as Miss Wiggins
The Bride Goes Wild (1948) as Aunt Pewtie
Mister. Soft Touch (1949) as Susan
Key To The City (1950) as Housekeeper
Love That Brute (1950) as Landlady
Ms. Blandick is probably best remembered at Aunt Em in The Wizard Of Oz, but as you can see from the above list she played many, many other aunts as well.
She appeared on television in only two series namely The Silver Theater (1949) and The Bigelow Theater (1951).
In her later years Ms. Blandick suffered with severe arthritis and impending blindness.
She was married to Staunton Elliot but the marriage ended in divorce after one year.
In declining health, Clara Blandick committed suicide in 1962 by overdosing on sleeping pills with a plastic bag over her head.
Ms. Blandick was great as Auntie Em. I also enjoyed her in the films Anthony Adverse, The Wagons Roll At Night, Pillow Of Death, Tom Sawyer, The Drums Of Jeopardy, Charlie Chan's Greatest Case and The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn.
Louie The Movie Buff