Clara Blandick

Biography

Clara Blandick was a character actress who was born aboard an American ship off the coast of Hong Kong on June 4, 1880. Little is known about her early life until she became an actress. Although she appeared in 118 films, she was primarily a stage actress. Clara actually began her film career at a late age. She was 33 when she was picked for the role as Emily Mason in Mrs. Black Is Back (1914). Her next film was The Stolen Triumph (1916), after which she returned to the stage, where she seemed more comfortable. She did not make another film until the age of 48, when she appeared in Poor Aubrey (1930). By now the studios knew her to be an outstanding character actress who was adept at filling minor roles. She had only three films under her belt at this time but would appear in more than 100 over the next 20 years. Nine films in 1930 and 13 the following year showed what a talent Clara really was. The role that was to immortalize her, however, was the part as Auntie Em in the classic The Wizard of Oz (1939). Clara continued in films until 1950, when she appeared on the screen for the final time in Key to the City (1950). By this time Clara had been suffering from poor health for years, and retired from the screen. On Palm Sunday, April 15, 1962, Clara went to church in Hollywood, California. When she returned she wrote a note stating she was about to take the greatest adventure of her life. She took an overdose of sleeping tablets and pulled a plastic bag over her head, thus ending her life. She was 81 years old.