Joan Blondell was one of the most popular and versatile actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Age. She starred in more than 100 films and television shows, ranging from comedies and musicals to dramas and thrillers. She was known for her blonde hair, blue eyes, and witty personality, as well as her friendships and marriages with some of the biggest names in show business. But behind her glamorous image, Joan Blondell had a tragic life that was marked by personal struggles, failed relationships, and a fatal disease. Here is the story of Joan Blondell’s cause of death and how she bravely faced leukemia until her final days.
Early Life and Career
Joan Blondell was born Rose Joan Blondell on August 30, 1906, in New York City. Her parents were vaudeville performers who traveled around the world with their children. Joan made her stage debut at the age of four months and learned to sing, dance, and act from an early age. She won several beauty pageants as a teenager and moved to Broadway in 1927. She met James Cagney, another aspiring actor, in a play called Penny Arcade. The play was adapted into a film by Warner Bros., who signed both Joan and James to contracts. This marked the beginning of Joan’s successful film career.
Joan quickly became a star at Warner Bros., appearing in many films with Cagney, such as The Public Enemy (1931), Blonde Crazy (1931), and Footlight Parade (1933). She also co-starred with Dick Powell, another Warner Bros. contract player, in several musicals, such as Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), Dames (1934), and Gold Diggers of 1937 (1936). Joan and Dick fell in love and married in 1936, after Joan divorced her first husband, cinematographer George Barnes. Joan and Dick had one son, Norman Powell, who later became a producer and director.
Personal Problems and Career Decline
Joan Blondell’s marriage to Dick Powell was not a happy one. Dick was unfaithful to Joan and had affairs with other actresses, such as Ruby Keeler and June Allyson. Joan also suffered a miscarriage in 1938 and became depressed. She left Warner Bros. in 1939 and tried to find better roles at other studios, but her career began to decline. She divorced Dick in 1944 and married Mike Todd, a flamboyant producer who was known for his lavish productions and extravagant lifestyle. Mike Todd was abusive to Joan and squandered her money on gambling and debts. They divorced in 1950.
Joan Blondell’s film career also suffered in the 1940s and 1950s. She was typecast as a supporting character or a comic relief, often playing older or matronly roles. She did receive some critical acclaim for her performances in films such as The Blue Veil (1951), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945), for which she won a New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress. She also appeared on Broadway and on television, where she had more opportunities to showcase her talent.
Final Years and Death
In the late 1950s, Joan Blondell moved to Hollywood again and resumed her film career. She appeared in some notable films, such as Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957), The Cincinnati Kid (1965), Grease (1978), and The Champ (1979). She also continued to work on television, starring in shows such as Here Come the Brides (1968-1970) and Banyon (1971-1973). She received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Opening Night (1977), a film directed by John Cassavetes.
However, Joan Blondell’s health was deteriorating. She was diagnosed with leukemia in 1977 and underwent chemotherapy treatments. She kept working despite her illness, but she became weaker and thinner. She died on December 25, 1979, at the age of 73, in Santa Monica, California. She was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
Joan Blondell’s cause of death was leukemia, a type of blood cancer that affects the production of white blood cells. Leukemia can cause symptoms such as fatigue, fever, infections, bleeding, bruising, weight loss, bone pain, and swollen lymph nodes. Leukemia can be treated with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, stem cell transplantation, or targeted therapy. However, some types of leukemia are more aggressive than others and have a poor prognosis. According to Wikipedia, Joan Blondell had acute myeloid leukemia, which is a fast-growing and fatal type of leukemia that affects the bone marrow and the blood.
Joan Blondell was a talented and beloved actress who entertained millions of people with her charm, humor, and beauty. She was also a courageous and resilient woman who faced many challenges and hardships in her life. She never gave up on her passion and her profession, even when she was battling a deadly disease. She left behind a legacy of more than 100 films and television shows, as well as a family and many friends who loved her. Joan Blondell’s cause of death was leukemia, but her spirit and her memory live on.
