Clara Blandick, born Clara Dickey, was an American actress with a fascinating life story. Born on June 4, 1880, aboard an American ship off the coast of Hong Kong, her early life remains somewhat shrouded in mystery until she began her acting career.
Growing up in Boston, Clara first took to the stage in E.H. Sothern's 'Richard Lovelace', marking the beginning of her illustrious acting career. Although she appeared in a total of 118 films, Clara was primarily a stage actress, with her film career commencing at a relatively late age.
At 33 years old, Clara was cast in the role of Emily Mason in Mrs. Black Is Back (1914),followed by The Stolen Triumph (1916). After this, she returned to the stage, where she seemed to find greater comfort. It wasn't until she was 48 years old that Clara made her next film appearance, in Poor Aubrey (1930).
Despite a slow start, Clara's film career eventually took off, with her appearing in over 100 films over the next 20 years. In 1930, she made nine films, and the following year, she appeared in 13 more. Her most iconic role, however, was as "Auntie Em" in The Wizard of Oz (1939),a performance that would cement her place in Hollywood history.
Clara continued to work in films until 1950, when she appeared in Key to the City (1950),marking her final on-screen appearance. By this time, Clara had been struggling with poor health for years, including painful arthritis and failing eyesight, leading her to retire from the screen.
On Palm Sunday, April 15, 1962, at the age of 85, Clara attended church in Hollywood before returning home. She wrote a note stating that she was about to embark on the greatest adventure of her life, before taking an overdose of sleeping tablets and pulling a plastic bag over her head, bringing an end to her life.
