Clara Blandick

Clara Blandick (June 4, 1880 – April 15, 1962) was an American actress best known for her portrayal of Auntie Em in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. She was born Clara Dickey, the daughter of Isaac B. and Hattie (Mudgett) Dickey, aboard the Willard Mudgett—an American ship captained by her father, and docked in Hong Kong harbor. Her parents settled in Quincy, Massachusetts, by 1880. She grew up in Boston, and there met famed Shakespearean actor, E... more

Clara Blandick (June 4, 1880 – April 15, 1962) was an American actress best known for her portrayal of Auntie Em in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. She was born Clara Dickey, the daughter of Isaac B. and Hattie (Mudgett) Dickey, aboard the Willard Mudgett—an American ship captained by her father, and docked in Hong Kong harbor. Her parents settled in Quincy, Massachusetts, by 1880. She grew up in Boston, and there met famed Shakespearean actor, E. H. Sothern, with whom she appeared onstage in a production of the play Richard Lovelace. She moved from Boston to New York City by 1900, and began pursuing acting as a career. Her first professional appearance came in 1901, when she was cast as Jehanneton in the play If I Were King, which ran for 56 performances at Garden Theatre (an early component of Madison Square Garden). She achieved acclaim for her role in The Christian and was described by newspaper critics as a "dainty, petite, and graceful" heroine. In 1911 she made her first movie,... less