Discuss Marie Blake
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'The Addams Family' actress was screen star Jeanette MacDonald's sister
posted by genplant29STAFFMOD on January 5, 2020 at 6:34 AM
I never knew, till learning just recently, that Marie Blake (better known as Blossom Rock), who portrayed Grandma Addams in The Addams Family t.v. series, was the older sister of singing '30s and '40s major screen star Jeanette MacDonald.
Marie's original name was Edith Marie Blossom MacDonald. Blossom Rock was the name that Marie, in her personal life, was most known by, as Blossom was the name she had gone by since I believe childhood, and Rock was her marriage last name. Therefore, by the time of The Addams Family, Blossom Rock was the name (and it was her real-life name) she chose to be credited as. Meanwhile, Marie Blake had been her professional name throughout the majority of her acting career, which is why that's the name she's primarily listed under on TMDb and IMDb.
At any rate, I never would have guessed that Blossom/Marie was Jeanette MacDonald's sister, as there was no real resemblance, and the two women were entirely different types. Plus the names situation, of this actress never having professionally gone by the last name MacDonald, further throws one off the scent.
Please check out the following list of titles and celebrities I've created TMDb threads for: https://www.themoviedb.org/list/118052
Reply by QuitePleasant
on January 6, 2020 at 1:19 PM
Yes, that's funny how you never find out for a long time how two very different actresses could be real-life sisters.
Thinking that in this case, there was an "Entertainment" category question in one of those 1990's "Trivial Pursuit" games regarding these two, such as, "Who is Blossom Rock's famous movie star sister?"
And then, on occasion when they rerun those vintage "This Is Your Life" programs, as "This Is Your Life, Jeanette MacDonald" (Episode debuts September 13, 1953), Blossom appears as one of its guests, surprising Jeanette.
Also before "Grandmama," Marie plays "Sally the Hospital Switchboard Operator" in Doctor Kildare and Dr. Gillespie film series, for 15 movies in all (1938-47).
Elsewhere, Blossom (usually as Marie, and often uncredited anyway), also supports some of Hollywood's greatest stars, such as Crawford, Rogers, Colbert, Stanwyck, deHavilland and Power in such well-remembered films as....
And the Three Stooges themselves.
Nice tribute!
Reply by JustPearry
on January 10, 2020 at 1:22 AM
Right. Hard to believe that! And what other show biz stars brothers or sisters!
Steve Forrest and Dana Andrews! Peter Graves and James Arness! Martin and Chris Kattz! Zsa Zsa and Eva Gabor!
Reply by genplant29
on January 10, 2020 at 1:55 AM
Great comments and recollections, Quite. I'm so glad it was Blossom - not Jeanette - who performed with the Three Stooges. Jeanette with the Stooges would've been so very wrong!
@Pearry, I had forgotten (if I ever knew) that Steve Forrest and Dana Andrews were brothers, ditto that Peter Graves and James Arness were! (I've never heard of the Kattzes - or at least their names aren't ones I'm presently able to recall.)
Reply by JustPearry
on January 10, 2020 at 2:12 AM
The Kattzes should really be the Brothers Kratt, who are shown on PBS. Now they are starting to look alike.
Reply by genplant29
on January 10, 2020 at 2:19 AM
Ah, the Kratts - right. I'm definitely familiar with them, both from their past regular series and their current animated series. I used to watch the past series on main PBS, and every so often during the last few years stumble upon parts of episodes of their current animated series on PBS Kids.
Reply by QuitePleasant
on January 10, 2020 at 11:35 AM
Speaking of "Addams Family" connections, then there's Pugsley....
Reply by genplant29
on January 10, 2020 at 7:50 PM
That's great trivia, Quite!
This may be of interest, to bring back memories.
Reply by JustPearry
on January 11, 2020 at 2:18 AM
Let's pick up from Al Jolson - who discovered Joanne Dru - who is a sister of Peter Marshall of Hollywood Squares.
Joanne Dru - two of her ex husbands are Dick Haymes and John Ireland.
Joanne Dru's last movie - Sylvia - with Ann Sothern.
Ann Sothern stars in musicals with Gene Raymond.
Gene Raymond was set up to marry Jeanette MacDonald - who wanted to marry Nelson Eddy - but LB Mayer would not permit that because it would break up their duet acting!
Jeanette - back to Blossom Marie!
And Dick Haymes stars in musicals with Betty Grable - whose last appearance is on Hollywood Squares!