Back in the days of the studio system, character players with interesting faces were kept under contract to add spice to scenes. One such actress was Clara Blandick, a name some may not recall, but they would remember her face. Thanks to perennial TV airings and the advent of home video, generations of children have been exposed to her in what is undoubtedly her best-known part: Dorothy's stern but caring Auntie Em in "The Wizard of Oz" (1939).Born on an American ship docked in Hong Kong harbor, Blandick was raised in Boston and made her stage debut there as part of E.H. Sothern's stock
