Wikipedia's first sentence called it “american actress”. Today it says “american actress who performed in film and television for 50 years”. Sections present on October 6, 2023 no longer exist: “Gallery”.
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The opening as it read in 2005
Joan Blondell ( August 30 , 1906 - December 25 , 1979 ) was an American actress . Born into a vaudeville family in New York City , Blondell was a sexy, wisecracking, blonde pre- Hays Code staple of Warner Brothers who appeared in more than 100 movies and television productions. She was one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars in 1931 . Her father, known as Eddie Joan Blondell, was a vaudeville comedian who was one of the original Katzenjammer Kids . Her younger sister, Gloria Blondell ( 1910 - 1986 ), was also an actress. The daughter of travelling showpeople, Blondell had seen much of the world by the time the family settled in Dallas, Texas while she was a teenager. She won a local beauty contest and travelled to New York to become an actress. She soon moved to Hollywood where she was placed under contract by Warner Brothers Studios , making her film debut in 1930. During the 1930s she would embody the depression era gold-digger, and with her huge eyes, blonde hair and wise cracking personality, became a crowd favourite. She appeared in more Warner Brothers films than any other actress, and referred to herself as "Warner's workhorse". The popularity of her films made a great contribution to the studio's profitability. Blondell was paired with James Cagney in such films as The Public Enemy ( 1931 ), and was one half of the gold-digging duo (with Glenda Farrell ) in nine films. During the Great Depression , Blondell was one of the highest paid individuals in the United States . Her stirring rendition of Remember My Forgotten Man in the Busby Berkeley production of Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), in which she co-starred with Dick Powell and Ginger Rogers , became an anthem for the frustrations of the unemployed and President Herbert Hoover 's failed economic policies. By the end of the decade she had made nearly 50 films. Continuing to work regularly for the rest of her life, Blondell was well received in her later films, and received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role in The Painted Veil ( 1951 ). She was widely seen in two films released not long before her death, Grease ( 1978 ) and The Champ ( 1979 ). She was married first in 1932 to the cinematographer George S. Barnes ( 1892 - 1953 ); they divorced in 1936 . Her second husband, married on September 19 , 1936, was the actor , director , and singer Dick Powell ; they were divorced on July 14 , 1944 , and had two children, Ellen Powell and Norman S. Powell (who became an actor, producer, and director). She married as her third husband, in 1947 , the producer Michael Todd , who divorced her in 1950 . She died of leukemia in Santa Monica, California and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California . Joan Blondell has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to Motion Pictures, at 6309 Hollywood Boulevard.1
This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 16121865.
The opening as it stood in 2010 23 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
After winning a beauty pageant, Blondell embarked upon a film career.Establishing herself as a sexy wisecracking blonde, she was a pre- Hays Code staple of Warner Brothers and appeared in more than 100 movies and television productions.She was most active in films during the 1930s, and during this time she co-starred with Glenda Farrell in nine films, in which the duo portrayed gold-diggers .Blondell continued acting for the rest of her life, often in small character roles or supporting television roles.Blondell was seen in featured roles in two films released shortly before her death from leukemia , Grease (1978) and the remake of The Champ (1979).
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 370848963.
The opening as it stood in 2015
Rose Joan Blondell (August 30, 1906 – December 25, 1979) was an American actress who performed in movies and on television for five decades as Joan Blondell . After winning a beauty pageant, Blondell embarked upon a film career. Establishing herself as a sexy wisecracking blonde, she was a pre-Code staple of Warner Brothers and appeared in more than 100 movies and television productions. She was most active in films during the 1930s, and during this time she co-starred with Glenda Farrell in nine films, in which the duo portrayed gold-diggers . Blondell continued acting for the rest of her life, often in small character roles or supporting television roles. Blondell was seen in featured roles in two films released shortly before her death from leukemia , Grease (1978) and the remake of The Champ (1979).
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 669131419.
The opening as it stood in 2020 2 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
American actress Rose Joan Blondell (August 30, 1906 – December 25, 1979) was an American actress who performed in film and television for half a century.She began her career in vaudeville . After winning a beauty pageant, Blondell embarked upon a film career. She established herself as a Pre-Code staple of Warner Bros.Pictures in wisecracking, sexy roles, and appeared in more than 100 films and television productions.She was most active in film during the 1930s and early 1940s, and during that time she co-starred with Glenda Farrell in nine films, in which the duo portrayed gold diggers .Blondell continued acting on film and television for the rest of her life, often in small, supporting roles.Near the end of her life, Blondell was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Opening Night (1977).She was featured in two more films, the blockbuster musical Grease (1978) and Franco Zeffirelli 's The Champ (1979), which was released shortly before Blondell's death from leukemia .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 965023428.
The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023 1 passage from the previous snapshot no longer appear
American actress (1906–1979) Rose Joan Blondell (August 30, 1906 – December 25, 1979) was an American actress who performed in film and television for 50 years.Blondell began her career in vaudeville .After winning a beauty pageant, she embarked on a film career, establishing herself as a Pre-Code staple of Warner Bros.Pictures in wisecracking, sexy roles, appearing in more than 100 films and television productions.She was most active in film during the 1930s and early 1940s, and during that time co-starred with Glenda Farrell , a colleague and close friend, in nine films. Blondell continued acting on film and television for the rest of her life, often in small, supporting roles. Near the end of her life, Blondell was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Opening Night (1977). She was featured in two more films, the blockbuster musical Grease (1978) and Franco Zeffirelli 's The Champ (1979), which was released shortly before her death from leukemia . The Macmillan International Film Encyclopedia (2 ed.).The Oxford Companion to the American Musical .There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1177297872.
The opening as it stood in 2025
American actress (1906–1979) Rose Joan Blondell (August 30, 1906 – December 25, 1979) was an American actress who performed in film and television for 50 years. Blondell began her career in vaudeville . After winning a beauty pageant, she embarked on a film career, establishing herself as a Pre-Code staple of Warner Bros. Pictures in wisecracking, sexy roles, appearing in more than 100 films and television productions. She was most active in film during the 1930s and early 1940s, and during that time co-starred with Glenda Farrell , a colleague and close friend, in nine films. Blondell continued acting on film and television for the rest of her life, often in small, supporting roles. In 1958, she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performance as Mrs.Farrow in The Rope Dancers . Near the end of her life, Blondell was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Opening Night (1977). She was featured in two more films, the blockbuster musical Grease (1978) and Franco Zeffirelli 's The Champ (1979), which was released shortly before her death from leukemia. The Macmillan International Film Encyclopedia (2nd ed.). The Oxford Companion to the American Musical . There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).
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Today
Wikipedia's first sentence called it “american actress”. Today it says “american actress who performed in film and television for 50 years”. Sections present on October 6, 2023 no longer exist: “Gallery”. Read the current article and compare.
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What Wikipedia says this is
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Then
american actress
Now
american actress who performed in film and television for 50 years
Sections that no longer exist
Present on October 6, 2023, absent today, with no near-matching heading in the current article and the article shorter overall, so this is not a renamed heading or a topic absorbed into a fuller treatment. 1 section of 400 characters or more gone since October 6 2023, with the article 60 characters shorter.
Gallery
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