Addams Family!--BLOSSOM Rock (Grandmama) Surprising Facts You Probably Didn't Know About! 

You can see Blossom (as Marie Blake) in the many DR. KILDARE film serials from the '30s/'40s with Lionel Barrymore and Lew Ayres. She played a wise cracking nurse. TCM runs them every once in a while.

Didn't know she was Jeanette McDonald's sister. As for paying $5 in the 1930s that was alot of money in today's money about $150. Thanks Rick for the info.

This is one of my favorite shows on television. I just loved the romance between Morticia and her husband. Blossom Rock was a wonderful addition to this show. Everyone was such an important part of the show themselves, no matter how small or large their role.

Morticia's mom was Margaret Hamilton! Truly fun and amazing!

Addams family members all are great. Wish we had TV shows like this clean and funny. R.I.P to all who have departed.

It was wonderful to hear about Blossom Rock. It equally a joy to see those photos from the show which showed her with Margaret Hamilton, who, of course, we all remember as the wicked witch from the “Wizard of Oz” with Judy Garland.

What makes the story about Blossom Rock's inability to sing on key funny is that her sister Jeanette MacDonald was a star of musicals, noted for her operatic voice.

I'm working on my associate's degree in "Addams Family" and my bachelor's in "I Love Lucy" by watching the rick nineg channel! Fully accredited degree offerings in vintage televsion!

Blossom Rock as Grandmama was a sweet character. Thanks for the info on her, Rick9g. I had always figured she was Appalatian or her parents were just free spirit types. So cool that her mother was Margaret Hamilton.

My favorite moment was when she was giving Wednesday romance advice. I liked how she gently brushed Wednesday's hair in that scene.

Very interesting and I liked how she and Fester got along.

Hello Rick, there is a wonderful "This is Your Life" television show out here on RU-vid (from November 1952) which featured the lovely and talented Jeanette MacDonald as that show's subject and Miss Rock makes an appearance to greet her famous sister. As you point out, Blossom Rock certainly carved out a solid career for herself and we affectionately recall the beloved Grandmama from the Addams Family. Thank you for keeping the memories alive!

Very cool! I knew some of this since blossom is my ancestor from the philly area, but it was great to learn more about my relative. If she's really like my grandma then its not surprising she was elegant w great wit!

Hey Rick, thanks for sharing your video on Blossom Rock. She was an actress that I knew very little about, it was sad about her stroke & having to live her last years in a facility. Be Hopeful, I am ☺

Margaret Hamilton apparently wore the Miss Almira Gulch outfit as she did in "The Wizard of Oz" in the two parter, "Morticia's Romance"!!!

Great vid Rick, I always loved her as Grandmama on the Addams family. I also remember seeing her in a Little Rascals short. As far as her watching the reunion, that had to be like Curly Howard watching Shemp as the 3rd Stooge after Curly's stroke.

Thanks I didn't know about her thanks for sharing

She also played an uncredited small role as Mrs. Wright (mother of one of the babies) in 1945's "Christmas in Connecticut," starring Barbara Stanwyck.

Wow.. Amazing to me. Great Info! Sad that she never got to join her TV family for the reunion but I'm sure she was proud. I'm almost pretty sure she never regretted doing the show! Thank you for the share!

Congrats Patrick. When I think of Blossom Rock I think of the opening when she is sharpening the blade on that old foot powered rock grinder.

Congrats to the winner of your give away! Thanks for sharing this spotlight on Gandmama, Blossom Rock! I think she was great in the marriage episode playing along side the Wicked Witch of the West, Margaret Hamilton.

Blossom Macdonald-Rock was amazingly beautiful!!! At least as beautiful as Jeanette. And, in my opinion, more talented. Thank you, Rick, for sharing.

I was sad she wasn't on the reunion....glad you explained why. I laughed about her singing off key, considering what a wonderful singer her sister was. My family is like that, the women can sing, the men, off key. But they know every word!

Well done Rick! Looking forward to your next!

Grandmama totally rock! She was the one with the funny punchlines.

I heard that when Morticia's mother was on the show, Margaret Hamilton, the 2 of them would enthrall the cast with tales of Vaudeville

Blossom Rock (MARIE BLAKE) would appear in 1939 in Our Gang comedy short Alfalfa's Aunt who played Aunt Penelope who was an amateur mystery writer.

Blossom and her famous sister Jeanette MacDonald grew up about a mile from my home here in West Philadelphia.

Great info as always Rick! Have a great weekend! Yeah, Uncle Fester stuff would be good too.

What a sad ending for Blossom Rock, I am happy to hear she was nothing like her character in real life. Great information 👍. Thanks for your positive attitude 👍😊.

Very interesting! Nice to know more about Blossom Rock.

You're always chock full of interesting facts Rick. Thanks Bud.

To bad it is now. I did not know much about her till now. Look up a pix of her. She was like my mom( born 1921) . Just a nice looking Lady.

I didn’t know any of this about Blossom Rock. Thank you for the Rick, it was really interesting.

I love her name Blossom ..❤❤❤❤

Thanks for the info to round out the personalities we watched in the past. Hugs.

I think Blossom Rock was the classier of the sisters.. I still love her, and the whole cast..

The giveaway contest was fixed!! My proof? Because I didn't win!

Living in shadow of her sisters fame? Well Blossom is remembered, her sister not so much.

Great video! Thanks!

It's unlikely you'll ever read these words again, but Grandmama has always been my favourite member of the Addams Family. Though I'd grown up watching the TV series in reruns, I believe Judith Malina first endeared the character to me in the 1991 film. I enjoyed Carol Kane's take on the character, but the fact that she was a much younger women (even younger than Anjelica Huston, who was a year older when Kane was cast to play her mother in "Addams Family Values") and the heavy makeup and floor length hair kept her from being believable enough for me. Though I've heard conflicting reasons as to why Malina was replaced, she was perfect in every scene she appeared in, despite a majority of her screentime was cut in the editing. When the TV show debuted in 1964, Blossom Rock received criticism for being the most restrained in her performance. In my opinion, she played what should have been a "giggly old hag" (Charles Addams's description) entirely too subtle, especially while sharing the screen with the other leads. You can still find evidence that in many publicity shots taken prior to filming the pilot, Grandmama's appearance was originally much closer in appearance to the original cartoons. Blossom Rock was given bushy eyebrows, missing teeth, and a more matted gray wig. Had they kept this aesthetic, she may have taken the opportunity to have developed a more comedic take on Grandmama that would balance her more with the outrageous antics of Jackie Coogan and John Astin. But in choosing the more subtle approach, she just faded into the background to the point that even today, Grandmama's often omitted or forgotten entirely. Some might argue that she could have ended up being TOO cartoonish, but in the Addams Family, that should never be a concern. To date, there is but one actress that I believe perfectly encapsulated Grandmama. Her name is Jackie Hoffman and if you're not familiar with her name, you need to be. Go Google her NOW. One of the true highlights - I say that because there are sadly few - of the Addams Family musical that had a short run on Broadway was that the creators of the show finally did Grandmama justice and gave her some of the best lines in the entire show (AND STAY OUT OF MY S**T OR I'LL RIP YOUR LEG OFF AND BURY IT IN THE BACKYARD!"). She was 102 years old, suffered from every malady she could complain about, held out hope that she'd still find a couple of 90 year-old hotties just waiting to chomp down on a Grandma sandwich, and loved "nature's candy" - no prescription needed! There was also a hilarious inside-joke for hardcore fans surrounding the confusion about who's mother she actually was. Not too many people can successfully upstage Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth, but Jackie Hoffman yanked the rug out from under both and proceeded to mop the floor with them. Sadly, her iteration is only available for posterity through bootleg footage on RU-vid, but it's there nonetheless. And it is brilliant.

She was great as grandmama. Miss her

If Blossom could only have seen the wonderful first Family Values movie. Really great movie.

Blossom Rocked!!

Which episode had that interaction between Blossom and Margaret Hamilton?

Is that Margaret Hamilton (Wicked Witch of the West)?

COBGRATS PATRI C K!

(See: 4:53) "I wonder what she thought when she was watching the special that she couldn't be on. Was it a bittersweet moment? Was she happy and laughing with the script and what was going on?" Ummm....no. She was likely thanking her lucky stars that, unlike the others that had to slog through that mess of a "reunion," she had a genuine reason to keep herself far from it.

I didnt know anything on blossom so thanks for the video and congrats to Patrick!!

love her in all episodes

My favorite grandmama episode was where she tried to learn to paint from Picasso

Very interesting.

FANTASTIC!!!

Very interesting video, Rick. I learned a lot about Blossom Rock that I never knew.

Wonderful video, Rick!

Hey Rick. Thanks for another great video. I've missed your live chats. Hope all is well. How is your flying coming along?

Keep up the good work...

Congrats Patrick!!

This is very interesting!!

Maybe she should be happy she wasn't in that Addam's Family reunion TV movie. It was awful.

She was a Fox in early yrs .

I’m curious why did you refer to her as a witch

Wasn't that the actress in this clip that played the wicked which in the Wizard of Oz?

RAISING NY DAUGHTER, I HAD HER CALLING MY MOTHER-IN-LAW GRANDMAMA!!

She could've played granny on The Beverly Hilllbillies She would have been perfect.

H E L P . . . I'm confused after watching 2 times. Is the woman in the hat her sister? She looks like the witch on The Wizard of Oz.

I was the 100th like and 666TH VIEW on an Addams Family video. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing 😄

What is funny, is that Margaret Hamilton turned down the role of Grandmama.

you never research anything