A soap actress who also had two significant movie roles as Elvis Presley’s love interest has sadly passed away at the age of 87.
Joan Blackman was born on May 17, 1938, in San Francisco, California. Her son, Ngai Tarkington, told The Hollywood Reporter that she passed away on Monday, March 16, at a hospital in Santa Rosa, California, having been a long-time resident of nearby Calistoga. No cause of death has been disclosed.
Blackman’s most prominent television role came in the mid-1960s, when she played Marian Fowler in 16 episodes of the primetime ABC soap opera “Peyton Place.”
She was most famous for performing opposite the iconic Presley in two of his most famous films. Blackman played Maile Duval in the 1961 musical rom-com “Blue Hawaii” and Rose Grogan in the 1962 musical “Kid Galahad.”
However, Blackman’s back catalog of television and movie appearances went far beyond those roles.
Joan Blackman Had an Extensive Filmography
In addition to “Peyton Place,” “Blue Hawaii,” and “Kid Galahad,” Joan Blackman had many credits on both the small and big screens.
On television, Blackman appeared in many well-known shows. They included the drama series “Playbill,” the classic Western “Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans,” the comedy-drama series “The Dick Powell Show,” the drama series “Slattery’s People,” the legal drama “Perry Mason,” the classic Western “Bonanza,” the action-adventure series “I Spy,” the classic Western “Gunsmoke,” and the drama series “Doc Elliot.”
Movie-wise, she appeared in the 1959 Western “Good Day for a Hanging,” the 1959 drama “Career” (opposite Dean Martin), the 1960 sci-fi comedy “Visit to a Small Planet” (opposite Jerry Lewis), The 1961 comedy-drama “The Great Impostor”, the 1963 courtroom drama “Twilight of Honor,” the 1968 action drama “Daring Game,” the 1974 road movie “Pets,” the 1974 Southern Gothic crime thriller “Macon County Line,” and the 1975 action comedy “Moonrunners.”
When news of Blackman’s passing began circulating online, tributes to the star began to flood in.
Tributes Poured In for Joan Blackman
Social media is now awash with heartfelt tributes to Joan Blackman following the news of her passing.
Under one Instagram post announcing her death, which featured a picture of her with Elvis Presley in “Blue Hawaii” (along with several others), an Instagram user wrote, “😢 Such a beautiful lady! Blue Hawaii is my favorite Elvis movie. R.I.P. Ms Blackman say hi to Elvis! 👼”
Someone else under the same post commented, “Oh no 😥 so sad.”
On X, under The Hollywood Reporter’s post about the news, one individual said, “I had no idea she lived locally. Would have loved to have met her. Kid Galahad is by far my favorite Elvis movie not least because of her.”
Another X user replied to the post, writing, “RIP. Nice actress.”
Blackman has been married twice — bot times to fellow actors. Her first marriage to Joby Baker lasted from 1959 until their 1961 divorce. Her second marriage Rockne Tarkington lasted from 1968 until their 1970 divorce. Her son, Ngai, told The Hollywood Reporter that his mother spent her post-Hollywood years gardening and singing in intimate spots around her local town. Her other son, Rockne Tarkington Jr., passed away in 2019.
We’d like to send our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Joan Blackman at this sad time. May her memory be a blessing and may she rest in eternal peace.
Joan Blackman’s filmography and some personal info were courtesy of IMDb.
