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Joan Fontaine

Joan Fontaine

Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (October 22, 1917 – December 15, 2013), known professionally as Joan Fontaine, was an English-American actress who is best known for her starring roles in Hollywood films during the "Golden Age". She was born in Tokyo, Japan, in what was known as the International Settlement. Her father was a British patent attorney with a lucrative practice in Japan, but due to Joan and older sister Olivia de Havilland's recurring ailments the family moved to California in the hopes of improving their health. Mrs. de Havilland and the two girls settled in Saratoga while their father went back to his practice in Japan. Joan's parents did not get along well and divorced soon afterward. Mrs. de Havilland had a desire to be an actress but her dreams were curtailed when she married, but now she hoped to pass on her dream to Olivia and Joan. While Olivia pursued a stage career, Joan went back to Tokyo, where she attended the American School. In 1934 she came back to California, where her sister was already making a name for herself on the stage. Joan likewise joined a theater group in San Jose and then Los Angeles to try her luck there. After moving to L.A., Joan adopted the name of Joan Burfield because she didn't want to infringe upon Olivia, who was using the family surname. She tested at MGM and gained a small role in No More Ladies (1935), but she was scarcely noticed and Joan was idle for a year and a half. During this time she roomed with Olivia, who was having much more success in films. In 1937, this time calling herself Joan Fontaine, she landed a better role as Trudy Olson in You Can't Beat Love (1937) and then an uncredited part in Quality Street (1937). Although the next two years saw her in better roles, she still yearned for something better. In 1940 she garnered her first Academy Award nomination for Rebecca (1940). Although she thought she should have won, (she lost out to Ginger Rogers in Kitty Foyle (1940)), she was now an established member of the Hollywood set. She would again be Oscar-nominated for her role as Lina McLaidlaw Aysgarth in Suspicion (1941), and this time she won. Joan was making one film a year but choosing her roles well. In 1942 she starred in the well-received This Above All (1942). The following year she appeared in The Constant Nymph (1943). Once again she was nominated for the Oscar, she lost out to Jennifer Jones in The Song of Bernadette (1943). By now it was safe to say she was more famous than her older sister and more fine films followed. In 1948, she accepted second billing to Bing Crosby in The Emperor Waltz (1948). Joan took the year of 1949 off before coming back in 1950 with September Affair (1950) and Born to Be Bad (1950). In 1951 she starred in Paramount's Darling, How Could You! (1951), which turned out badly for both her and the studio and more weak productions followed. Absent from the big screen for a while, she took parts in television and dinner theaters. She also starred in many well-produced Broadway plays such as Forty Carats and The Lion in Winter. Her last appearance on the big screen was The Witches (1966) and her final appearance before the cameras was Good King Wenceslas (1994). She is, without a doubt, a lasting movie icon.

Personal information

Birthday

1917-10-22

Birth Place

Tokyo, Japan

Movies and TV shows :

A Certain Smile

A Certain Smile

1958

5.8

Movie
A Damsel in Distress

A Damsel in Distress

1937

6.4

Movie
A Million to One

A Million to One

1936

3.0

Movie
All By Myself: The Eartha Kitt Story

All By Myself: The Eartha Kitt Story

1982

0.0

Movie
poster

Aloha Paradise

1981

5.0

TV
Becoming Cary Grant

Becoming Cary Grant

2017

6.8

Movie
Before the Fact: Suspicious Hitchcock

Before the Fact: Suspicious Hitchcock

2004

7.0

Movie
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

1956

6.9

Movie
Blond Cheat

Blond Cheat

1938

6.0

Movie
Born to Be Bad

Born to Be Bad

1950

5.8

Movie
Breakdowns of 1942

Breakdowns of 1942

1942

6.0

Movie
poster

Cannon

1971

6.5

TV
Casanova's Big Night

Casanova's Big Night

1954

6.1

Movie
poster

Crossings

1986

4.8

TV
Dark Mansions

Dark Mansions

1986

0.0

Movie
Darling, How Could You!

Darling, How Could You!

1951

6.0

Movie
Decameron Nights

Decameron Nights

1953

5.0

Movie
Flight to Tangier

Flight to Tangier

1953

6.1

Movie
poster

Four Star Playhouse

1952

6.1

TV
Frenchman's Creek

Frenchman's Creek

1944

5.0

Movie
From This Day Forward

From This Day Forward

1946

5.2

Movie
poster

General Electric Theater

1953

6.0

TV
George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey

George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey

1985

5.6

Movie
Good King Wenceslas

Good King Wenceslas

1994

3.0

Movie
Gunga Din

Gunga Din

1939

6.5

Movie
Hitchcock, Selznick and the End of Hollywood

Hitchcock, Selznick and the End of Hollywood

1999

7.6

Movie
Hollywood: The Selznick Years

Hollywood: The Selznick Years

1961

3.3

Movie
poster

Hotel

1982

6.8

TV
Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies

Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies

2000

0.0

Movie
Island in the Sun

Island in the Sun

1957

6.5

Movie
Ivanhoe

Ivanhoe

1952

6.8

Movie
Ivy

Ivy

1947

6.8

Movie
Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre

1943

6.9

Movie
Kiss the Blood Off My Hands

Kiss the Blood Off My Hands

1948

6.6

Movie
Letter from an Unknown Woman

Letter from an Unknown Woman

1948

7.8

Movie
poster

Letter to Loretta

1953

6.2

TV
Maid's Night Out

Maid's Night Out

1938

6.2

Movie
Man of Conquest

Man of Conquest

1939

5.2

Movie
Music for Madame

Music for Madame

1937

5.0

Movie
No More Ladies

No More Ladies

1935

5.1

Movie
poster

One Step Beyond

1959

5.6

TV
Othello

Othello

1951

7.4

Movie
Quality Street

Quality Street

1937

5.9

Movie
Rebecca

Rebecca

1940

7.9

Movie
September Affair

September Affair

1950

6.0

Movie
Serenade

Serenade

1956

5.5

Movie
Sky Giant

Sky Giant

1938

4.7

Movie
Something to Live For

Something to Live For

1952

6.8

Movie
Suspicion

Suspicion

1941

7.1

Movie
poster

Talking Pictures

2013

5.0

TV
Tender Is the Night

Tender Is the Night

1962

5.2

Movie
poster

The 20th Century Fox Hour

1955

5.2

TV
The Affairs of Susan

The Affairs of Susan

1945

6.1

Movie
poster

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

1962

7.8

TV
The Art Director

The Art Director

1949

0.0

Movie
The Bigamist

The Bigamist

1953

6.4

Movie
poster

The Bing Crosby Show

1964

5.0

TV
The Constant Nymph

The Constant Nymph

1943

5.8

Movie
The Duke of West Point

The Duke of West Point

1938

3.8

Movie
The Emperor Waltz

The Emperor Waltz

1948

5.9

Movie
poster

The Love Boat

1977

6.3

TV
The Man Who Found Himself

The Man Who Found Himself

1937

7.0

Movie
poster

The Mike Douglas Show

1961

5.1

TV
poster

The Oscars

1953

7.0

TV
The Users

The Users

1978

1.0

Movie
The Witches

The Witches

1966

6.1

Movie
The Women

The Women

1939

7.1

Movie
This Above All

This Above All

1942

6.6

Movie
poster

Tony Awards

1956

5.0

TV
Until They Sail

Until They Sail

1957

6.4

Movie
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

1961

5.7

Movie
poster

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

1958

5.3

TV
poster

What's My Line?

1950

6.7

TV
You Can't Beat Love

You Can't Beat Love

1937

6.0

Movie
You Gotta Stay Happy

You Gotta Stay Happy

1948

6.4

Movie