Image of Joan Fontaine

Joan Fontaine

Born Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland on October 22, 1917, 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.


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Born:
Oct 22, 1917 In Tokyo, Japan
Movie/TV Credits:
69
First Appeared:
In the movie No More Ladies 1935-06-14
Latest Project:
Movie Becoming Cary Grant 2017-05-23
Known For
Poster of A Certain Smile
Poster of Decameron Nights
Poster of Sky Giant
Poster of You Can't Beat Love
Filmography
Movie Becoming Cary Grant Self (archive footage) 2017-05-23
Series Talking Pictures Herself 2013-01-05
Movie Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen (archive footage) 2012-02-04
Movie Before the Fact: Suspicious Hitchcock Self (archive footage) 2004-09-07
Movie Hitchcock, Selznick and the End of Hollywood Self (archive footage) 1999-01-23
Movie Good King Wenceslas Queen Ludmilla 1994-11-26
Series Crossings Alexandra Markham 1986-02-23
Movie Dark Mansions Margaret Drake 1986-08-23
Movie George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 1985-03-03
Movie All By Myself: The Eartha Kitt Story Self 1982-09-10
Series Hotel Unknown 1982-08-21
Movie The Users Grace St. George 1978-10-01
Series The Love Boat Unknown 1977-09-24
Series Cannon Unknown 1971-09-14
Movie The Witches Gwen Mayfield 1966-11-21
Movie Hollywood Without Make-Up Self (archive footage) 1963-07-01
Movie Tender Is the Night Baby Warren 1962-01-19
Movie Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Dr. Susan Hiller 1961-07-12
Movie Hollywood: The Selznick Years Self (uncredited) 1961-12-31
Series One Step Beyond Unknown 1959-01-20
Movie South Pacific Polynesian Woman 1958-03-18
Movie A Certain Smile Françoise Ferrand 1958-07-31
Series Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Unknown 1958-10-06
Movie Island in the Sun Mavis Norman 1957-06-12
Movie Until They Sail Anne Leslie 1957-10-08
Movie Serenade Kendall Hale 1956-03-23
Movie Beyond a Reasonable Doubt Susan Spencer 1956-09-13
Movie Casanova's Big Night Francesca Bruni 1954-04-07
Series General Electric Theater Unknown 1953-02-01
Movie Decameron Nights Fiametta / Bartolomea / Ginevra / Isabella 1953-01-13
Series The Oscars Unknown 1953-03-19
Series Letter to Loretta Unknown 1953-09-20
Movie Flight to Tangier Susan Lane 1953-11-20
Movie The Bigamist Eve Graham 1953-12-03
Movie Something to Live For Jenny Carey 1952-03-07
Movie Ivanhoe Rowena 1952-07-31
Movie Othello Page 1951-11-28
Movie Darling, How Could You! Alice Grey 1951-08-08
Movie Born to Be Bad Christabel Caine Carey 1950-09-28
Movie September Affair Manina Stuart 1950-10-18
Movie The Art Director Self / Jane Eyre (archive footage) (uncredited) 1949-11-12
Movie Letter from an Unknown Woman Lisa Berndle 1948-04-28
Movie The Emperor Waltz Johanna Augusta Franziska 1948-07-02
Movie You Gotta Stay Happy Dee Dee Dillwood 1948-10-28
Movie Kiss the Blood Off My Hands Jane Wharton 1948-10-30
Movie Ivy Ivy 1947-06-26
Movie From This Day Forward Susan 1946-03-02
Movie The Affairs of Susan Susan Darell 1945-07-08
Movie Frenchman's Creek Dona St. Columb 1944-09-20
Movie The Constant Nymph Tessa Sanger 1943-06-23
Movie Jane Eyre Jane Eyre 1943-12-24
Movie This Above All Prudence Cathaway 1942-05-12
Movie Breakdowns of 1942 Self 1942-12-31
Movie Suspicion Lina McLaidlaw Aysgarth 1941-11-14
Movie Rebecca Mrs. de Winter 1940-03-23
Movie Gunga Din Emmaline "Emmy" Stebbins 1939-01-26
Movie The Women Peggy Day 1939-09-01
Movie Man of Conquest Eliza Allen 1939-05-15
Movie Maid's Night Out Sheila Harrison 1938-03-03
Movie Blond Cheat Julie Evans 1938-06-17
Movie Sky Giant Meg Lawrence 1938-07-22
Movie The Duke of West Point Ann Porter 1938-12-29
Movie The Man Who Found Himself Doris King 1937-04-02
Movie Quality Street Charlotte Parratt 1937-03-26
Movie You Can't Beat Love Trudy Olson 1937-06-25
Movie Music for Madame Jean Clemens 1937-10-08
Movie A Damsel in Distress Alyce Marshmorton 1937-11-19
Movie A Million to One Joan Stevens 1936-12-31
Movie No More Ladies Caroline Rumsey 1935-06-14