Joan Fontaine

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Age

Birthday

Oct. 22nd, 1917

Born in

Tokyo, Japan

Height

5' 3"

Joan Fontaine's Main TV Roles

Show	Character(s)
Bare Essence	Laura
Mr. Adams and Eve	Joan Fontaine
Personality	Joan Fontaine
You're Putting Me On	Joan Fontaine

Main Movie Roles

1977 - Dites-lui que je l'aime
1961 - Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
1957 - Island in the Sun
1956 - Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
1952 - Ivanhoe
1952 - The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice
1950 - Born to Be Bad
1948 - The Emperor Waltz
1948 - Letter from an Unknown Woman
1948 - Kiss the Blood Off My Hands
1948 - You Gotta Stay Happy
1947 - Ivy
1941 - Suspicion
1940 - Rebecca
1939 - The Women
1939 - Gunga Din

NOTE: Complete List of Works can be found at IMDB

BIOGRAPHY:

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: The Natural History of a Woman (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 (I) 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) (TV). She is, without a doubt, a lasting movie icon.

TRIVIA:

Joked that the musical comedy _A Damsel in Distress (1937)_ (qv) set her career back four years. At the premiere, a woman sitting behind her loudly exclaimed, "Isn't she awful!" during Fontaine's onscreen attempt at dancing.
Became pregnant twice in 1964, at the age of 46, but miscarried both times.
Daughter, Martita, born 3 November 1946, adopted 1952. Ran away in 1963. When Joan found her she was refused contact with the child on the premise that her Peruvian adoption was not valid in the United States. Martita maintained a relationship with her sister Debbie, but never spoke to or saw Joan again.
She became an American citizen on April 23, 1943.
Ex-sister-in-law of 'Pierre Galante' (qv) and 'Marcus Goodrich' (qv).
Vice-President Emeritus of the Episcopal Actors' Guild of America.
She is a licensed pilot, champion balloonist, expert rider, prize-winning tuna fisherman, a hole-in-one golfer, Cordon Bleu chef and licensed interior decorator.
Allegedly was treated horribly by 'Laurence Olivier' (qv) during their time together on the set of _Rebecca (1940)_ (qv) as he had campaigned for his then-girlfriend 'Vivien Leigh' (qv) to be given the part of Mrs. De Winter.

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