Joan Fontaine, a gifted and beautiful actress from Hollywood’s Golden Era was born in Tokyo, Japan on October 22, 1917. Her mother, Lillian Ruse Fontaine had been an actress before marrying, and her father, Walter de Havilland was a successful British patent attorney. They divorced when Joan was two years old. She is the younger sister of Olivia de Havilland, but they never enjoyed the kind of friendship that most sisters do. They were the first sisters to win Oscars and the first sisters to be nominated in the same year. They never appeared in a film together, and to this day, they are estranged. Joan is reportedly estranged from her daughters as well because they keep in touch with Olivia.
Joan was nominated for three Academy Awards and won one. She was the only actress to win an Oscar in a Hitchcock-directed film. The movie was “Suspicion,” in which she starred with Cary Grant. Alfred Hitchcock and George Cukor were the actress’ favorite directors.
She made her acting debut on the stage in a production entitled “Call It a Day” in 1935. Shortly thereafter, she signed a contract with RKO Studios. Her first film was “No More Ladies” in 1935. Then in 1937, she was given a major role in “A Damsel in Distress,” but the film flopped. She made several more forgettable movies at RKO, and they chose not to renew her contract in 1939.
One night at a dinner party when she was seated next to David O. Selznick, he asked her to audition for a role in “Rebecca.” She landed the role, and the film was an extraordinary success. Joan was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as the unnamed new wife of Maxim de Winter. Her success continued through the forties. In the fifties and sixties, she appeared on television and on the stage.
Joan was married and divorced four times. Her first marriage was to actor Brian Aherne (1939-1945). Then she was married to producer William Dozier (1946-1951). She and Dozier had a daughter together. Her third husband was producer Collier Young (1952-1961), and they adopted a daughter. She was then married to journalist Alfred Wright, Jr. (1964-1969).
She became an American citizen in 1943 and worked as a nurses’ aide during World War II. A woman of many interests, Joan is a licensed pilot, expert rider, interior decorator, golfer, champion balloonist, and Cordon Bleu chef. She also loves to garden.
Since the death of Katharine Hepburn in 2003, Joan Fontaine and Olivia de Havilland are sadly the only living actresses from Hollywood’s Golden Era. It is indeed fortunate that Joan graced the public with her wonderful gift. Her great films will be enjoyed by many generations to come.
