Guest Banshees Scream Posted October 13, 2004 Could she be one that allmost got by? Birth name Joan De Beauvoir De Havilland -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Height 5' 3" (1.60 m) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mini biography Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (aka Joan Fontaine) was born 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 her older sister's ( Olivia de Havilland ) recurring ailments the family moved to California with 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 a divorce soon followed. Mrs. de Havilland had a desire to be an actress but her dream was curtailed when she married. 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, Joan 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. However, San Jose was not exactly an acting mecca so she went to Los Angeles to try her luck there. After moving to LA 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 for a small role in NO MORE LADIES in 1935. She was scarcely noticed. After that production, Joan was idle for a year and a half. During this time she roomed with Olivia who was having much more success in films. By 1937, this time using Joan Fontaine, she took a better role as Trudy Olson in YOU CAN'T BEAT LOVE. Later that year she took an uncredited part in QUALITY STREET. Although the next two years saw her in better roles Joan still yearned for something better. In 1940, she garnered her first Academy Award nomination in REBECCA. Although she thought she should have won, (she lost out to Ginger Rogers in KITTY FOYLE), she was now an established member of the Hollywood set. However, she would again be nominated for her role as Lina McLaidlaw Aysgarth in SUSPICION (1941). This time she won the coveted award. She was making one film a year but Joan was choosing her roles well. In 1942, she starred in the well-received THIS ABOVE ALL. The following year she appeared in THE CONSTANT NYMPH. Once again she was nominated for the Oscar only losing out to Jennifer Jones in THE SONG OF BERNADETTE. By now, it was safe to say she was now more famous than her older sister. More fine films followed. In 1948, Joan was forced to accept second billing in THE EMPEROR WALTZ with Bing Crosby. Joan took the year off in 1949 before coming back in 1950 with SEPTEMBER AFFAIR and BORN TO BE BAD. In 1951 she starred in Paramount's DARLING, HOW COULD YOU! which turned out badly for her and the studio as it wasn't the hit they imagined it to be. More weak productions followed. Joan slowed down on the big screen for a while taking part in television programs and dinner theaters. Joan also starred in many well produced Broadway plays such as FORTY CARATS and LION IN WINTER. Her last appearance on the big screen was THE DEVIL'S OWN in 1966. Her last public appearance in the electronic medium was GOOD KING WENCESLAS which was a made for TV film. Joan, today, still appears on the stage and lecture circuit while traveling and writing in her spare time. She is, without a doubt, a lasting movie icon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
odhfan 0 Posted March 8, 2006 Still Alive. Sister to Oliiva de Havilland. Goes by Joan Fontaine Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
odhfan 0 Posted March 8, 2006 Still Alive. Sister to Oliiva de Havilland. Goes by Joan Fontaine Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest iain Posted March 8, 2006 could you please try not to start threads about obscure nobodys?..unless theyve actually died! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Octopus of Odstock 2,217 Posted March 8, 2006 could you please try not to start threads about obscure nobodys?..unless theyve actually died! Joan Fontaine - an "obscure nobody"? She was one of the top actresses in the 1940's, FFS. Most of us come on deathlist to discuss possibilties for DDP & DL, that's the whole point. This is not a place simply to report deaths. There are other sites for that. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest iain Posted March 9, 2006 well shes a nobody now Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M Busby Airlines 7 Posted March 9, 2006 well shes a nobody now Lot more famous the the shite you throw in. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Canadian Paul 97 Posted March 9, 2006 well shes a nobody now The feud between the sisters is still ongoing and remains a classic example of the destructive effects of Hollywood I would say. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DevonDeathTrip 2,366 Posted April 26, 2008 Had trouble finding this post under the current name.Can someone rename it as "Joan Fontaine"? But you've found it now, so surely you'll know where to look next time? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Octopus of Odstock 2,217 Posted May 15, 2008 An excellent article about the two sisters - I posted it in this thread as it is pretty well known amongst DP circles that de Havilland is doing brilliantly for her age, but less was known about Fontaine.. Sibling Rivalry Apparently she's in better health than her sister, is still out & about and "walking her dogs" and as long as her sister isn't there, still makes functions. I am convinced that, at the rate this feud is going, that both Fontaine & de Havilland will keep themselves alive until the other one has gone - they may end up being the oldest & 2nd oldest women in the world! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Terminator 13 Posted May 16, 2008 and as long as her sister isn't there, still makes functions. At least, that'll keep her proctologist happy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
adrian0719 224 Posted December 16, 2013 Dead, although unconfirmed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CaptainChorizo 1,991 Posted December 16, 2013 Also unconfirmed Olivia de Havilland has started popping champagne bottles. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
the_engineer 1,415 Posted December 16, 2013 Dead, although unconfirmed. seems alot of people on twitter think so. https://twitter.com/...tyah&f=realtime Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Death Impends 8,043 Posted December 16, 2013 Hollywood Reporter link is up. Probably for real then, unless her PR agent is Cliff Price. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Guest Posted December 16, 2013 Legendary actress Joan Fontaine has died at 96 Joan Fontaine dead at 96 http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/actress-joan-fontaine-dies-rebecca-suspicion-665831 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vinegar Tits 607 Posted December 16, 2013 Confirmed now. As we all know, deaths come in threes and there we have it with Eleanor Parker, Peter O'Toole and Joan Fontaine departing. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dead Wait 1,156 Posted December 16, 2013 Legendary actress Joan Fontaine has died at 96 Joan Fontaine dead at 96 http://www.hollywood...uspicion-665831 Thanks for this news thankyou for this news Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Whitehouse 874 Posted December 16, 2013 What were the wise men thinking? How on earth did they miss this one while also including her sister in the top 50? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
torbrexbones 717 Posted December 16, 2013 What were the wise men thinking? How on earth did they miss this one while also including her sister in the top 50? I have both sisters on my DDP, I am still hoping for the double. Olivia might yet choke on some champagne. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Davey Jones' Locker 1,325 Posted December 16, 2013 "I married first, won the Oscar before Olivia did, and if I die first, she'll undoubtedly be livid because I beat her to it!" Fontaine once quipped. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-16/actress-joan-fontaine-dies/5159366 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phantom 2,552 Posted December 16, 2013 I honestly thought we had both Olivia and Joan on the list this year Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Uschi 53 Posted December 16, 2013 My third hit. Next year I will choose her sister. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handrejka 1,911 Posted December 16, 2013 Well that's annoying, she was in my theme team for next year, already submitted and I didn't think too hard about my subs for that. I wonder how long it will be before Olivia goes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
