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. [46][47] Fontaine met Martita while visiting Incan ruins where Martita's father worked as a caretaker. Olivia was the first to become an actress; when Fontaine tried to follow her lead, their mother, who favored Olivia, refused to let Joan use the family name.[how?] ‘The Man Who … De Havilland went on to win two Oscars for To Each His Own in 1947 and for The Heiress in 1950, but that apparently didn't warm her to her younger sibling.After her 1947 win, Fontaine … Her career prospects improved greatly after her starring role in Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca (1940), for which she received her first of three nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress. [13] Despite being directed by George Stevens, audiences were disappointed and the film flopped. [50], De Havilland and Fontaine were both nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1942. She is best known for her roles during Classical Hollywood era and appeard in more than 45 films in her career from 1935-1994. Joan Fontaine said the sibling rivalry was encouraged by their ambitious stage mother. Fontaine also appeared in Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948) directed by Max Ophüls, produced by John Houseman and co-starring Louis Jourdan. She and her sister remain the only siblings to have won major acting Academy Awards. When Martita turned 16, Fontaine bought her a round-trip ticket to Peru, but Martita refused to go and opted to run away. MGM hired Fontaine to play the love interest in Ivanhoe (1952), a big success. Instead, de Havilland sent a telegram, which did not arrive until two weeks later at Fontaine's next stop. Like Rebecca, this was also based on a novel by Daphne du Maurier. Height in feet. Fontaine received her first major role in The Man Who Found Himself (1937) and in 1939 with Gunga Din. Their first film was Ivy (1947), a thriller where she played an unsympathetic part. Joan Fontaine is renowned for her leading roles in films during the ‘Classical Hollywood’ era. Then she appeared in many … She started her career as a stage actor with RKO pictures. [15], 20th Century Fox borrowed her to appear opposite Tyrone Power in This Above All (1942) then she went to Warner Brothers to star alongside Charles Boyer in The Constant Nymph. The studio considered her a rising star, and touted The Man Who Found Himself (1937) with John Beal as her first starring role, placing a special screen introduction, billed as the "new RKO screen personality" after the end credit. Fontaine published her autobiography, No Bed of Roses, in 1978. She was famous for her polished performances in Hollywood movies of the 1940's and 1950's, and she was exceptional in Alfred Hitchcock's 'Rebecca' in 1940 and 'Suspicion' the following year. Born Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland, Joan Fontaine began her acting career in her late teens with various West Coast stage companies under the name Joan Burfield. The following year, she won that award for her role in Hitchcock's Suspicion (1941). "[54] The following year, in a 1979 interview, Fontaine claimed the reason her sister and she stopped speaking to each other was that de Havilland wanted their mother (who was suffering from cancer) to be treated surgically at the advanced age of 88, which Fontaine apparently did not think was a good idea. At MGM she appeared with Jean Simmons and Paul Newman in Until They Sail (1957) then she made A Certain Smile (1958) at Fox. Most of her 1960s work was done on television or stage. Rebecca (1940 film), starring Laurence Olivier alongside Fontaine, marked the American debut of British director Alfred Hitchcock. [19] Eventually she went back to work in The Affairs of Susan (1945) for Hal Wallis at Paramount, her first comedy. She released an autobiography, No Bed of Roses, in 1978, and continued to act until 1994. In a 1978 interview, however, Fontaine said of the sibling rivalry, "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! Joan Fontaine was an Academy Award winning British American actress famous for movies like ‘Rebecca’ and ‘Suspicion.’ This biography of Joan Fontaine provides detailed information about her childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline. She got this surname from her stepfather. She also used that name when she made her 1935 feature film debut in No More Ladies, in which she had a minor role. Deborah is Fontaine's only biological child. Higham has described the events of the awards ceremony, stating that as Fontaine stepped forward to collect her award, she pointedly rejected de Havilland's attempts to congratulate her and that de Havilland was both offended and embarrassed by her behaviour. Celebrity Fan Photos and Agency Pictures of stars are © to their respective owners. She also used that name when she made her 1935 feature film debut in No More Ladies, in which she had a minor role. Or at least you don't notice it. She died on December 15, 2013 in California. She next appeared in a major role alongside Fred Astaire in his first RKO film without Ginger Rogers, A Damsel in Distress (1937). Biography. Fontaine appeared in more than 45 films in a career that spanned five decades. Her first film for the studio was Quality Street (1937) starring Katharine Hepburn, in which Fontaine had a small unbilled role. She was in Fritz Lang's Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956) at RKO. Name at birth: Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland. "[56] After Fontaine's death, de Havilland released a statement saying she was "shocked and saddened" by the news. A large part of the friction between the sisters stemmed from Fontaine's belief that Olivia was their mother's favorite child. [55] According to Fontaine, de Havilland did not invite her to a memorial service for their mother. "[51] Several years later, however, de Havilland apparently remembered what she perceived as a slight and exacted her own revenge by brushing past Fontaine, who was waiting with her hand extended, because de Havilland took offense at a comment Fontaine had made about de Havilland's husband. It was made by Rampart Productions, and released through Universal. By visiting Celeb Heights you agree to its. "I was appalled that I'd won over my sister. Synopsis Born in 1917 in Tokyo, Japan, actress Joan Fontaine made her film debut in 1935. She was Bob Hope's leading lady in Casanova's Big Night (1956) then supported Mario Lanza in Serenade (1956). She endured a grueling six-month series of film tests, along with hundreds of other actresses, before securing the part sometime before her 22nd birthday. After Fontaine's separation from her husband in 1952, de Havilland went to her apartment in New York often, and at least once they spent Christmas together there, in 1961. Selznick and she began discussing the Daphne du Maurier novel Rebecca, and Selznick asked her to audition for the part of the unnamed heroine. "[48], Fontaine and her sister, Olivia de Havilland, are the only set of siblings to have won lead acting Academy Awards. [45], While in South America for a film festival in 1951, Fontaine met a four-year-old Peruvian girl named Martita, and informally adopted her. She returned to RKO for From This Day Forward (1946). Joan's paternal cousin was Sir Geoffrey de Havilland (1882–1965), an aircraft designer known for the de Havilland Mosquito,[4] and founder of the aircraft company which bore his name. Selznick wanted to cast her in I'll Be Seeing You (1944) but she refused, saying she was "sick of playing the sad sack." She appeared in fewer films in the 1960s, which included Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1960), and her final film role in The Witches (1966). They had a daughter, Deborah Leslie, in 1948, and separated in 1949. De Havilland claims she informed Fontaine, but Fontaine brushed her off, claiming she was too busy to attend. Martita's parents allowed Fontaine to become Martita's legal guardian to give the child a better life. Heights are barefeet estimates, derived from quotations, official websites, agency resumes, in person encounters with actors at conventions and pictures/films. RKO put her in You Can't Beat Love (1937) with Preston Foster and Music for Madame (1937) with Nino Martini. Joan Fontaine. Fontaine appeared in more than 45 films in a career that spanned five decades. In a career that spread approximately five decades she starred in more than forty-five feature films. She was top billed in the comedies Maid's Night Out (1938) and Blond Cheat (1938) then was Richard Dix's leading lady in Sky Giant (1938). Born Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland on October 22, 1917, in Tokyo, Japan, in what was known as the International Settlement. Joan Fontaine real name: Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland, Nick Name(s): Joan Burfield, Joan St. John, Joan Fontaine Height: 5'3''(in feet & inches) 1.6002(m) 160.02(cm) , Birthdate(Birthday): October 22, 1917 , Age on December 15, 2013 (Death date): 96 Years 1 Months 24 Days Profession: Movies (Actress), Father: Walter de Havilland, Mother: Lilian Fontaine, School: Tokyo School for Foreign Children, Los …