Joan Fontaine DEAD

[VoR]

Doomed to be overshadowed by Peter O'Toole, but another very noteworthy Hollywood death.

Joan Fontaine, the polished actress who achieved stardom in the early 1940s with memorable performances in the Alfred Hitchcock films Suspicion — for which she earned the best actress Oscar over her bitter rival, sister Olivia de Havilland — and Rebecca, has died. She was 96.

The Hollywood Reporter awards analyst Scott Feinberg spoke with Fontaine's assistant, Susan Pfeiffer, who confirmed the actress' death of natural causes Sunday at her home in Carmel, Calif.

Fontaine earned a third best actress Oscar nomination for her role in The Constant Nymph (1943), She also was notable as Charlotte Bronte's eponymous heroine in Jane Eyre (1944) opposite Orson Welles; in the romantic thriller September Affair (1950) with Joseph Cotton; in Ivanhoe (1952) with Robert Taylor; and in Island in the Sun (1957), where she plays a high-society woman in love with an up-and-coming politician (Harry Belafonte).

It was Hitchcock, with his penchant for “cool blondes,” who brought Fontaine to the forefront when he cast her as the second Mrs. de Winter in Rebecca (1940), the director’s American debut. Her performance as the new wife of Laurence Olivier in a household haunted by the death of his first wife earned her an Academy Award nomination for best actress.
A year later, Hitchcock placed her opposite Cary Grant in Suspicion, and she won the Oscar for her turn as Lina McLaidlaw Aysgarth, a shy English woman who begins to suspect her charming new husband of trying to kill her. She thus became the only actor to win an Oscar in a Hitchcock film.

Among those Fontaine beat out at the 1942 Academy Awards was her older sister de Havilland, up for Hold Back the Dawn (1941). Biographer Charles Higham wrote that as Fontaine came forward to accept her trophy, she rejected de Havilland’s attempt to congratulate her and that de Havilland was offended. The sisters, who never really got along since childhood, finally stopped speaking to each other in the mid-’70s.

De Havilland, a two-time Oscar winner, is 97 and living in Paris.

Her animosity with her sister Olivia Havilland was positively Davis/Crawford-esque.

I married first, won the Oscar before Olivia [sister Olivia de Havilland] did, and if I die first, she'll undoubtedly be livid because I beat her to it!

We're getting closer together as we get older, but there would be a slight problem of temperament. In fact, it would be bigger than Hiroshima.

My sister is a very peculiar lady. When we were young, I wasn't allowed to talk to her friends. Now, I'm not allowed to talk to her children, nor are they permitted to see me. This is the nature of the lady. Doesn't bother me at all.

 

[Mats]

Olivia, as the editor of a school magazine, set a competition for the best last will and testament of her fellow pupils. She won her own competition with the words: ‘I bequeath to my sister the ability to win boys’ hearts, which she does not have at present’.

 

[Sheena]

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again" is perhaps my favourite opening line of a film ever.

And yes, she's FABULOUS.

And despite what Joan Collins will try and tell you, Olivia is now the very last of the Hollywood Royalty left, isn't she?

 

[Madíson]

Is Luis Rainer still around? I don't really know who she is other than a long lived Oscar winner.

 

[VoR]

Yes Luise Rainer is still alive. 103!

 

[Sheena]

Indeed she is

 

[Peekaboo]

God, what a double whammy Only actor ever to win an Oscar in a Hitchcock film (for the wrong film but never mind!). Her life reads like a Jackie Collins novel, wonder if there's a biography worth investing in.

 

[Sharla]

I have Rebecca somewhere on a free Sunday newspaper dvd, I shall watch it as a tribute.

Is Kirk Douglas Hollywood royalty? He's 97.

Lauren Bacall's 89. It'll come to us all, but sad to think of her sat in a chair in nursing home, dribbling and being fed liquidised mashed potato, with occasional lapses into coherancy. "That fucking French bitch" she mutters as she's having her toes rubbed.

 

[Sheena]

Rebecca is a MARVELLOUS film, one of my all time faves. Mrs Danvers STILL gives me nightmares, the BITCH!

And I meant women- but yes, Lauren Bacall is TOTALLY still Hollywood royalty, but totally still going strong. I guess you could count ZSA ZSA at a push too- she's certainly still FABULOUS

 

[VoR]

Is Baccall still acting? She was a few years ago, I always thought she might yet get that Oscar. Probably not at 89 though.

 

[Sheena]

Yes she is. She's still very much COMPOS MENTIS and physically able, I believe...

 

[lolly]

Maureen O'Hara is still alive. And Doris Day.

I'd agree that in my opinion, De Havilland and Bacall are the two BIG female names left, though.

 

[Kala]

Surely Doris Day is a bigger name than De Havilland though?

 

[Ellie]

De Havilland is the only cast member of Gone With The Wind left though, isn't she? Doris Day is a bigger "name" but De Havilland's films are better known, if that makes sense.

 

[lolly]

Surely Doris Day is a bigger name than De Havilland though?

Perhaps a bigger name, yes, but I think of De Havilland more in terms of the Golden Age of Hollywood, because her prime was in the 30s and 40s, whereas I associate Day more with success in the 50s and 60s.

 

[lolly]

Angela Lansbury is probably worth a mention, as well. Because of her later TV and theatre success, her earlier film success is often forgotten, despite two Oscar nominations in the '40s.

 

[VoR]

I would imagine Olivia DeHavilland is taken rather more seriously among cinema buffs too. Bless Doris, but her films were mostly very of-their-time fluff weren't they?

Put it this way, if they both dropped in the same year, I expect Olivia would get top billing in the Oscars restrospective.

Ooh that'll be interesting if she croaks between now and next March. Stealing Joan's thunder to the BITTER END.

 

[Ellie]

I also associate Doris Day more with the 50s, much like Debbie Reynolds and Lee Grant who are also still here.

 

[Ellie]

Angela Lansbury is probably worth a mention, as well. Because of her later TV and theatre success, her earlier film success is often forgotten, despite two Oscar nominations in the '40s.

She's popping up in ALL sorts of films in my Oscar nominations marathon, even when she's not nominated herself she's all over the place in the nominated films.

 

[lolly]

I also associate Doris Day more with the 50s, much like Debbie Reynolds and Lee Grant who are also still here.

I guess if you go international, you would also have to factor in Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida, too.

 

[lolly]

She's popping up in ALL sorts of films in my Oscar nominations marathon, even when she's not nominated herself she's all over the place in the nominated films.

Does she tend to be in supporting parts? I associate her more with those in terms of films, and wonder if that is why she is perhaps a little forgotten.

 

[That One]

I just read this interesting account of someone who was a huge child star in silent movies in the 1920s and is still alive today:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Serra_Cary

I'd never heard of her before mind.

 

[GinAg (39)]

I just read this interesting account of someone who was a huge child star in silent movies in the 1920s and is still alive today:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Serra_Cary

I'd never heard of her before mind.

What an unusual story. She's kind of odd looking to boot. It looks like she grew into a super sweet grandma type.

 

[lolly]

That reminds me, Shirley Temple is still alive.

 

[Commotion]

I was just about to mention Shirley Temple. She was the biggest box office star of the 30's. Then again child stars tend to be of their time.

 

[Commotion]

Oh and Mickey Rooney is still alive. He's in Zsa Zsa territory now but clinging on at age 93.

 

[rhythmbandit]

Is Baccall still acting? She was a few years ago, I always thought she might yet get that Oscar. Probably not at 89 though.

She's appearing on an episode of Family Guy in the new year!

Not as herself, a friend of Peter's mum who tries to hit on him.

 

[VoR]

I've been watching a few old interviews with her. She's definitely doesn't seem like a woman you'd have wanted to cross.

 

[Sharla]

"What I mean, Miss Fontaine, is that your mother sounds like a grade A cunt".

Loving the specs. Velma from Scooby Doo really was a style icon back in the day.

 

[cwej]

I didn't know about all this shit between Joan Fontaine and Olivia. A MUST READ UP situation!!

I would definitely place De Havilland up above Day in the movie star stakes. Less famous yes, but much more respected.

 

[VoR]

Great feature on them here from a writer who spoke to both shortly before Joan's death.

http://kendrabean.sharedby.co/share/mgVvHl

 

[VoR]

They're screening an archive interview with Joan Fontaine on BBC2 now.

She's really quite fabulous.

"Well of course during the war, there was nothing to spend money ON, so we just kept buying bigger houses."

 

[straightorbroken]

Watching Joan on YouTube (hardly news, but she was a hoot). I am reminded I have a film of hers I've never got around to seeing, a later day 60s "hag horror" flick about Witches (at least I think it's her), which has amused me as I've just watched her distance herself from the actresses "trying to keep it going" or words to that effect.

 

[Diddy]

Why do you keep bumping RIP threads with just what movie you watched? THERE. MUST. BE. A. BETTER. PLACE. FOR. THIS

 

[COB]

Maybe some sort of Sorb's golden age legends thread? I'd be into that I think

 

[straightorbroken]

Why do you keep bumping RIP threads with just what movie you watched? THERE. MUST. BE. A. BETTER. PLACE. FOR. THIS

Well really dodgy. You might be right, but really.

 

[straightorbroken]

Maybe some sort of Sorb's golden age legends thread? I'd be into that I think

Actually, I think there is some kind of general thread like that already. I should look that up