Joan Fontaine was born Joan deBeauvoir de Havilland in Tokyo, Japan on October 22, 1917. Joan began her acting career in her late teens with various west coast stage companies under the name Joan Burfield. She also used that name when she made her feature film debut in No More Ladies, 1935 in which she had a minor role. In 1937, she appeared on the screen as Joan Fontaine, however, primarily in B movies. Two exceptions were A Damsel in Distress, 1937 opposite Fred Astaire and Gunga Din, 1939 opposite Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.

In the early 40's, her career took off, largely due to leads in two Hitchcock films, Rebecca, 1940 and Suspicion, 1941. She won oscar nominations for both but received the award for Suspicion. It was often rumored that she really won for Rebecca however, since it was a superior role. She was also nominated for her role in The Constant Nymph, 1943 but didn't win.

Perhaps my next favorite film of Joan's was Jane Eyre, 1944 with Orson Welles. It is an absolutely beautifully photographed film and it certainly has the Orson Welles influence.

Daphne DuMaurier is one of my favorite authors and she wrote the wonderful novel, later turned into the film, Rebecca as noted above. However, another one of her novels that Joan filmed was Frenchman's Creek, 1944. Joan was her most beautiful in this film even though the screenplay and her supporting cast left much to be desired.

She went on to star in many films, at first playing innocent, well-bred types and later maturing into roles as sophisticated worldly, often hot-headed or maliciously calculating women. Her sister was actress, Olivia deHavilland,with whom she supposedly had many feuds (some of which were probably press inventions) in the 40's and 50's. She appeared in few films after 1958. Besides acting, Fontaine was also a licensed pilot, champion balloonist, prize-winning tuna fisherman, expert golfer, licensed interior decorator, and Cordon Bleu cook. The first three of her four husbands were actor Brian Aherne, producer William Dozier and producer-screenwriter Collier Young.

Joan also starred in many well produced Broadway plays such as Forty Carats andThe Lion in Winter. Her last appearance on the big screen wasThe Devil's Own in 1966. Her last public TVappearance 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.