Joan de Beauvoir (de Havilland) Fontaine (1917 - 2013)

Born 22 Oct 1917 in Tokyo, Japan

Ancestors

Wife of William Brian de Lacy Aherne — married 1939 (to Apr 1945) in Del Monte, California, United States

Wife of William McElroy Dozier — married May 1946 (to Jan 1951) in Mexico City, Mexico

Wife of Collier Hudson Young — married 12 Nov 1952 (to Jan 1961) in Saratoga, Santa Clara, California, United States

Wife of Alfred Wright Jr — married 23 Jan 1964 (to 1969) in Elkton, Maryland, United States

Died 15 Dec 2013 at age 96 in Carmel Highlands, California, United States

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Biography

Joan (de Havilland) Fontaine is Notable.

Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland, known professionally as Joan Fontaine, was "a British-American actress who is best known for her starring roles in Hollywood films during the "Golden Age". Fontaine appeared in more than 45 films in a career that spanned five decades. She was the younger sister of actress Olivia de Havilland. Their rivalry was well-documented in the media at the height of Fontaine's career."^[1]

"She began her film career in 1935, signing a contract with RKO Pictures. Fontaine received her first major role in The Man Who Found Himself (1937) and in 1939 with Gunga Din. 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. The following year, she won that award for her role in Hitchcock's Suspicion (1941). A third nomination came with The Constant Nymph (1943). She appeared mostly in drama films through the 1940s, including Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), which is now considered a classic. In the next decade, after her role in Ivanhoe (1952), her film career began to decline and she moved into stage, radio and television roles. 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)."^[2]

"She released an autobiography, No Bed of Roses, in 1978, and continued to act until 1994. Having won an Academy Award for her role in Suspicion, Fontaine is the only actor to have won an Academy Award for acting in a Hitchcock film. She and her sister remain the only siblings to have won major acting Academy Awards. ^[3]

She was born 22 October 1917 in Tokyo, Japan, the daughter of Walter de Havilland and Lilian Ruse.^[4]

Joan was married four times. Her first husband was Brian de Lacy Aherne, whom she married 20 August 1939 in Monterey, California. "Film Stars Wed at Del Monte." "In the little Episcopal chapel of St. John's on the highway near Monterey, Joan Fontaine and Brian Aherne of the films were married today. A small audience of intimate friends, particularly neighbors of Miss Fontaine from Saratoga, sat in the tiny chapel where the Rev. Theodore Bell pronounced the two man and wife. [....] Leading the wedding procession was Olivia de Havilland, the bride's sister, herself a film star. [....] The bride's mother, Mrs. George M. Fontaine of Saratoga, wore a gray crepe formal afternoon gown with a slight bustle that extended into a short train. Aherne, who was born in England 37 years ago, is known to San Franciscans for his performance of Robert Browning in Katherine Cornell's "The Barrets of Wimpole Street," and for his many films, of which "Juarez" is the latest. His parents, Mrs. and Mrs. William de Lacey Aherne of Birmingham, Eng., were not able to be present, but special color movie films will be mailed to them."^[5]

Joan was naturalized as a United States citizen in 1943 in Los Angeles, California. Her name on the naturalization papers was Joan de Havilland or Joan de Beauvoir Aherne.^[6]

Her second husband was William McElroy Dozier, whom she married May 1946 in Mexico City.^[7] "joan Fontaine and William Dozier Wed." "Hollywood, May 3,--(AP)--Joan Fontaine, actress, and William Dozier, RKO film executive, were married yesterday in Mexico City, the studio announced. Miss Fontaine, 28 years old, divorced Brian Aherne, actor, in 1944, and Dozier, 38, was divorced in Las Vegas, Nev., last week by Mrs. Katherine Foley Dozier."^[8]

Her third husband was Collier Hudson Young, whom she married 12 November 1952 in Los Angeles, California.^[9] "Joan Weds Producer, Mixup Delays Rites." "San Jose, Cal. (AP)--Actress Joan Fontaine and movie producer Collier Young were married at nearby Saratoga yesterday--but not until an airplane-taxi relay sped the couple wedding clothes and a wedding license left behind in Southern California. [...] Miss Fontaine's mother and stepfather, Mr. and Mrs. G. M. Fontaine were the only witnesses to the ceremony, held before a large fireplace decorated with red roses and white chrysanthemums."^[10]

Her fourth husband was Alfred Wright, Jr., whom she married 27 January 1964 in Elkton, Maryland. "Joan Fontaine, Golf Editor Wed." "Elkton, MD., (AP)--Actress Joan Fontaine, 46, was married Monday for the fourth time. Her husband is Alfred Wright, Jr., 48, golf editor of Sports Illustrated. It was Mr. Wright's second marriage." ^[11]

Sibling rivalry

Joan, born 15 months after her sister, Olivia Mary (de Havilland) Galante (1916-2020) didn’t get along with her sister starting in childhood. Olivia resented having a sister and Joan felt Olivia was her mother’s favored child. They engaged in some physical fights involving hair pulling and savagely wrestling each other on the ground. Olivia broke Joan’s collarbone on a pool ledge when Fontaine tried to yank her into the water by her ankle and Olivia fought back. Fontaine had a carefully planned plot to kill her sister but didn’t go through with it. Olivia was the first to have an acting career and when Joan stated she wanted to do the same, her mother told her she couldn’t use the De Havilland name or receive a contract at Warner Bros. as they were Olivia’s. In 1941 they were both nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actress. Joan was announced as the winner and claimed she froze, believing Olivia would be livid. Olivia thought Joan snubbed her when she got up to accept the award. When it became Olivia’s turn to win an Oscar she not only snubbed her sister back for the earlier episode but also because Joan had disparaged Olivia’s husband. From that point until 1975 their relationship ran hot and cold. In 1975 their mother became gravely ill and the sisters disagreed on her treatment. When their mother died, Joan, who was out of the country, didn’t receive the telegram from Olivia informing her of it until two weeks later. She also was not asked to attend the memorial service but attended anyway. Olivia did not speak to her. In later years they both claimed there was never any animosity between them, that they kept in touch and visited and it was just something pushed by the press.

Joan died 15 December 2013 in Carmel Highlands, Monterey, California, at the age of 96.^[12][13][14]

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia
2. ↑ Wikipedia
3. ↑ Wikipedia
4. ↑ Joan Fontaine, by Frederic P. Miller, Agnes F. Vandome and John McBrewster; VDM Publishing House Ltd. , 2010; 192 pages.
5. ↑ San Francisco Chronicle, Monday, August 21, 1939, San Francisco CA, page 9.
6. ↑ "California, Southern District Court (Central) Naturalization Index, 1915-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KX3P-NLG : 11 March 2018), Joan De Havilland Or Joan De Beauvoir Aherne, 1943; citing Naturalization, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1525 (United States: National Archives and Records Service, Los Angeles Branch, 2016).
7. ↑ "México, Distrito Federal, Registro Civil, 1832-2005", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG41-HJJW : 25 March 2020), William Dozier Mc Elray and Joan de Havilland Fontaine, 1946.
8. ↑ Seattle Times, Friday, May 3, 1946, Seattle, WA, page 18.
9. ↑ "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K86S-2LS : accessed 12 August 2015), Collier Hudson Young and Joan De Beauvoir Flontaine, 12 Nov 1952; citing Los Angeles, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 1,283,813.
10. ↑ Boston Daily Records, Thursday, November 13, 1952, Boston, MA, page 7.
11. ↑ Omaha World Herald, Tuesday, January 28, 1964, Omaha, NE, page 8.
12. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2VC9-5LJ : accessed 10 August 2015), Joan Fontaine, 15 Dec 2013; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
13. ↑ "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVT5-8KG4 : accessed 10 August 2015), Ms Joan Beauvoir De Havilland Fontaine, Pennsylvania, United States, 16 Dec 2013; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, born-digital text.
14. ↑ "Find A Grave Index," , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVGH-8GNG : accessed 10 August 2015), Joan Fontaine, 2013; Burial, , ; citing record ID 121786092.

See also:

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCNB-R6Z : accessed 10 August 2015), Joan De B De Harrillon in household of George M Fontaine, Saratoga, Santa Clara, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 0114, sheet 9B, family 159, line 58, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 219; FHL microfilm 2,339,954.

• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K97H-9T7 : accessed 10 August 2015), Joan Aherne in household of Brian Aherne, Tract 381, Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills Judicial Township, Los Angeles, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 19-38A, sheet 4B, family 73, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 220.

• "California, San Francisco Passenger Lists, 1893-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXH3-VTQ : accessed 10 August 2015), Joan De Havilland, 1934; citing San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1410 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm .

• "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2HSQ-R2P : accessed 10 August 2015), Joan Aherne, 1944; citing Immigration, New York City, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 2,310,612.

• "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:245C-XH7 : accessed 10 August 2015), Joan Dozier, 1947; citing Immigration, New York City, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 2,296,244.

• "Hawaii, Honolulu Passenger Lists, 1900-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV98-SV5M : accessed 10 August 2015), Joan Dozier, 1948; citing Ship , NARA microfilm publication A3422 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24RJ-6PT : accessed 10 August 2015), Joan Dozier, 1949; citing Immigration, New York City, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 2,296,461.

• "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24RJ-654 : accessed 10 August 2015), Joan Dozier, 1949; citing Immigration, New York City, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 2,296,461.

• "Brasil, Cartões de Imigração, 1900-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KNP8-VXR : accessed 10 August 2015), Joan de Havilland Young, 1954; citing Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Arquivo Nacional, Rio de Janeiro (National Archives, Rio de Janeiro); FHL microfilm .

• "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2HHK-XF8 : accessed 10 August 2015), Joan De Haviland Or Fontaine, 1955; citing Immigration, New York City, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 2,322,075.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Fontaine

• http://www.thepeerage.com/p18366.htm#i183657