Home » Film & TV » Classic Actresses » Joan Fontaine Part II - Page 2

Joan Fontaine Part II - Page 2

© K Cruver

During the early sixties, single and childless, Joan settled in New York. She instantly fell in love with the city. Though her movie career slowed down, she was a constant panelist on television shows and she made extra money on the lecture circuit. She avoided the vogue for older movie actresses to make garish appearances in horror movies by appearing as a doctor in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961). Though she did end her movie career with The Witches (1966), a Hammer horror production, she retained her glamour by playing a stylish schoolteacher.

Joan gave marriage another chance in 1964 when she married Alfred Wright Jr. They divorced in 1969 when Joan tired of Wright's infidelity.

Though Joan and Olivia had never mended the rift that had started in their childhood, during this time the sisters came through for each other. After Joan's divorce, Olivia came to her sickbed to comfort her; she would sing her to sleep with a Japanese lullaby they learned in Tokyo.

Joan soon returned the favor when she went to Olivia's own sickbed at her home in Paris. Her sister was having money troubles and she desperately needed help. Joan wrote her a check and encouraged her to find television work and embark on a lecture tour of her own. Soon Olivia was back on her feet, and she had a busier lecture schedule than her sister.

In recent years, Joan has settled in Carmel, California. There she tends her gardens and watches after her dogs. She made her last significant television appearance in 1986, in a revival of Dark Mansions. Since then, she has continued to pursue her hobbies. Joan loved the movies, but in the end, her real life was much more exciting than any role she ever played.

Movies to see:
Witches (1966)
Island in the Sun (1957)
The Bigamist (1953)
September Affair (1950)
Letter From an Unknown Woman (1948)
Jane Eyre (1944)
The Constant Nymph (1943)
Suspicion (1941)
Rebecca (1940)
The Women (1939)

Books to read:
No Bed of Roses, by Joan Fontaine
Sisters: The Story of Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine, by Charles Higham

Though Joan's autobiography is an interesting read, she paints herself as a faultless victim--something she was not known to be. Higham's account of her life is more balanced, though not quite as well written. I'd suggest both books for fans who want the whole story.

Joan Fontaine links

Thank you to Silverscreensirens.com for permission to use the photograph of Joan.

Joan Fontaine

The copyright of the article Joan Fontaine Part II - Page 2 in Classic Actresses is owned by . Permission to republish Joan Fontaine Part II - Page 2 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.