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I remember Joan Fontaine's fine performances in Rebeca with Laurence Olivier and All About Eve with Betty Davis. Not a loud actress, softly spoken and yet powerful performances every time.

A classic English beauty along with others such as Grace Kelly and Vivien Leigh.

Joan Fontaine although British was actually born in Tokyo October 22nd 1917. Her elder sister was the late and very great Olivia de Havilland.

Joan Fontaine's first film was in 1935 in No More Ladies where she starred alongside Joan Crawford, but at this point in her career was named Joan Burfield.

It was by chance that at a dinner party that Joan Fontaine sat next to David O Selznick who had just recently brought the copyrights to the book Rebeca. Although others such as Loretta Young and Vivien Leigh had been considered for the part, it was as we all know Joan Fontaine who landed the lead role as the second Mrs de Winter playing alongside Laurence Olivier.

During the 1950's she played in other well known films such as Born to be Bad, Something to Live for and Tea and Sympathy.

Joan Fontaine played in a number of theatrical plays during the 1960's such as Noel Coward's wonderful play, Private Lives and Alfred Hitchcock's Dial "M" for Murder.

During the 1960's she played in very few film roles and later in the 1970's she lectured at universities and women's clubs on things such as the romance of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning.

Joan Fontaine received an Emmy for her cameo role in the daytime soap drama "Ryan's Hope". Her last role was a Queen Ludmilla in 1994 in the television film "Good King Wenceslas".

It is stated that Joan Fontaine held a distinction for 45 years of being the youngest best actress Oscar winner at age 24 until Marlee Matlin won in 1986 at the age of 21.

She had many interests such as cattle farming, real estate and the oil industry and was a keen traveller.

She also is a cordon bleu cook and is a prize winning tuna fisher woman.

It is noted that Joan Fontaine is a whole in one golfer at Cypress Point Club and Carmel Valley in California.

It is also noted that Joan Fontaine is distantly related to the late Princess Diana through the Moleworth lineage.

I think it can be said that she comes from a long line of beatiful actresses of her era who changed the way in which women are portrayed and came into their own when compared to male actors.

One very classy lady.

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