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December 29, 2013 By iluvcinema Leave a Comment

Joan Fontaine (A Fan’s Appreciation)

Dear Joan Fontaine,

As I watched Suspicion earlier this evening, I was reminded of the heartbreak I felt when I heard of your passing at the age of 96 a couple of weeks ago. It was a full life that much is certain. But I am not here for that rehash of the biographical details of your life – the family tensions, the highs and lows and such. I just want to spend a moment reflecting on your body of work and what it has meant for me and my enduring passion for the world of cinema.

Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine in Suspicion.
Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine in Suspicion.

I think my first on screen encounter with you occurred when I saw Jane Eyre during my 10th grade English class. While my classmates chuckled heartedly at the ‘high-waistedness’ of Orson Welles’ pants, silently, I was fascinated by the ‘mouseish’ yet indomitable spirit you conveyed in your portrayal of the titular English governess. This film heralded my introduction into classic film – which in turn, opened up the entire world of film to me. For that I will be forever grateful to your part in this.

Joan Fontaine in Jane Eyre.
Joan Fontaine in Jane Eyre.

Post Jane Eyre, I made it a mission of mine to comb through your filmography and catch as many films as was possible, and by the means I had at my disposal at the time – the public library’s video collection, American Movie Classics and (much later) Turner Classic Movies. As part of my obsession with Alfred Hitchcock, I read the book Rebecca with the sole purpose of being able to watch the film. And boy I am glad that I did. Although some of the particulars of the novel varied in the screen adaptation (for reasons), I was still taken in by your performance of a naive young woman drawn down the rabbit hole into a fraught, almost surreal world.

Joan Fontaine in Rebecca.
Joan Fontaine in Rebecca.

Through the years, I continued to marvel at the variety of films that you starred in, notably Letter From an Unknown Woman and another lesser known film – my “go to” for those rainy Thursday afternoons when all you want to do is cuddle up on your sofa and blank the entire world out (save for what you are watching). RKO’s From This Day Forward always did the trick for me. Now, on its surface there is nothing extraordinary or groundbreaking about this film – it is a standard, romantic post-war melodrama. But for some reason since I first saw it struck a sentimental chord and whenever it came on, a big, cheesy smile crept across my face at the anticipation of seeing it again. It has been several years since I last saw it, but I will try to remedy that once I find a digital version of it to watch.

From This Day Forward
From This Day Forward

So I could bather on and on but I think I will leave it here – your work as a lasting testament to the dedication to your craft. You will be sorely missed.

Letter From an Unknown Woman
Letter From an Unknown Woman

Much Luv ~

iluvcinema

—————

Scheduling Note: Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will air a 7-film retrospective in memory of Fontaine’s work today, Sunday December 29th.

Joan in 1978
Joan in 1978

 

Filed Under: Appreciation Post Tagged With: joan fontaine

October 22, 2012 By iluvcinema Leave a Comment

Happy Birthday Joan Fontaine!

One of my favorite actresses hit the big 9-5 today. In honor of her birthday, I decided to take a look back into my blog archives to find a collection of articles featuring her films over the past five years – enjoy!

 

SUSPICION

ISLAND IN THE SUN

LETTER FROM AN UNKNOWN WOMAN

FROM THIS DAY FORWARD

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: happy birthday, joan fontaine

September 11, 2012 By iluvcinema 8 Comments

Tuesday’s Overlooked: The Bigamist (1953)

This week’s pick for my overlooked film features two of my favorite ladies in classic film – Ida Lupino and Joan Fontaine. The film’s title is The Bigamist, directed by Lupino (who also co-starred in it) and written/adapted by Collier Young. Also starring in this drama are Edmund Gwenn and Edmond O’Brien.

 

PLOT

Married couple Harry and Eve (O’Brien and Fontaine) want to adopt a child but must they must pass muster with adoption investigator Jordan (Gwenn).

During his investigation, Jordan discovers that Harry’s frequent trips out of town are a consequence of another relationship he is maintaining with Phyllis (Lupino), who has a child by him. Before Jordan is about to call the police to arrest Harry on a charge of ‘bigamy,’ Harry tells Jordan and us, in the form of flashback, how he got himself into this precarious situation. The climax to the proceedings is a courtroom scene, which leaves the audience wondering what will come of the key players.

This film definitely had noir-ish feel to it – I suppose that is mainly down to the low production values and Gwenn’s investigative angle; however, The Bigamist mostly played like a rather complicated romantic drama. I also liked the ambiguous ending. Principally my point in highlighting this film, like I did with Lupino’s The Hitch-Hiker, I always like to call attention to the female creative force that was Lupino, a woman who was producing films at a time when this was basically unheard of.

Now for a bit of trivia – the writer Collier Young was married to Fontaine at the time of this film; he was previously married to Lupino. Go figure.

—–

If you enjoyed finding out about this title, be sure to visit Todd Mason’s blog, Sweet Freedom, for additional titles.

Filed Under: Overlooked Films Tagged With: ida lupino, joan fontaine, the bigamist

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