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Lunch Break Video: Clips from a compelling 1979 interview with Joan Fontaine who is 96 today
While her older sister Olivia de Havilland still makes an occasional public appearance, Joan Fontaine is reclusive and most likely celebrating her 96th birthday today in a low-profile way.
It’s not likely that the best actress Oscar winner for Suspicion will be getting a call or a card from her Gone With the Wind star sister.
The two film legends, who had a prickly relationship during the best of times, have not spoken in almost 40 years.
In this fascinating 1979 interview, Miss Fontaine talks about having no memory of her sister displaying any act of kindness towards her as a child. She made things worse by following her sister into the movie business and becoming a huge star in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca.
Then she had the nerve to not only win the Oscar first, but also to beat a field that included her sister, Bette Davis, Greer Garson and Barbara Stanwyck.
Comments
(All comments are reviewed before being published, and I review submissions several times per day.)
2201 East says:
Pity is that even though they haven’t spoken in forty years, they still know the other is still alive. One day that won’t be the case. Will it change either of them when that happens-gone is gone.
Gaspar Marino says:
That’s so sad that they haven’t spoken in so many years. I know that Olivia lives in Paris and Joan in Hollywood. Maybe, before it’s too late they can mend fences on neutral ground. Both were wonderful actresses and should take a page from Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave’s book. One day, one will be left all alone.
Joe says:
Well, I “divorced” my sister and her obnoxious, overbearing, uber-religious husband seven years ago. Sometimes one must sever ties in order to be happy, so I fully understand the situation between Ms. Fontaine and Ms. DeHavilland only too well. Just because you are related does not mean you have to take crap from people your whole entire lifetime. By the way, a very Happy Birthday to the wonderful and beautiful Joan Fontaine!