How to Pronounce Joan Fontaine

Meaning and Context

Joan Fontaine, born Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland in Tokyo, Japan, in 1917, was a preeminent British-American actress whose career defined cinematic elegance and psychological depth during Hollywood's Golden Age. She achieved legendary status through her collaborations with master director Alfred Hitchcock, delivering an iconic, Oscar-nominated performance as the timid second Mrs. de Winter in the gothic romance Rebecca (1940). Fontaine made history the following year by winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as the paranoid heiress Lina McLaidlaw in Hitchcock's Suspicion (1941), a victory that also marked the only time an actor has won an Oscar for a Hitchcock-directed film. Her career, spanning over five decades, included notable films like Jane Eyre (1943) and The Constant Nymph (1943), cementing her legacy as a classic Hollywood film star renowned for her fragile beauty, nuanced portrayals of complex women, and a celebrated, albeit famously competitive, rivalry with her older sister, actress Olivia de Havilland. Fontaine's work remains a cornerstone of British and American cinema, studied for its technical precision and emotional resonance.

Common Mistakes and Alternative Spellings

The name "Joan Fontaine" is typically spelled consistently, as it was her professional stage name. However, common errors arise from confusion with her birth name and her sister's surname. The most frequent misspelling is "Joan Fontane," omitting the 'i'. Others include "Joan Fontain" (dropping the final 'e') or "Joan Fountaine" (beginning with 'Fou'). It is also common for people to mistakenly combine her name with her sister's, leading to the error "Joan de Havilland," which was her birth surname before she legally changed it. Her first name is occasionally misspelled as "Joanne," but she was exclusively known as Joan. Writers should also note the correct accent in "Rebecca," as it is sometimes incorrectly written as "Rebeca."

Example Sentences

Film scholars often cite Joan Fontaine's performance in Rebecca as a masterclass in conveying vulnerability and quiet resilience.

Winning the Academy Award over her nominated sister, Olivia de Havilland, only intensified the public fascination with Joan Fontaine's personal life.

For a glimpse into her sophisticated acting style, one need only watch the suspenseful milk scene in Suspicion.

Throughout the 1940s, Joan Fontaine was one of the most sought-after leading ladies in Hollywood, starring in a series of romantic dramas.

Her autobiography, No Bed of Roses, provided a candid look at her storied career and complex family dynamics.

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