While Charles Higham's "Sisters" destroyed my illusions of Olivia, it failed to change my opinion of Joan Fontaine. Prior to reading her own autobiography, I had very little interest in her as anything other than an actress. But once I opened "No Bed of Roses," I was hooked. I found a woman with whom I could strongly identify. She was witty, strong, intelligent, and obviously very different from those around her.Because of her honesty in her own book, there was very little that surprised me in "Sisters." One thing is for certain, though: While Higham was kind to neither sibling, his portrait of Joan was the more flattering. He portrayed Olivia as a psychopath; he gave the impression that Joan was a misunderstood wit with a terribly weak immune system.
Other than stating that Joan was a sickly child whom Olivia cast aside, especially within school halls, there is no reason to delve into her childhood for she shared one with Olivia; and I touched on their childhood in my review FOR her elder sister.
They shared the same incidents of child molestation, the same eccentric absentee father, and the same sordid childhood rife with Draconian discipline.
Joan managed to escape her parents' (mother and stepfather) house for a year, when she traveled to Japan to live with her father and stepmother. This arrangement ended when Walter de Havilland, the girls' estranged father, allegedly propositioned Joan.
Throughout adulthood, Joan beat Olivia to many monumental firsts: she was first to lose her virginity, get married, win an Oscar, and have a child. Certainly this poked holes in an already perforated bond.
Joan was also married twice as many times as Olivia. The first, to Brian Aherne; then William Dozier; followed by Collier Young, and then Alfred Wright, Jr.
Her only biological child is Deborah Leslie Dozier, born to Joan and Bill Dozier. She also informally adopted a poor Peruvian child by the name of Martita Valentina Pareja (how BEAUTIFUL is that name??!!!). Joan, unfortunately, suffered 2 miscarriages during 1965.
Her personal life has seen many ups and downs, but it has been full of laughter, glamour, and wonderful friends.
Professionally, though Olivia is regarded as the more successful and iconic of the two, Joan has surely made her mark on Hollywood. She is a true screen legend, and she will be remembered for quite some time.
Posts
9 comments:
That is a pretty name, Martita. I would like to learn more about her; I know she and Joan had a falling out many years ago, but I'm not sure if they ever spoke to each other again.
Evidently Martita is now a wife and mother. I believe she lives in Maine; and she and Deborah do, in fact, have a good relationship. As far as I know she does not wish to speak with Joan.
A friend of mine, who happens to be vaguely acquainted with Joan's secretary, said that Martita threw down the feud gauntlet by making sexual advances to Collier Young during his marriage to Joan. Considering Martita was very young at this time (barely a teenager if my mind serves me correctly) that is very hard to believe. But by all other biographical accounts, Martita simply didn't feel as though she belonged. Joan did very little to help, though I'm sure she did try.
I honestly believe Joan loved Martita very much, and still does. But sometimes love just isn't enough.
Joan did great things for that girl and, in any case, has allowed her to live a much more privileged life than that of which she would have experienced in Peru. Though she is not Martita's birth mother, I think many would consider Joan to be her REAL mother.
I am currently reading "No Bed of Roses" and while I agree that Joan Fontaine is a witty and talented woman, I disagree that she was good mother. I am now to the part where she has just broken up with Collier. Her chapters are rife with her being worried about her children's upbringing but at the same time she's flitting off to Europe to be wined and dined by the bon ton. She doesn't even try to hide it under the guise of going for work- movies just happened to fall into her lap. It's said she is estranged from her daughters b/c they carried on a relationship with their Aunt Olivia but I wouldn't be suprised if they had come to the realization that she was simply selfish. For someone who was sexually abused by her stepfather while her mother was away in Japan- you'd think she'd have reservations of leaving Debbie and Martita alone with Collier. As I read on I see her displaying behavior very somilar to her own mothers.
I'd be very interested in getting Olivia's side of the story.
Thanks for the three parter- very interesting!
I have heard that Joan is no longer estranged from Debbie, apparently that was a long time ago. No she wasn't the perfect mother, but she still loved her daughters. I don't think she worried about Collier ever doing anything to the girls. I know Debbie liked him and still has fond memories of him.
Martita is a beautiful woman. She has a kind heart and a giving soul. She is perceptive and intelligent and she has made a wonderful life for herself.
HELLO, I AM MARTITA'S NEPHEW, I LIVE IN PERU I AM PROUD ABOUT MARTITA BECAUSE SHE IS A NICE PERSON AND I MISS HER, SHE DONT COME TO PERU AROUND 5 YEARS AGO. REALLY ALL THAT YOU SAID IS MARVELOUS. AND I WOULD LIKE TO GO TO MAINE BUT I DONT HAVETO MUCH MONEY AND I HAVE TWO CHILDS, I WANT TO MAKE A SURPRICE FOR HER... BUT I DONT KNOW WHEN. I AM BASTY, MY MON MISS YUO TOO, SHE LLORA ABOUT YOU
RIP Joan Fontaine ...
I have long been a fan of Olivia and Joan as regards their movies, etc. I do hope that Joan will rest in piece. Such a beautiful talent displayed on screen. I have not yet read the book: No Bed of Roses but feel certain that I must now do it. Thank you all for the information shown here. I don't I ever knew so much about these 2 ladies outside of their film lives. Both ladies are/were beauties.
Thank you for the lovely comments. - Tom (administrator)
Post a Comment