Henry Jaynes Fonda
From RoyalWeb
(→Primary documents for 1) |
(→Early Career) |
||
| Line 32: | Line 32: | ||
A newspaper article dated 13 Jul 1930 puts a maximal date on when Henry married Margaret as it states : "Henry Fonda and Margaret Sullavan, married and divorced, are going together again...." And again an announcement in Jul 1930 of a new film ''Reno in the Fall'' co-starring Henry Fonda opposite Margaret Sullavan, calls him her "ex-husband". | A newspaper article dated 13 Jul 1930 puts a maximal date on when Henry married Margaret as it states : "Henry Fonda and Margaret Sullavan, married and divorced, are going together again...." And again an announcement in Jul 1930 of a new film ''Reno in the Fall'' co-starring Henry Fonda opposite Margaret Sullavan, calls him her "ex-husband". | ||
| − | Henry played the Prince in ''Cinderella'' in Nov 1930 opposite Suzanne Pollard (stage name "Shirley Horton"), daughter of the Governor of Virginia (see [http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=50005553¤tResult=3&src=search&firstvisit=true here]). The Wikipedia biography of Jimmy Stewart [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Stewart_(actor) here] citing Houghton (1951) and also Eliot (2006) states that Henry Fonda and Margaret Sullavan did (re)marry on Christmas Day 1931, but by the following Summer of 1932 this second marriage had also ended. Her Wikipedia biography states that they married in Baltimore, Maryland. | + | Henry played the Prince in ''Cinderella'' in Nov 1930 opposite Suzanne Pollard (stage name "Shirley Horton"), daughter of the Governor of Virginia (see [http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=50005553¤tResult=3&src=search&firstvisit=true here]). The Wikipedia biography of Jimmy Stewart [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Stewart_(actor) here] citing Houghton (1951) and also Eliot (2006) states that Henry Fonda and Margaret Sullavan did (re)marry on Christmas Day 1931, but by the following Summer of 1932 this second (re-)marriage had also ended. Her Wikipedia biography states that they married in Baltimore, Maryland. |
| − | It was | + | It was reportedly in this Summer of 1932 that Henry met and was the roommate of fellow-actor [[Jimmy Stewart]]. Some sources state that Stewart was also a member of the University Players, starting that Summer. |
Meanwhile, his future wife, Frances (Seymour) Brokaw who had married George Brokaw Jan 1931 was "...living in splendor as Mrs Brokaw, in a mansion with a moat on Fifth Avenue..." (''My Life'', p 36) | Meanwhile, his future wife, Frances (Seymour) Brokaw who had married George Brokaw Jan 1931 was "...living in splendor as Mrs Brokaw, in a mansion with a moat on Fifth Avenue..." (''My Life'', p 36) | ||
| − | + | Henry appeared on Broadway in 1932's ''I Love You Wednesday''. In Sep 1932 he played the part of Inspector Enderby in ''Michael and Mary'' (see [http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=55696065¤tResult=5&src=search&firstvisit=true here]). He then had a role in the 1933 Broadway play ''Forsaking All Others''. | |
Henry Fonda co-starred with [[Imogene Coca]] in ''New Faces of 1934''. This was the first of [[Leonard Sillman]]'s annual revues, each called ''New Faces''. See the mention [http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=38771701¤tResult=2&src=search&firstvisit=true here]. Note the interesting tidbit, that one of the potential backers who came to watch the auditions was none other than [[Libby Holmon]] later to be well-known in regards to her relationship with [[Montgomery Clift]]. Libby you will recall was the torch-singer who married a wealthy man who died such an interesting death that Libby went on trial for it. | Henry Fonda co-starred with [[Imogene Coca]] in ''New Faces of 1934''. This was the first of [[Leonard Sillman]]'s annual revues, each called ''New Faces''. See the mention [http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=38771701¤tResult=2&src=search&firstvisit=true here]. Note the interesting tidbit, that one of the potential backers who came to watch the auditions was none other than [[Libby Holmon]] later to be well-known in regards to her relationship with [[Montgomery Clift]]. Libby you will recall was the torch-singer who married a wealthy man who died such an interesting death that Libby went on trial for it. | ||
| Line 46: | Line 46: | ||
Margaret Sullavan evidently caused a bit of a stir in some corners. Henry received one fan letter with a courteously enclosed self-addressed stamped envelope but presumptuously stating:<blockquote>Dear Mr Fonda: I am one of Miss Sullivan's [sic] most ardent worshippers, in fact, I'm in love with her. I see by the papers that you are her former husband. Will you introduce me when you arrive to Hollywood? Or, better still, write me a letter of introduction to her?" ([http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=10119914&firstvisit=true&src=search¤tResult=4 ''Mansfield News Journal'' (Mansfield, Ohio), 5 Nov 1934, pg 6])</blockquote> | Margaret Sullavan evidently caused a bit of a stir in some corners. Henry received one fan letter with a courteously enclosed self-addressed stamped envelope but presumptuously stating:<blockquote>Dear Mr Fonda: I am one of Miss Sullivan's [sic] most ardent worshippers, in fact, I'm in love with her. I see by the papers that you are her former husband. Will you introduce me when you arrive to Hollywood? Or, better still, write me a letter of introduction to her?" ([http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=10119914&firstvisit=true&src=search¤tResult=4 ''Mansfield News Journal'' (Mansfield, Ohio), 5 Nov 1934, pg 6])</blockquote> | ||
| − | Henry and Margaret had remained on reasonable terms for some time. They were seen out-together once-in-a-while, and there was some gossip that they might remarry. Jane Fonda however states that just after Henry and Margaret separated, Margaret had taken up with producer Jed Harris. "Dad would stand outside her window, knowing Harris was inside with her."<blockquote>"That just destroyed me," he said a lifetime later to Howard Teichmann. "Never in my life have I felt so betrayed, so rejected, so alone."</blockquote> Margaret and Jed however didn't marry, even though the gossip was they might, her next marriage was to director William Wyler. He was directing her in her currant film and there was '''no gossip''' that they were even romantically linked. So the marriage was a complete surprise. Curiously, in the Nov | + | Henry and Margaret had remained on reasonable terms for some time. They were seen out-together once-in-a-while, and there was some gossip that they might remarry. Jane Fonda however states that just after Henry and Margaret separated, Margaret had taken up with producer Jed Harris. "Dad would stand outside her window, knowing Harris was inside with her."<blockquote>"That just destroyed me," he said a lifetime later to Howard Teichmann. "Never in my life have I felt so betrayed, so rejected, so alone."</blockquote> Margaret and Jed however didn't marry, even though the gossip was they might, her next marriage was to director William Wyler. He was directing her in her currant film and there was '''no gossip''' that they were even romantically linked. So the marriage was a complete surprise. Curiously, in the Nov 1934 article mentioning that Margaret had just re-married, they state that Fonda and she had divorced "two years ago". |
Henry met his next wife Frances Seymour in London in 1936 where she was vacationing from New York, and while she was visiting the set of ''Wings of the Morning'', in which he was starring. On his return from London in Sep 1936 to New York, he lists his address as "235 N Carmetina, West Los Angeles". Soon after their return to New York, they were married. Frances was a wealthy widow with a daughter Frances "Pan" Brokaw from her prior marriage to George Brokaw who had died about 1933. | Henry met his next wife Frances Seymour in London in 1936 where she was vacationing from New York, and while she was visiting the set of ''Wings of the Morning'', in which he was starring. On his return from London in Sep 1936 to New York, he lists his address as "235 N Carmetina, West Los Angeles". Soon after their return to New York, they were married. Frances was a wealthy widow with a daughter Frances "Pan" Brokaw from her prior marriage to George Brokaw who had died about 1933. | ||
