Henry Fonda

Henry Fonda

Date of Birth:

May 16, 1905

Place of Birth:

Grand Island, Nebraska, USA

Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor who had a career that spanned five decades in Hollywood. Fonda cultivated a strong, appealing screen image in several films now considered to be classics, earning one Academy Award for Best Actor on two nominations.

Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor and made his Hollywood film debut in 1935. His film career began to gain momentum with roles such as Bette Davis's fiancee in her Academy Award-winning performance in Jezebel (1938), brother Frank in Jesse James (1939), and the future President in Young Mr. Lincoln (1939), directed by John Ford. His early career peaked with his Academy Award-nominated performance as Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, about an Oklahoma family who moved to California during the Dust Bowl 1930s. This film is widely considered to be among the greatest American films.

In 1941 he starred opposite Barbara Stanwyck in the screwball comedy classic The Lady Eve. Book-ending his service in WWII were his starring roles in two highly regarded westerns: The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) and My Darling Clementine (1946), the latter directed by John Ford, and he also starred in Ford's western Fort Apache (1948). After a seven-year break from films, during which Fonda focused on stage productions, he returned with the WWII war-boat ensemble Mister Roberts (1955). In 1957 he starred as Juror No.8, the hold-out juror, in 12 Angry Men. Fonda, who was also co-producer, won the BAFTA for Best Foreign Actor.

Later in his career, Fonda moved into darker roles, such as the villain in the epic Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), underrated and a box office disappointment at its time of release, but now regarded as one of the best westerns of all time. He also played in lighter-hearted fare such as Yours, Mine and Ours with Lucille Ball, but also often played important military figures, such as a Colonel in Battle of the Bulge (1965), and Admiral Nimitz in Midway (1976). He finally won the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 54th Academy Awards for his final film role in On Golden Pond (1981), which also starred Katharine Hepburn and his daughter Jane Fonda, but was too ill to attend the ceremony. He died from heart disease a few months later.

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filmography:

The Red Pony The Red Pony

1973

Clarence Darrow Clarence Darrow

1974

Going Hollywood: The '30s Going Hollywood: The '30s

1984

Rappaccini's Daughter Rappaccini's Daughter

1980

Spendthrift Spendthrift

1936

The Alpha Caper The Alpha Caper

1973

The Man Who Understood Women The Man Who Understood Women

1959

Way Down East Way Down East

1935

An Impression of John Steinbeck: Writer An Impression of John Steinbeck: Writer

1969

The Sky Is Gray The Sky Is Gray

1980

The Golden Honeymoon The Golden Honeymoon

1980

The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg

1980

Barn Burning Barn Burning

1980

Guilt Trip: Hitchcock and 'The Wrong Man' Guilt Trip: Hitchcock and 'The Wrong Man'

2004

Soldier's Home Soldier's Home

1977

The Displaced Person The Displaced Person

1977

Paul's Case Paul's Case

1980

The Blue Hotel The Blue Hotel

1977

Bernice Bobs Her Hair Bernice Bobs Her Hair

1976

Benjy Benjy

1951

I Dream Too Much I Dream Too Much

1935

Inside 'the Swarm' Inside 'the Swarm'

1978

Revisiting 'Fail-Safe' Revisiting 'Fail-Safe'

2000

Stage Struck Stage Struck

1958

Chad Hanna Chad Hanna

1940

An Opera of Violence An Opera of Violence

2003

The Moon's Our Home The Moon's Our Home

1936

The Fondas: A Cinematic Dynasty The Fondas: A Cinematic Dynasty

2023

Stranger on the Run Stranger on the Run

1967

City on Fire City on Fire

1979

Blockade Blockade

1938

Collision Course: Truman vs. MacArthur Collision Course: Truman vs. MacArthur

1976

Born to Buck Born to Buck

1966

The Farmer Takes a Wife The Farmer Takes a Wife

1935

I Met My Love Again I Met My Love Again

1938

The Dirty Game The Dirty Game

1965

Slim Slim

1937

Welcome to Hard Times Welcome to Hard Times

1967

Wings of the Morning Wings of the Morning

1937

Lillian Russell Lillian Russell

1940

Pictura Pictura

1951

The Magnificent Dope The Magnificent Dope

1942

Home to Stay Home to Stay

1978

John Ford: The Man Who Invented America John Ford: The Man Who Invented America

2019

A Space to Grow A Space to Grow

1968

12 Angry Men 12 Angry Men

1957

The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind

1988

Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To

1990

Parkinson: Meet Henry Fonda Parkinson: Meet Henry Fonda

1975

Too Late the Hero Too Late the Hero

1970

A Special Sesame Street Christmas A Special Sesame Street Christmas

1978

Spanish Western Spanish Western

2015

Once Upon a Time in the West Once Upon a Time in the West

1968

Fonda on Fonda Fonda on Fonda

1992

Underground Doctors Underground Doctors

1977

Jane Fonda in Five Acts Jane Fonda in Five Acts

2018

President Kennedy's Birthday Salute President Kennedy's Birthday Salute

1962

The Petrified Forest The Petrified Forest

1955

I'm a Fool I'm a Fool

1977

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall The Jilting of Granny Weatherall

1980

Charles Bronson: The Spirit of Masculinity Charles Bronson: The Spirit of Masculinity

2020

Barbara Stanwyck: Fire and Desire Barbara Stanwyck: Fire and Desire

1991

Summer Solstice Summer Solstice

1981

It's Everybody's War It's Everybody's War

1942

Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line

1997

The American West of John Ford The American West of John Ford

1971

The Real Miss America The Real Miss America

1952

John Ford & Monument Valley John Ford & Monument Valley

2013

Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday

1973

The Really Big Family The Really Big Family

1966

Wild Geese Calling Wild Geese Calling

1941

Let Poland Be Poland Let Poland Be Poland

1982

Pat Paulsen for President Pat Paulsen for President

1968

Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still

1974

Jay Sebring… Cutting to the Truth Jay Sebring… Cutting to the Truth

2020

Henry Fonda for President Henry Fonda for President

2025

To Save a Soldier To Save a Soldier

1966

The Last Four Days The Last Four Days

1974

Henry Fonda: Hollywood's Quiet Hero Henry Fonda: Hollywood's Quiet Hero

1997

The Oldest Living Graduate The Oldest Living Graduate

1980

The Fabulous Fifties The Fabulous Fifties

1960

The Man Who Loved Bears The Man Who Loved Bears

1979

The Big Street The Big Street

1942

Sex and the Single Girl Sex and the Single Girl

1964

Tales of Manhattan Tales of Manhattan

1942

Yours, Mine and Ours Yours, Mine and Ours

1968

Battle of the Bulge Battle of the Bulge

1965

The Boston Strangler The Boston Strangler

1968

There Was a Crooked Man... There Was a Crooked Man...

1970

How the West Was Won How the West Was Won

1962

My Name Is Nobody My Name Is Nobody

1973

The Longest Day The Longest Day

1962

Sometimes a Great Notion Sometimes a Great Notion

1971

Meteor Meteor

1979

Fort Apache Fort Apache

1948

The Fugitive The Fugitive

1947

Warlock Warlock

1959

The Best Man The Best Man

1964

A Big Hand for the Little Lady A Big Hand for the Little Lady

1966

The Cheyenne Social Club The Cheyenne Social Club

1970

The Sensational Shocking Wonderful Wacky 70's The Sensational Shocking Wonderful Wacky 70's

1980

The Great Smokey Roadblock The Great Smokey Roadblock

1978

The Rounders The Rounders

1965

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: Making '12 Angry Men' Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: Making '12 Angry Men'

2008

Jezebel Jezebel

1938

Rollercoaster Rollercoaster

1977

Daisy Kenyon Daisy Kenyon

1947

Jezebel: Legend of the South Jezebel: Legend of the South

2006

My Darling Clementine My Darling Clementine

1946

Fail Safe Fail Safe

1964

The Grapes of Wrath The Grapes of Wrath

1940

The Lady Eve The Lady Eve

1941

Madigan Madigan

1968

Firecreek Firecreek

1968

Something to Do with Death Something to Do with Death

2003

'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War 'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War

2020

The Wages of Sin The Wages of Sin

2003

On Golden Pond On Golden Pond

1981

The Wrong Man The Wrong Man

1956

The Tin Star The Tin Star

1957

Midway Midway

1976

War and Peace War and Peace

1956

The Return of Frank James The Return of Frank James

1940

Jesse James Jesse James

1939

The Biggest Battle The Biggest Battle

1978

The Greatest Man in the World The Greatest Man in the World

1981

You Only Live Once You Only Live Once

1937

Drums Along the Mohawk Drums Along the Mohawk

1939

Let Us Live Let Us Live

1939

The Story of Alexander Graham Bell The Story of Alexander Graham Bell

1939

Hollywood: The Selznick Years Hollywood: The Selznick Years

1961

Hollywood: The Fabulous Era Hollywood: The Fabulous Era

1962

Tentacles Tentacles

1977

On Our Merry Way On Our Merry Way

1948

The Male Animal The Male Animal

1942

That Certain Woman That Certain Woman

1937

Rings on Her Fingers Rings on Her Fingers

1942

You Belong to Me You Belong to Me

1941

Spawn of the North Spawn of the North

1938

Immortal Sergeant Immortal Sergeant

1943

Fedora Fedora

1978

The Battle of Midway The Battle of Midway

1942

The Trail of the Lonesome Pine The Trail of the Lonesome Pine

1936

Hollywood: The Great Stars Hollywood: The Great Stars

1963

The Swarm The Swarm

1978

Gideon's Trumpet Gideon's Trumpet

1980

Spencer's Mountain Spencer's Mountain

1963

In Harm's Way In Harm's Way

1965

Mister Roberts Mister Roberts

1955

The Long Night The Long Night

1947

Young Mr. Lincoln Young Mr. Lincoln

1939

The Mad Miss Manton The Mad Miss Manton

1938

The Serpent The Serpent

1973

La Classe américaine La Classe américaine

1993

Hollywood and the Stars Hollywood and the Stars

1964

Wanda Nevada Wanda Nevada

1979

Advise & Consent Advise & Consent

1962

Sacco and Vanzetti Sacco and Vanzetti

2006

Stiletto Stiletto

1969

Breakdowns of 1938 Breakdowns of 1938

1938

Directed by John Ford Directed by John Ford

1971

Jigsaw Jigsaw

1949

Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker

1991

The Ox-Bow Incident The Ox-Bow Incident

1943

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