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'''Henry Jaynes Fonda''' (1905-82), American Actor This page is written and copyright 2008 by Will Johnson, Freelance biographer, [mailto:wjhonson@aol.com wjhonson@aol.com]. http://www.afi.com/Images/tvevents/laa/archive/gal_Fonda_Henry_2.jpg A very young Henry Fonda (Credit afi.com) ==Henry Jaynes Fonda== ===Early life=== Henry Fonda was born 16 May 1905 in Grand Island, Hall County, [[Nebraska]] to William Brace Fonda and his wife Herberta Jaynes. In a much later newspaper mention of him [http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=4564143¤tResult=3&src=search&firstvisit=true here] they state that he went to the University of Minnesota and got a degree, his thesis being on communication systems. Another source states that he had been studying journalism but dropped out after about two years. Henry Fonda was working for $30 per week as a clerk at the Retail Credit Company in Omaha, Nebraska but [[Marlon Brando]]'s mother Dorothy who was a friend of Henry's mother, got him involved in the Omaha Community Playhouse of which Dorothy was a co-founder. His first role was as Ricky in ''You and I'' in 1925, but his first starring role was as Merton in the play ''Merton of the Movies'' in 1926 or 1927. Merton is a terrible actor. When film producers see how funny his over-acting is, they put him in a comedy but tell him it's a drama. <table><tr><td>http://www.afi.com/Images/tvevents/laa/archive/gal_Fonda_Henry_2.jpg A very young Henry Fonda (Credit afi.com)</td><td>The first newspaper mention of him I find is when he appeared at "The Strand" playing the role of Major John Hay, secretary to Abraham Lincoln, who was played by George Billings. Answers.com [http://www.answers.com/topic/henry-fonda here] states that they toured for three months, after which he returning to Omaha became "assistant director at the Omaha Community Playhouse." In his early twenties, "...he hitched a ride to Cape Cod with a family friend and soon hooked up with the University Players, a summer stock repertory company in Falmouth, Massachusetts." The following year he met and fell in love with fellow-actress [[Margaret Sullavan]]. After a year and a half he proposed and they married. They lived in Greenwich Village, New York City, but the marriage only lasted about four months. At some point during this Massachusetts/New York time, Henry met and was the roommate of fellow-actor [[Jimmy Stewart]]. Henry, like many aspiring actors and singers, worked part-time, during this time, as a male model for artists.</td></tr></table> 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...." Meanwhile, his future wife, Frances (Seymour) Brokaw was "...living in splendor as Mrs Brokaw, in a mansion with a moat on Fifth Avenue..." (''My Life'', p 36) ===Early Career=== Henry Fonda made his Broadway debut as a walk‐on in 1929's ''The Game of Love and Death''. He 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]). He 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 one of [[Leonard Sillman]]'s annual revues. 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. At this time "Leland Hayward, who was on the brink of becoming the top talent agent in the country, signed him up and convinced a reluctant Fonda to go to Hollywood for $1,000 a week." (''My Life'', p 37). By Aug 1934, Henry had "signed with Walter Wagner, to play an important part in ''The President Vanishes''" (see [http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=45596791¤tResult=7&src=search&firstvisit=true here]). And [http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=40782721&firstvisit=true&src=search¤tResult=0 here] they state that he signed with Walter Waller to "make two pictures a year starting with the summer months of 1935." But note that "Henry Fonda, Broadway actor who will be seen this season [Winter of 1934 ?] in 'Rome Haul'" (erroneously called Rome "Hall"), which probably means he was still then in New York. Evidently this title was the title of the book by Walter Edmonds, and the play was re-named ''The Farmer Takes a Wife'' (see [http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=49072003¤tResult=21&src=search&firstvisit=true here]). The play appeared on Broadway, and tells the story of Molly Harkins, a pretty girl who works as a cook on a boat, moving from town to town. She meets Dan Harrow, a rough, simple man who wants to settle down as a farmer. He has to convince her to marry him and farm. Henry Fonda plays the man, and June Walker the woman (see [http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=23032494¤tResult=22&src=search&firstvisit=true here]). Noel Thornton was a bit psychic when he stated,<blockquote>"Indeed young Fonda is so good in the early part of the show that he undoubtedly will be transferred to the movie colony in jig time to become the newest of the leading men for Norma Shearer, Constance Bennett or Miriam Hopkins."</blockquote> Henry Fonda and his ex-wife Margaret Sullavan remained on reasonable terms for some time. They were seen together once-in-a-while and she eventually married his agent Leland Hayward and "lived just down the street in the 1940s", this according to his daughter Jane who remembers playing with the Hayward children. Margaret evidently caused a bit of a stir in some corners. Henry received one fan letter who courteously enclosed a self-addressed stamped envelope but presumptuously stated:<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?"</blockquote> 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. 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 Fonda was the father of actors [[Jane Fonda]] (b. 1937) and [[Peter Fonda]]. Jane was born in New York City while Henry was filming ''Jezebel'' with [[Bette Davis]]. He had had it written into his contract that if his wife gave birth while they were shooting, he could fly back to New York to be with them. Jane comments in her biography, how her father stated that he took dozens of pictures while there at the hospital, and that she has them. She wistfully comments that in none of these pictures is there one of her mother holding her. Henry that year returned again to the stage for a brief run in ''Blow Ye Winds''. The next year 1938, saw Henry's appearence in ''Spawn of the North'' starring George Raft and Dorothy Lamour. You will of course remember George Raft because of the role he played in the relationship between [[Lucille Ball]] and Desi Arnaz. In 1939 Henry "had a leading role" in ''The Story of Alexander Graham Bell'' also starring Don Ameche and Loretta Young. In newspaper articles, at this time, is where we find the appropos mention that Henry had written a thesis on communication systems while he was in college. ===Middle Career=== <table><tr><td>http://www.afi.com/Images/tvevents/laa/archive/gal_Fonda_Henry_3.jpg Henry Fonda as Tom Joad (Credit afi.com)</td><td> Henry Fonda played the title role in 1939's ''Young Mr. Lincoln''. In 1940 Henry received his first Oscar nomination playing in arguably his best-known role, as Tom Joad in the 1940 film ''The Grapes of Wrath'' based on the novel by Steinbeck. To get this role, he had agree to a seven-year contract which compelled him to play in such nothings as the romantic-comedy ''The Lady Eve'' in 1941 with [[Barbara Stanwyck]] and 1942's ''The Male Animal''. Henry's co-starring role opposite [[Lucille Ball]] in 1942's ''The Big Street'' should probably be put into this category as well, except I can't quite get over this strangely self-centered, bitchy Lucy. It's so different from her remembered character that you're forced to watch. It's Lucy that makes this a movie-to-see, even though it's not her best work and it's a bit off-kilter. Henry plays a man deeply in love with her, who she doesn't notice, thinking him beneath her station, even though he comes to her rescue several times. Also as one of the supporting cast in this movie was [[Agnes Moorehead]]. </td></tr></table> During WWII Henry Fonda served in the Navy, even though he was exempt. For this he received a Bronze Star. In 1946 he played Wyatt Earp in ''My Darling Clementine''. In 1948 Henry returned to Broadway starring in ''Mister Roberts'' for it's multi-year run. He would reprise his role seven years later in the film version. Jane states that Henry was a man of dark moods and that they "...lived in constant awareness of the minefield we had to tread so as not to trigger his rage." (''My Life'', p 35). On 14 Oct 1950 his then-wife Frances Seymour killed herself by slitting her throat while in a mental hospital. Three months later, in Dec 1950, Henry married Susan Blanchard. They divorced in 1956. http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/d/d0/250px-Fonda.henry.12am.JPG Henry Fonda in the 50s or 60s (Credit Answers.com) On stage he played businessman Charles Gray in 1951's ''Point of No Return''. He was the prosecuting attorney Lt. Greenwald in 1954's ''The Caine Mutiny Court‐Martial''. In 1955 he returned to film starring in that year's ''Mister Roberts'' with [[Jack Lemmon]]. In 1957 he was in ''Twelve Angry Men''. Fonda married his fourth wife, Countess Adfera Franchetti, on 10 Mar 1957. They divorced in 1962. He was again on-stage as lawyer Jerry Ryan in 1958's ''Two for the Seesaw''. He played John, in 1959 in ''Silent Night, Lonely Night''. And he was drama critic Parker Ballantine in 1960's ''Critic's Choice''. Fonda married for the fifth and final time to model and stewardess Shirlee Adams, in 1965, and that same year played on-stage the conservative executive Jim Bolton in ''Generation''. ===Later Career=== Henry Fonda worked again with [[Lucille Ball]] in 1968's film ''Yours, Mine and Ours''. Again he returned to the stage for the 1974 one-man show ''Clarence Darrow''. But shortly after played Adm. Chester Nimitz in the 1976 film ''Midway''. In 1978 he appeared as liberal Supreme Court Justice Daniel Snow in ''First Monday in October''. His first Best Actor Oscar did not come until 1981 for ''On Golden Pond'' co-starring [[Katherine Hepburn]] as his wife, and his real-life daughter [[Jane Fonda]] playing his movie daughter. Henry Fonda died of heart failure 12 Aug 1982 in [[Los Angeles County, California]]. ===Primary documents for 1=== *[http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&rank=0&gsfn=&gsln=Fonda&sx=&f7=&f9=&f10=&f18__n=&f20=nebraska&rg_81004011__date=&rs_81004011__date=0&f23=&f17=&f16=&rg_f19__date=&rs_f19__date=0&_8000C002=&f21=&_80008002=&f22=&_80018002=&gskw=&prox=1&db=1910uscenindex&ti=0&ti.si=0&gss=angs-d&fh=11&recid=44813824&recoff=3+18+19 1910 Census of Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska] *[http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&rank=0&gsfn=&gsln=Fonda&sx=&f8=&f9=&f10=&f20=Nebraska&rg_fa5__date=&rs_fa5__date=0&f16__n=&rg_f19__date=&rs_f19__date=0&f18=&fa20=&f21=&fa18=&f22=&fa14=&gskw=&prox=1&db=1920usfedcen&ti=0&ti.si=0&gss=angs-d&fh=17&recid=51390463&recoff=3+18+19 1920 Census of Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska] *[http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=93266224&firstvisit=true&src=search¤tResult=9 ''Waterloo Evening Courier'', 24 Feb 1926], page 13, "Lincoln of Stage Sinks All of Self in Soul He Plays" *[http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=44759880&firstvisit=true&src=search¤tResult=6 ''Fresno Bee'' (Fresno, California), 25 Apr 1930, pg 36] *''Jane Fonda : My Life So Far'', by Jane Fonda. Random House, New York. 2006. ISBN 0812975766 ===Secondary sources for 1=== *[http://www.answers.com/topic/henry-fonda "Henry Fonda"] on Answers.com citing: **''Who2'', written and edited by R.F. Holznagel and Paul Hehn, Who2, LLC, http://www.who2.com/henryfonda.html **American Theatre Guide; All Movie Guide, Brittanica, Wikipedia, et. al. *[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/212404/Henry-Fonda "Henry Fonda"] at Brittanica Online Encyclopedia ===See Also=== *[[Connections:Alice Ghostley to Montgomery Clift|"Alice Ghostley to Montgomery Clift"]] ===Further reading=== *''Fonda: My Story'', by Henry Fonda with Howard Teichman, 1981 *''Henry Fonda: His Life and Work'', by Norm Goldstein, 1982 ==William Brace Fonda== William Brace Fonda was born abt 1879 in Nebraska to Ten Eyck Fonda and his wife Harriet, who had moved there from their native New York. In 1900 he was a Salesman. He married Herberta Jaynes between 1900 and 1910. By 1910 the family is living in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska. Herberta (Jaynes) Fonda died in 1934 "at her home in Omaha", and William Fonda died about 1935, probably in Omaha. ===Primary documents for 2=== *[http://content.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=View&r=an&dbid=7602&iid=NET623_925-0369&fn=Ten+Eycr+h&ln=Fonda&st=r&ssrc=&pid=32703986 1900 Census of Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska] *[http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&rank=0&gsfn=&gsln=Fonda&sx=&f7=&f9=&f10=&f18__n=&f20=nebraska&rg_81004011__date=&rs_81004011__date=0&f23=&f17=&f16=&rg_f19__date=&rs_f19__date=0&_8000C002=&f21=&_80008002=&f22=&_80018002=&gskw=&prox=1&db=1910uscenindex&ti=0&ti.si=0&gss=angs-d&fh=11&recid=44813824&recoff=3+18+19 1910 Census of Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska] *[http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&rank=0&gsfn=&gsln=Fonda&sx=&f8=&f9=&f10=&f20=Nebraska&rg_fa5__date=&rs_fa5__date=0&f16__n=&rg_f19__date=&rs_f19__date=0&f18=&fa20=&f21=&fa18=&f22=&fa14=&gskw=&prox=1&db=1920usfedcen&ti=0&ti.si=0&gss=angs-d&fh=17&recid=51390463&recoff=3+18+19 1920 Census of Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska] *[http://content.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=view&dbid=50003&iid=NEWS-OH-NE_JO.1975_06_15_0083&r=an&rc=1923,1967,2155,2017;2188,1967,2254,2017;2288,1967,2487,2017&fn=&ln=Record+William+B+Fonda&st=d&ssrc=&pid=511392851 "Henry Fonda on William B Fonda"], 15 Jun 1975, ''News Journal'' (Mansfield, Ohio) : "The elder Fonda born in the mid-1880s, died in 1935. In 1905, when Henry was six months old, William and his wife Herberta moved from Grand Island, Neb., to Omaha, Neb., and set up a printshop ==Herberta Jaynes== Herberta Jaynes was born 26 Jun 1879 in Wisconsin, but by 1898 the family had moved to Omaha, Nebraska. She married William Brace Fonda sometime between 1900 and 1910 probably in Omaha. By 1910 the family is living in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska. ===Primary documents for 3=== *[http://content.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=view&dbid=8099&iid=NEWS-NE-TH_NE_ST_JO.1898_12_25_0010&r=an&rc=1292,2854,1419,2883;1435,2854,1546,2883&fn=herberta&ln=jaynes&st=d&ssrc=&pid=471229450 "Social and Personal"], Dec 25, 1898, ''The Nebraska State Journal'' (Lincoln, Nebraska) :"Miss Alice Fuller will spend this week in Omaha as the guest of Miss Herberta Jaynes." - transcription courtesy of Will Johnson, wjhonson@aol.com, Professional Genealogist, from the original image on Ancestry *[http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&rank=0&gsfn=&gsln=Fonda&sx=&f7=&f9=&f10=&f18__n=&f20=nebraska&rg_81004011__date=&rs_81004011__date=0&f23=&f17=&f16=&rg_f19__date=&rs_f19__date=0&_8000C002=&f21=&_80008002=&f22=&_80018002=&gskw=&prox=1&db=1910uscenindex&ti=0&ti.si=0&gss=angs-d&fh=11&recid=44813824&recoff=3+18+19 1910 Census of Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska] *[http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&rank=0&gsfn=&gsln=Fonda&sx=&f8=&f9=&f10=&f20=Nebraska&rg_fa5__date=&rs_fa5__date=0&f16__n=&rg_f19__date=&rs_f19__date=0&f18=&fa20=&f21=&fa18=&f22=&fa14=&gskw=&prox=1&db=1920usfedcen&ti=0&ti.si=0&gss=angs-d&fh=17&recid=51390463&recoff=3+18+19 1920 Census of Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska] *[http://content.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=view&dbid=8098&iid=NEWS-NE-TH_LI_ST.1934_10_08_0004&r=an&rc=1325,4817,1555,4867;1584,4817,1756,4867&fn=herberta&ln=jaynes&st=d&ssrc=&pid=490020868 Obit, "Herberta Jaynes Fonda"], 8 Oct 1934, ''The Lincoln Star'' (Lincoln, Nebraska) :<blockquote>Services at Omaha for Herberta Jaynes Fonda — Funeral services for Mrs. Herberta Jaynes Fonda were held in Omaha Monday afternoon. Mrs. Fonda was a schoolmate of Mrs. E.C. Hardy at the University of Nebraska. She was a member of Delta Gamma sorority. Mrs. Fonda died Oct. 5 at her home in Omaha. She was 55 years old. Surviving besides her husband, William B., are two daughters, Mrs. John B. Peacock of Omaha and Mrs. John Schoentgen of Council Bluffs, and a son, Harry Fonda of New York City. Mrs Schoentgen attended the university in 1927.</blockquote> - transcription courtesy of Will Johnson, [mailto:wjhonson@aol.com wjhonson@aol.com], Professional Genealogist, from the original image on Ancestry ==Ten Eyck Fonda== Ten Eyck Fonda was born Dec 1839 in [[New York]] to native New York parents. He married, about 1864 to Harriet somebody also a New York native. They stayed in New York until at least 1871 when their son Ten Eyck Jr was born there, but by 1879 they had moved to Nebraska where their next surviving son William was born. Out of their six children, four were yet living in 1900 when they are enumerated in Omaha where Ten Eyck Fonda is a Railroad Ticket Agent. Ten Eyck and Harriet are yet living in Omaha in 1920 so it's probable that they both died there. ===Primary documents for 4=== *[http://content.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=View&r=an&dbid=7602&iid=NET623_925-0369&fn=Ten+Eycr+h&ln=Fonda&st=r&ssrc=&pid=32703986 1900 Census of Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska] *[http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&rank=0&gsfn=&gsln=Fonda&sx=&f8=Nebraska&f9=&f10=&f20=New+York&rg_fa5__date=&rs_fa5__date=0&f16__n=&rg_f19__date=&rs_f19__date=0&f18=&fa20=&f21=&fa18=&f22=&fa14=&gskw=&prox=1&db=1920usfedcen&ti=0&ti.si=0&gss=angs-d&fh=5&recid=51291860&recoff=4+19+20+21+22+24 1920 Census of Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska] ===Secondary sources for 4=== *[http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=amfonda&id=ind00200 "TenEyck Hilton Fonda"] in 'Fonda Family Genealogy', by Albert Mark, [mailto:mark@fonda.org mark@fonda.org], db amfonda at Rootsweb's WorldConnect Project ==Harriet M== ===Primary documents for 5=== *[http://content.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=View&r=an&dbid=7602&iid=NET623_925-0369&fn=Ten+Eycr+h&ln=Fonda&st=r&ssrc=&pid=32703986 1900 Census of Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska] *[http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&rank=0&gsfn=&gsln=Fonda&sx=&f8=Nebraska&f9=&f10=&f20=New+York&rg_fa5__date=&rs_fa5__date=0&f16__n=&rg_f19__date=&rs_f19__date=0&f18=&fa20=&f21=&fa18=&f22=&fa14=&gskw=&prox=1&db=1920usfedcen&ti=0&ti.si=0&gss=angs-d&fh=5&recid=51291860&recoff=4+19+20+21+22+24 1920 Census of Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska] [[Category:Famous Men]] [[Category:New York]] [[Category:Wisconsin]] [[Category:Nebraska]] [[Category:California]] [[Category:Movies and Television]]
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